Hispanic American Game Changers You Should Know About

September 15-October 15 is Hispanic Heritage Month! We use this month to honor and celebrate the rich culture of Hispanic-Americans as well as recognizing the contributions of notable Hispanic Americans to American history. From politicians, civil rights leaders, artists, and more, check out these Hispanic-Americans who have showcased CSJ’s mission of social justice and advocacy in the last century!

Justice Sonia Sotomayor

• First Hispanic Supreme Court Justice
• Notable rulings include support of the Affordable Care Act & Obergefell v. Hodges which legalized same-sex marriage in all 50 states

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Dolores Huerta

• American Labor Leader & Civil Rights Activist
• Co-Founder of the United Farm Workers of America
• Campaigned for Latina representation in legislation and women's rights

Sylvia Rivera

• American Gay Liberation & Trans Rights Activist
• One of the inciters of the Stonewall Riots
• Founding member of the Gay Liberation Front, the Gay Activists Alliance, & STAR to support homeless trans youth​

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Lizzie Velasquez

• Motivational Speaker and Disability/
  ​Rare Disease Advocate
• Campaigns for anti-bullying
• Authored three books, has spoken at over 200 workshops, at her Tedx talk has over 12,000,000 views

Cesar Chavez

• American Labor Leader & Civil Rights Activist
• Co-Founder of the United Farm Workers of America
• Organized non-violent protests campaigning for livable wages & humane working conditions

Sylvia Mendez

• Civil Rights Activist
• Catalyst for Mendez v. Westminster which was monumental in ending U.S. segregation
• Awarded Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2011

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Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez

• Youngest Woman Ever Elected into the United States Congress
• Proposed the Green New Deal to address climate & economic inequality 
• Advocates for issues related to immigration, environmentalism, labor rights, & accessible healthcare

Juan Felipe Herrara

• First Latino United States Poet Laureate  & past Chancellor of the Academy of American Poets
• Authored 30 books for adults and children about immigration, Chicano identity, and social justice

Celia Cruz

• Afro-Latina Salsa Singer named
  ​"The Queen of Salsa"
• Sang with La Sonora Matancera to renounce Fidel Castro's regime, which resulted in the orchestra being banned from Cuba
• Received three Grammys and four Latin Grammys