Every year National Hispanic Heritage month comes around from September 15th to October 15th, and we get to remember and appreciate some of the Hispanic culture, history, and influential figures. Hispanic heritage month is coming to an end for this year so let’s recap and get to know some of the most influential Hispanic/Latina women in history.
- Rigoberta Menchú
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Rigoberta Menchú received the Nobel peace prize in 1992. She is a Guatemalan human rights activist and spokesperson for the indigenous people of Guatemala. After receiving her award, she founded her foundation for Indian advocacy.
- Ellen Ochoa
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Ellen Ochoa was the first Hispanic woman astronaut to go to space. She went on a nine-day mission outer space. Ellen Ochoa also became the first Latina director of the Johnson Space Center in Houston, TX.
- Frida Kahlo
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Frida Kahlo is one of the most famous Mexican painters of all time. She is most recognized for her many colorful and impactful paintings. Her most famous self-portraits include “The Two Fridas” and “Self-Portrait with Thorn Necklace and Hummingbird.”
- Selena Quintanilla
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Selena Quintanilla was a Latina singer, fashion designer, actress, and model. She won a Grammy award in 1994 for the best Mexican-American album, and she was one of the first Latina spokespeople for the Coca-Cola company.
- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, also known as AOC, graduated from Boston University with a bachelor’s in Economics and International Relations. Today, she is the youngest Latina congresswoman. She became a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from New York’s 14th district in 2018 at age 29.
- Sonia Sotomayer
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Sonia Sotomayer Attended Yale Law School to receive her Juridius Doctor after she had graduated summa cum laude from Princeton University. In 2009 she became the first Puerto Rican woman supreme court justice and voted in favor of the Affordable Care Act.