Speaking about Ellen Ochoa’s family origin, her paternal grandparents were immigrants of Mexico’s Sonora region.
Apparently, they moved from the Sonora region to Arizona then to California. She was born on 10 May 1958 to Joseph and Rosanne Ochoa in Los Angeles, California.
Ellen’s father was born in California, while her mother was born in Oklahoma. Her mother moved to California when she was a teenager. Growing up in La Mesa, she did face some challenges during her childhood. Her parents divorced when she was a high schooler.
After the divorce, her mother was with her all the time. Her mother also used to take college classes and do homework with her and her four siblings. As a STEM student and a woman of color, she certainly was discouraged at first.
