Rose has ancestors who came with the original settlers that established Los Angeles. Today she is the President of the organization Los Pobladores 200, founded in 1981 coinciding with the 200th anniversary of the city. She is a descendant of the Morenos, but she didn’t know about this until she started her journey through genealogy. The Morenos came to Alta California looking for the opportunity to have a better life. Their children were the first mestizos born in Los Angeles.

From a young age, Rose was interested in knowing more about her ancestry. Her grandmother would tell her stories about her ‘‘Californio’’ and Indian ancestors, as well as California legends such as ‘‘Joaquin Murrieta’’ and ‘‘Three Fingered Jack.’’ At the age of 30, she started researching her family history, and began collecting photos and documents that she shares with her family members.