Dr. Magaly Ordoñez was born in Los Angeles, California. Their parents migrated to Los Angeles from Mexico. Their parents met at a local club in Los Angeles and moved to downtown LA when Dr. Ordoñez was born.

When Dr. Ordoñez was young, their father was pulled over for a DUI, which subsequently resulted in his deportation. The deportation of Dr. Ordoñez’s father was devastating for their family as he was the primary breadwinner of their family, and his absence put financial strain on the family. Dr. Ordoñez also had to step up as the oldest sibling living with their family to care for their younger siblings as their mother began taking up more work. Their father was not able to celebrate Dr. Ordoñez’s 15th birthday, which meant their family was not able to celebrate a Quinceañera for Dr. Ordoñez. For Dr. Ordoñez, deep down, celebrating a Quinceañera was a relief as they were not comfortable dressing up and being in front of a large crowd.

Dr. Ordoñez identifies as Chicanx, and they are a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Coming out to their family, while daunting, was made easier by their sister paving the way for coming out as Bisexual and later as a Lesbian. Their identity has paved the way for their current study area as the Latinx Sexualities Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Utah. Their research is inspired by their mother, who Dr. Ordoñez discovered later in life her use of home remedies to treat frequent aches and pains. Having been surprised to discover that their mother was using cannabis as a home remedy, led them to begin researching historical and contemporary cannabis experiences in the Latino community.