HispanicBusiness

LOS ANGELES, Sept. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Dionicio Morales, founder of the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation (MAOF), the largest Latino-based, human-service, non-profit organization in the nation, died Wednesday evening at the age of 89. He had been hospitalized, suffering from respiratory complications.

"We know that Latinos everywhere and the nation join us in mourning the loss of Dionicio, a beloved leader and advocate for the empowerment of Mexican Americans," said Martin Castro, MAOF President and CEO.

Teresa Sanchez-Gordon, MAOF Board chair added, "This is a profound loss to the Mexican American community and the nation as a whole. MAOF will work tirelessly to continue Dr. Morales' legacy."

Funeral services are pending. A public memorial for Dr. Morales is being planned for October 3.

Dr. Morales was born in Arizona in 1918. His family moved from Arizona to Moorpark, California, where he was raised as a child.

Dr. Morales completed his undergraduate studies at the University of California at Santa Barbara in the 1930s and immediately involved himself in several causes to protect fellow Mexican Americans. Among these was the protection of immigrant contract workers from Mexico, known as "braceros."

He later worked as an organizer and recruiter of Mexican workers for labor unions. These organization skills and collective bargaining strategies set the stage for his founding of MAOF in 1963. In its early years, MAOF survived through the efforts of Dr. Morales, his wife, Maria, and several close friends.

In Washington, DC, Dr. Morales sought and received support from New York Congressman Adam Clayton Powell and, subsequently, Vice President Lyndon Johnson.

As a direct result of his meeting with Lyndon Johnson, MAOF was granted funding by the government to pursue equal opportunity employment opportunities. And at Dr. Morales' invitation, Vice President Johnson attended an MAOF conference in Los Angeles, where he addressed more than a thousand Mexican American leaders and opened the door to the recognition of affirmative action programs to elevate the opportunities for the Mexican American community.

Dr. Morales' tireless work brought him more than 120 honors and tributes. In May 2008, thanks to the efforts of Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina, the East Los Angeles Transit Center was named in Dr. Morales' honor. In June 2008, Cal State University Los Angeles bestowed him with an honorary doctorate in the humanities. Dr. Morales received the "Spirit of Los Angeles" award from Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa as part of the City of Los Angeles' 2008 Latino Heritage Month opening ceremonies. Dr. Morales was very proud to have been awarded honorary citizen status by two Mexican states that host the Tarascan cultural heritage, Guanajuato and Michoacan.

About MAOF

The Mexican American Opportunity Foundation (MAOF), a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit community-based organization, was founded in 1963 to serve disadvantaged individuals and families in the Los Angeles area. Since then, MAOF has become the largest Latino-oriented, family services organization in the United States, and has achieved this status by providing high quality social services and programs to those communities where the need is the greatest. MAOF operates in seven counties throughout California, and is based in Montebello.

For more information about MAOF, visit http://www.maof.org/. Mexican American Opportunity Foundation

Web site: http://www.maof.org/