Mr. SCHIFF. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor the Mijares Family, of Pasadena, who are celebrating the 85th Anniversary of Mijares Mexican Restaurant, their family business.
Jesucita Mijares immigrated to California in the early 1900s with her second husband, Juan, and infant son, Joe. The family settled in Pasadena where Jesucita gave birth to two more children and cared for her growing family. The young Jesucita began her legendary tortilla-making business in 1920 to provide for her family after the devastating loss of her second husband.
Mijares Mexican Restaurant began as a family and community operated business that supplied hand-made tortillas to local grocery stores and restaurants. Mrs. Mijares took in boarders to supplement her income, and soon, tables were spread throughout her home to accommodate the growing number of residents and guests. Slowly, her tortilla business expanded and she provided meals for guests, with traditional Mexican dishes such as tamales and menudo served daily.
In 1940, as the business continued to flourish, Jesucita moved the production out of her home to a location on Palmetto Drive in Pasadena to be used as a delicatessen and small tortilla business. What happened, however, was that tables were added, rooms were built and patios were poured to accommodate hundreds of guests daily at the restaurant.
During the late 1970s the Mijares family suffered a devastating loss when the family restaurant was destroyed by fire. Determined to continue what her mother had started, her daughter, Alice Mijares Recendez worked hard to rebuild the restaurant, which was completed in 1984. During the time of rebuilding, to help her employees, many of whom were out of work, Alice opened a second restaurant on Washington Blvd. in Pasadena which exists to this day.
In 1988, Jesucita Mijares died and Alice became the family matriarch. Today, Alice and her daughter R-Iene Mijares de Lang are the owners of Mijares. Alice oversees the gardens and patios at Mijares, cultivating the same love of plants and flowers as her mother Jesucita. R-Iene taught in San Diego for 12 years before returning to run her family business. Also contributing to the family business are R-Iene's brother, Tom Recendez, who manages the restaurant on Washington Blvd., and her sister, Tina Jimenez, who supports the administration of the catering and restaurant business. The Mijares family warmly welcomes its guests and works hard at providing friendly, quality service.
The Mijares family has made Mijares Mexican Restaurant both an enjoyable dining establishment and a business that gives back to the community. The family actively contributes to a number of charities which include Women at Work, Child Care Information Services, P.E.O. Chapters, the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association, Villa Esperanza, NOW, Pasadena Polytechnic School, EI Centro de Accion Social, the Los Angeles Children's Chorus, Hospice of Pasadena, and the Girt Scouts of America.
I am proud to recognize the Mijares Family on the 85th anniversary of Mijares Mexican Restaurant and I ask all Members of Congress to join me in honoring this family for their 85 years of service to our community.