07. Chicano Studies

Name: Claribel Alegria

Age: 88

Roots: Nicaraguan

How She Changed the World: With over 25 published works, this novelist is a powerful voice in contemporary literature in Central America. The George Washington University grad focused on the people’s movement, which helped overthrow dictator Anastasio Somoza Debayle.   

Name: Julia de Burgos

Age: 39

Roots: Puerto Rican

How She Changed the World: The renowned Puerto Rican writer and poet was a feminist at heart. Her poems, “Yo Misma Fui Mi Ruta (“I Was My Own Path”) and “A Julia de Burgos” symbolized messages of individual and nationalistic freedom. As the oldest of thirteen children, Burgos pursued her education at The University of Puerto Rico and would go on to become one of the most influential Caribbean civil rights activists.

Name: Sylvia Rivera

Age: 50

Roots: Puerto Rican – Venezuelan

How She Changed the World: Orphaned at the age of 3, Rivera learned how to take life’s punches at an early age. The transgender activist fought for the LGBTQ community and organized plenty of protests fighting for gay rights in the 1970’s in New York City. Her legacy is still strongly felt within the community and she has been honored in the musical,

Name: Hilda Solis

Age: 55

Roots: Mexican

How She Changed the World: Solis knows how to work it! The former labor secretary, who has degrees from California State Polytechnic University, Ponoma, and the University of Southern California, won recognition from labor unions for pushing wage and hour laws, and also job safety regulations. “Growing up in a large Mexican-American family in La Puente, California, I never imagined that I would have the opportunity to serve in a president’s Cabinet, let alone in the service of such an incredible leader,” she said in a statement.

Julia Alvarez

Age: 62

Roots: Dominican

How She Changed the World: The Domican-American poet, essayist and novelist gained national acclaim after her 1991 novel, How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents, illuminated what it’s like to be a Latina immigrant in the U.S. Her second novel, In the Time of the Butterflies, detailed the death of the Mirabal sisters during the Trujillo dictatorship in the DR. Her contribution to Latin American literature brought on future Dominican-American writers like Angie Cruz and Junot Diaz.

Alicia Alonso

Age: 91

Roots: Cuban

How She Changed the World: The Cuban prima ballerina and choreographer changed the Cuban ballet, despite being afflicted with an eye defect that left her partially blind at the age of nineteen. She became famous for her portrayals of Giselle and the ballet version of Carmen in New York and Havana, where she founded the Ballet Nacional de Cuba and continues to direct to this day.

Maria Teresa Kumar

Age: 38

Roots: Colombian

How She Changed the World: Growing up in a bicultural household propelled this Colombiana to change the world by getting out the Latino vote in the U.S. as the president and CEO of Voto Latino. She revolutionized the non-partisan organization when she joined shortly after Rosario Dawson founded it in 2004, developing the first voter registration via text message in 2006 and grown Voto Latino into a leading social media and online community. 

Sonia Sotomayor

Age: 58

Roots: Puerto Rican

How She Changed the World: Being the third female justice and the first Latino to sit on the bench of the Supreme Court of the United States is no small accomplishment for the New York City native. Other than her inspirational work as a Latina in the legal work, Sotomayor published her memoir, My Beloved World, earlier this year, which recounts her early life of growing up in housing projects in New York and the challenges she overcame.

Dolores Huerta

Age: 82

Roots: Mexican

How She Changed the World: Along with Cesar Chavez, Huerta co-founded the National Farmworkers Association, which eventually became the United Farm Workers (UFW), in order to unite farmers into a union that fights to protect their rights. She is a labor leader and civil rights activist who has also advocated for immigrants’ and women’s rights, earning her the Eleanor Roosevelt Award for Human Rights and Presidential Medal of Freedom. 

Carolina Herrera

Age: 74

Roots: Venezuelan

How She Changed the World: The elegant business woman made a name for herself as a fashion designer who has dressed everyone from countless celebrities to many First Ladies, including Jackie O (Jacqueline Onassis) and current First Lady Michelle Obama. Known for the clothes’ impeccable, worldly style without being fussy, Herrera earned the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America in 2008—but even that hasn’t stopped her and she is still designing beautiful clothes, accessories and even fragrances. 

Rigoberta Menchú

Age: 54

Roots: Guatemalan

How She Changed the World: She is an activist who has dedicated her life to helping the world recognize the plight of Guatemala’s indigenous peoples during and after the Guatemalan Civil War. She has promoted indigenous rights in the country, ran for President of Guatemala in 2007 and 2011 and even received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2991 and the Price of Asturias Award in 1998. Her fight for the people of Guatemala has forever inspired recognition of indigenous rights in South America. 

Vilma Martinez (civil rights attorney)

Age: 69

Roots: Mexican

How She Changed the World: The Mexican-American civil rights attorney was the first woman appointed to serve as the U.S. Ambassador to Argentina. She was appointed by President Barack Obama in 2009 but has been a diplomat since President Jimmy Carnet appointed Martinez to her first position in the U.S. Diplomatic Corps in 1977. 

Dilma Rousseff (Brazil’s First Female President)

Age: 65

Roots: Brazilian

How She Changed the World: The current president of Brazil also happens to be the first woman to hold the office. She served as the Chief of Staff to the President of Brazil from 2005 until 2010, and then assumed the role of President in January 2011. Her distinguished honors include receiving the Woodrow Wilson Public Service Award and being named one of Forbes’ most powerful women in the world.