What an exciting time of the year! Because it’s Fall or the month of Halloween you say? No! It was Latinx* Heritage Month a couple weeks back and we wanted to celebrate the legacy of some awesome history makers of the last couple centuries!
*For more information on why we use this term, see this article here!
Simon Bolivar – He was a politician and leader way back from the 1800s who lead so many countries in Latin America to freedom from the Spanish Empire. Those countries include Venezuela, Bolivia, Columbia, Peru, Ecuador, and Panama! El ganador es….El Liberador!
Although he didn’t invent magical realism, he did perfect it better than anyone else! Gabriel Garcia Marquez has written a number of books, including Strange Pilgrims and One Hundred Years of Solitude. He also received a Noble Prize in Literature back in 1982! Go Gabriel!
A history maker from San Diego: Ellen Ochoa grew in La Mesa in the ‘70s going to Grossmont High School, then went to San Diego State University, then went to Stanford University for her Masters, and then was the first Latina chosen as an astronaut in the 90s. She is a trailblazer for sure!
Serena M. Auñón is the second Latina astronaut, but what’s cool about her is that she was a doctor who was an astronaut (and the first Latina to do both fields together professionally). She grew up in Indiana and followed the footsteps of Ochoa quite well!
Sandra Cisneros was my favorite writer when it came to vignettes. She told these detailed and descriptive stories through her books like House on Mango Street. Awards she received includes: NEA fellowships in both poetry and fiction, the Texas Medal of the Arts, a MacArthur Fellowship, several honorary doctorates and national and international book awards, including Chicago’s Fifth Star Award, the PEN Center USA Literary Award, and the National Medal of the Arts award presented to her by President Obama in 2016. Her writing has inspired me to write my own book currently, combining the detailed vivid imagery of the vignette story telling with a poetic narrative of snippets of my life!
David Ortiz is the realest as he played for the Boston Red Sox and has 20 year history of being a designated hitter. When he would hit a homerun back in 2002, He would point to the sky in honor of his mom who had passed away that year! David understands honor very well!
What better activist to pay homage to then Dolores Huerta? She is the advocate for farm workers and led negotiations in 1965 for the Delano grape strike. She founded the United Farm Workers and has received the Presidential Medal of Freedom and the National Women’s Hall of Fame. Sí, se puede!
Patricia Cordoso is an incredible director from Columbia, making films that make folks really question the reality of the way society is. “Real Women Have Curves” debuts America Ferrera in 2002 and really tackles the issue of body image and clothing in this country! Beautiful work, Patricia!
Guillermo Gonzalez Camarena wasn’t the sole inventor of color T.V., but he played a big role in creating an early color television transmission system. He was born in Guadalajara and passed away in a car crash in 1965. Fun fact: he wrote songs to be able to fund his engineering work, one of those song being called “Rio Colorado.” How cool is that?
Pablo Neruda – The Chilean poet who dabbled in politics and diplomacy as well! His poetry was so thought provoking! In my Spanish class in 12th grade, I remember reciting “I’ll Explain Some Things” and explaining the significance of this poema in relationship the Spanish Civil War! Such a moving piece. He is a Nobel Prize winner as well