Gracia Molina de Pick Papers, 1902-2019
| Special Collections & University Archives

Gracia Molina de Pick, a prominent educator, feminist, and community activist, was born March 21, 1928 in Morelia, Michoacan. Growing up, she was surrounded by a family of political reformers. In 1946 at age 18, she traveled to Paris to attend the founding congress of the International Union of Socialist Youth, and subsequently behind the Iron Curtain to Yugoslavia to help rebuild the country's railroads. This successful work marked the beginning of a lifetime of activism.
Molina de Pick moved to California in 1957 and proceeded to earn Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees in Spanish Language from San Diego State University. She pursued doctoral studies at the University of California at San Diego and the University of Southern California in Education Administration. Molina de Pick continued to work in higher education, and is particularly remembered within the San Diego community for being an integral part of the establishment of the nation’s first associate’s degree in Chicano Studies at Mesa College and a founding faculty member of Thurgood Marshall College (Third College) at the University of California at San Diego. Both programs were evidence of Molina de Pick’s endeavors to incorporate a wider scope of educational topics, especially Chicano culture, into the standard curriculum. She also worked extensively to promote bilingual and bicultural education, particularly at Sweetwater Union High School. Her bilingual education reform led her to become a founding member and the San Diego chapter president of the Association of Mexican-American Educators (AMAE). Molina de Pick was also the first San Diegan appointed to the California Postsecondary Education Commission in 1975.
Gracia Molina de Pick joined the Democratic Party in 1971. Shortly after joining, she helped to found Comisión Femenil Mexicana Nacional, the first national Chicana Association. She also became an active member and leader of many other organizations devoted to feminism, Chicano rights, civil rights, and labor reform. Her involvements include the National Women’s Political Caucus (NWPC), the Mexican American Women’s National Association (MANA), the National Council of La Raza, the United Farm Workers, and the Chicano Federation. She attended the United Nations Conferences in Mexico City, Nairobi, Copenhagen, and Beijing, the National Women’s Conference in Houston, Texas, and several Democratic National Conventions. She was also appointed to serve on the Census Advisory Committee for the Spanish Origin Population for the 1980 census. Prior to her retirement, she also served as a Human Resource Consultant for the Agency for International Development (African Bureau) of the U.S. State Department and for the Women’s Bureau of the U.S. Department of Labor. At this stage of her career, Molina de Pick had completed and published Mujeres en la Historia/Historias de Mujeres with Carmen Lugo, a book that includes voices of women absent from the previous historical record.
Molina de Pick’s dedication to serving the community and advocating for the rights of others, as well as professional accomplishments, have been recognized at the local, state, and national levels. Amongst her many honors, Molina de Pick received the Points of Light U.S. Presidential Award from George H.W. Bush, the Community Activist Award from the Chicano Federation, the Teacher of the Year Award from Mesa College, and was inducted into the San Diego County Women’s Hall of Fame in 2002.
Gracia Molina de Pick was married to Richard Pick and raised three children, Milan, Adele, and Daniel. She passwed away in August of 2019..
Author: Kira Hall and Taylor de Klerk
I. Biographical, 1945-2019
1. Personal Papers, 1945-2019
2. Photographs, n.d.
II. Writings, 1963-2011
1. Published, 1974-2003
2. Unpublished, 1963-2011
III. Correspondence, 1964-2012
IV. Education Materials, 1962-2012
1. Bilingual Education, 1967-1996
2. California Postsecondary Education Commission, 1970-1981
3. Higher Education, 1962-2012
V. Women's Rights, 1961-2006
1. Chicana Activism, 1966-2005
2. Comision Femenil Mexicana Nacional, 1973-2003
3. Feminist Organizations, 1968-2005
4. National Women's Political Caucus (NWPC), 1971-1987
5. Reproductive Rights, 1974-2004
6. Women's History and Women's Rights Publications, 1971-2006
7. Women's Rights Conferences, 1961-2006
VI. Activism and Political Involvement, 1902-2012
1. Chicano Activism, 1967-2009
2. Chicano Cultural Identity and History, 1928-2010
3. Civil and Human Rights, 1966-2012
4. Community Engagement, 1966-2009
5. Democratic Party, 1973-2004
6. Education Reform, 1965-1985
7. Environmentalism, 1971-1981
8. Health Care, 1967-1994
9. Immigration, 1956-2011
10. Indigenous Community Rights, 1968-2000
11. International Relations, 1971-1997
12. Labor Rights, 1968-2009
13. United States Census, 1970-1985
14. United States/Mexico Relations, 1902-2011
15. Youth Advocacy, 1968-2011
VII. Buttons and Name Badges, 1980-2012
VIII. Art and Posters, 1973-2010



MANA of San Diego County Records, 1986-2002
Rene Nuñez Memorial Collection, 1968-2008
Carmen Sandoval Fernandez Poster Collection, 1974-1983
Arturo Casares Papers, 1968-2007
Maria Garcia Papers, 1968-1997
Enriqueta Chavez Papers, 1955-2000
Series 1: Biographical, 1945-2019
Series 2: Writings, 1963-2011
Series 3: Correspondence, 1964-2015
Series 4: Education Materials, 1962-2012
Series 5: Women's Rights, 1961-2006
Series 6: Activism and Political Involvement, 1902-2012
Series 7: Buttons and Name Badges, 1980-2012
Series 8: Art and Posters, 1973-2010