‘He worked tirelessly’: Emiliano Solorio, founder of Stockton’s El Dorado Market, dies at 101

Emiliano Magaña Solorio, Sr. came to the United States with dreams of owning his own business.

The native of Purépero, Michoacán made his dream a reality when he moved to Stockton and opened El Dorado Market — known as the city's first Mexican market and deli — on Oct. 15, 1972.

Although Emiliano retired from managing the store in 1994, his son, Hector Solorio, said he was never too far away from it.

"Even after retirement, the store was like another one of his children," said Hector, who now co-owns and co-manages El Dorado Market alongside his sister, Graciela Solorio-Gomez. "He just took care of it so well. That's one of the reasons why it's been in business for 52 years."

Leaving a legacy for south Stockton, Emiliano died on July 25 in the comfort of his home surrounded by his family. He was 101 years old.

In search of the American dream

Emiliano was born in Michoacán — one of the 31 states which, together with Mexico City, comprise the Federal Entities of Mexico — on July 20, 1923.

Like many other children in Mexico, Emiliano started working at a young age. He was only 11 years old when he took a job at a small store in his hometown.

That's where his dreams of becoming a business owner started, according to his family.

A decade after taking the job, at the age 21, Emiliano was given the opportunity to immigrate to the United States under the Bracero Program, his family said.

An executive order called the Mexican Farm Labor Program established the Bracero Program in 1942. This series of diplomatic accords between Mexico and the United States permitted millions of Mexican men to work legally in the United States on short-term labor contracts, according to the Library of Congress.

While in the Bracero Program, Emiliano was contracted to work in several U.S. cities, including Anaheim and Courtland, where he tended to citrus crops and tomato crops, and Saginaw, Michigan, where he took care of beet crops.

Emiliano eventually moved back to Mexico where he met his late wife, Raquel Salazar Solorio.

The couple wed on May 7, 1952, and immigrated to the United States three years later with their first-born son, José Luis. They started their new lives in Isleton, about 30 miles northwest of Stockton.

Emiliano became a farm contractor and managed 100 acres of tomatoes, as well as a farm camp. While Emiliano tended to the crops, Raquel would prepare three meals a day for the farm laborers, their family said.

After a flood hit Isleton and destroyed Emiliano's tomato crops in 1972, he and Raquel decided to move to Stockton and used every penny they saved to open El Dorado Market. Emiliano managed the store while his wife prepared authentic Mexican dishes for takeout.

A south Stockton staple

For more than five decades, the market on South El Dorado Street near Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard has been a staple in the south Stockton community, known for its homemade tortillas, tamales , masa and more.

When Hector took over his father's business in the 1990s, he said Emiliano wasn't afraid to give his feedback on how the store was being ran in his absence.

"He retired when he was 71 and he would still come in to see how things were running and still participate in the business meetings that we had, and of course tell us children what we're doing wrong," Hector said with a laugh.

Our Diversity: Savory and spicy, tamales take the spotlight

Hector recalled that Emiliano came to visit the market one day when he was in his 90s, cane in hand, and put his cane to the side so he could help mix the corn as workers were preparing food in the kitchen.

"He still wanted to be involved," Hector said.

'Hard work does pay off'

Emiliano, Raquel and their children were awarded the Small Business of the Year in San Joaquin County, which was presented by State Sen. Susan Talamantes Eggman in 2017.

"(El Dorado Market) has been a great tradition for my family for generations here in Stockton, and I know I'm not alone in that," Eggman said by phone on Wednesday.

Emiliano was also honored by the San Joaquin County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce as the Businessman of the Year in 2007.

"I personally think he was a trailblazer for small businesses and an example of success through his tenacity, hard work and dedication to his business, family and community. Always lending a helping hand to his community. His absence will be felt," said Lisa Verla, CEO of the San Joaquin County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.

Hector shared that Emiliano would often donate food to local homeless shelters such as St. Mary's Dining Room or feed the homeless people who came into the market.

He said his father "was such an inspiration."

"He gave people the drive to work hard to achieve their goals. He worked tirelessly and he didn't give up," Hector said. "He had that dream, and he worked hard to achieve it. If you have a dream and you want to achieve it, work hard toward getting it. Hard work does pay off."

Emiliano is survived by his children José-Luis, Jorge, Graciela, Emiliano Jr. and Hector. He is also survived by eight grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

Record reporter Hannah Workman covers news in Stockton and San Joaquin County. She can be reached at hworkman@recordnet.com or on Twitter @byhannahworkman. Support local news, subscribe to The Stockton Record at https://www.recordnet.com/subscribenow .

This article originally appeared on The Record: ‘He worked tirelessly’: Emiliano Solorio, founder of Stockton’s El Dorado Market, dies at 101