Victoria Magaña Ledesma never planned on becoming a coffee farmer.
She was 20 years old, studying Business Administration and Sociology at the University of Hawaiʻi, with dreams of going into corporate America. Of finding a career that promised structure, upward mobility, and life in a tailored blazer.
Being first-generation, her parents dreamed of more for her beyond the coffee fields, and so did she.
But in 2017, everything changed. Her father, Andrés Magaña Ortiz—a respected farmer, beloved member of the Kona coffee community, and provider for their family—was deported after more than 20 years in the United States. A decision that felt, in the words of a federal judge, “inhumane” and “contrary to the values of this country.”
At 20 years old, Victoria had a choice. Take over the family coffee business or finish college at the University of Hawaii.
Spoiler alert: she did both.
Facing the deportation of her father and owner of Misma Lani — whom many called a pillar in the Kona coffee community — Victoria stepped up and ensured the livelihood of her family, employees, and local Kona farming community was not lost.
Today, her family-owned 5-acre coffee farm operation supports several other local coffee farms with a tight-knit team of 5, pus seasonal workers to help with the harvesting process.
Her devotion to collaboration within the community also means combining forces with local specialty roasters.
🌱 A blur of responsibility, rooted in love
At first, Victoria didn’t take over the farm in the traditional sense. She was still in school—attending classes Monday through Thursday, then commuting home to Kona to oversee the mill Friday through Sunday. She paid the bills. Checked on operations. Did what she could, when she could.
Meanwhile, her father’s crew—the men who had followed him through years of uncertainty and transition—kept things moving. Quietly. Faithfully. Like family.
Victoria wasn’t ready yet. But she was present. And presence, it turns out, was the first seed of leadership.
🤎 A dream separated by borders
Her father’s story is one of perseverance.
Born in Michoacán, he left home at 15 and worked in California’s citrus fields before making his way to Hawaiʻi, where he became a pillar of the local farming community.
He started by picking coffee. Then managing farms. Then, after being let go from a job when he couldn’t produce documentation, he bought a run-down mill and rebuilt it from scratch. His goal was never to work for someone else again—but to create something sustainable. Something of his own.
He succeeded.
But just 30 days before Victoria’s 21st birthday—when he would have been eligible for a green card through her—he was forced to leave.
Misma Lani was born out of that heartbreak. Out of that rupture. And out of the love that refused to disappear, even across borders.
🌺 The next generation of Kona coffee
After graduating, Victoria stepped fully into the role. But she didn’t just maintain what her father built—she evolved it.
She downsized the mill’s operations, focused on direct-to-consumer retail, and began experimenting with specialty processing methods like honey and natural fermentation—joining a small but growing group of producers pushing innovation in the region. It was also a time of learning and deeper connection to the craft.
Today, Misma Lani supports not just her family, but other local farms and seasonal workers across the Big Island. It is more than a business. It’s a community built from care.
🔥 More than a brand—it’s advocacy
For a long time, Victoria didn’t talk about her father’s deportation. The stigma of being a mixed-status family hung heavy. There’s a particular kind of silence that follows undocumented communities—and she had learned to keep her head down.
But time, and pain, changed her.
Today, she shares her story.
Because she believes Misma Lani has a voice—and a responsibility—to advocate for the countless Latino immigrants who form the backbone of U.S. agriculture, yet are rarely recognized or represented in the final product.
Her father grew and processed beautiful coffee.
But he could never take it to market.
She can. And she does.
"Our story couldn’t just be about trauma." she says. It’s our story of survival and resilience—our brand is a small step to adding to that representation that lacks and it's about continuing the work and sacrifice of my father.”
✨From Hardship to Honor
It’s been eight years since her father was forced to leave.
And while Misma Lani still carries his name, his spirit, and his fingerprints, it now belongs equally to Victoria. Not just as a caretaker—but as a leader.
☕️ When you drink our coffee, you’re part of this story
You’re not just supporting a Latina-owned farm.
You’re choosing to believe in something more powerful than policy—something that grows between generations, between hands, between countries.
Thank you for choosing Misma Lani.
Thank you for honoring the dream.
