National Hispanic Heritage Month, which takes place between September 15 and October 15, is a month in which we celebrate and recognize the contributions of Hispanics and Latin Americans to the United States and its surrounding areas. In various areas of society, great personalities of Latin origin who have made and continue to make history in the country stand out. Latin Americans are the fastest growing population in the USA, accounting for approximately 18% – 60.6 million – of the country's total population, and, along with population growth, their influence on culture, politics and the economy is growing.

To honor Hispanic culture and its impact on the United States, Times magazine publishes a list of prominent Latino leaders every year, commenting on their contributions during that year. With this, the analysis in question aims to contribute, from a more assiduous cultural and political perspective, to figures of Latino origin who were not present in the Times list for the year 2024, but who deserve special visibility for actions that changed the history of the United States forever.

●      Sonia Sotomayor: SUPREME COURT JUSTICE OF HISPANIC ORIGIN

Appointed to the federal bench in 2009 by President Barack Obama, Justice Sonia Sotomayor was the first Latina to hold the position and the fourth woman to serve on the highest court in the United States. Sotomayor was part of two major landmark decisions: She was among the six justices to uphold the Affordable Care Act in King v. Burwell in 2015—the decision allowed the federal government to continue providing subsidies to those who purchase health care, whether state or federal—and she also sided with the majority in Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015, a decision that made same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states.

A vocal advocate for the importance of an independent judiciary, the Justice, during a visit to Minnesota, said that civic education is essential to preserving democracy and the rule of law; and commented, “To preserve our democracy, we must all commit to teaching our children about the importance of the rule of law and an independent judiciary”.

●      Sylvia Rivera: AMERICAN ACTIVIST

Sylvia Rivera was a transgender laborer who became an activist in the 1960s and 1970s after patrons at the Stonewall Inn violently resisted a police raid in 1969.

As a Latina trans activist, Rivera campaigned with the Gay Activist Alliance (GAA) in New York City to enact a nondiscrimination ordinance, but she did not feel she fit in with the GAA’s (then) largely gay, male, and white membership, so Sylvia left the group and redirected her attention to working with homeless teens, co-founding the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) with Marsha P. Johnson in the 1970s. STAR House, which provided shelter and a social space for trans professionals and other LGBTQ+ youth, was the first shelter for the LGBTQ+ community in the US and the first to be organized by black women.

●      Dolores Huerta: LABOR LEADER AND HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVIST

A co-founder of the United Farm Workers Association, Dolores Huerta has spent most of her life fighting for better working conditions for farmworkers and the rights of the oppressed. As a teenager, Huerta, outraged by the racial and economic injustices she saw in California’s agricultural Central Valley, later found her calling as an organizer while serving in the leadership of the Stockton Community Service Organization, according to her foundation. She led voter registration drives and lobbied local governments for neighborhood improvements. Huerta also co-founded the Farm Workers Association, the predecessor of the United Farm Workers Union, with Cesar Chavez.

Huerta worked to elect several candidates, including President Bill Clinton and California Governor Jerry Brown. She is also credited with coining the slogan “Sí se puede”—Spanish for “Yes, we can”—the mantra of former President Barack Obama’s 2008 presidential campaign. Obama acknowledged Huerta as the source of the phrase when he awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012. Today, her foundation, the Dolores Huerta Foundation, advocates for women, children, and people living in impoverished communities, while Huerta herself continues to educate immigrants about the laws or agencies that can protect them, as well as the benefits they are entitled to. She travels the country in support of equality and civil rights.

●      Cesar Chavez: AMERICAN ACTIVIST

Born in Arizona on a family farm of migrant farmworkers, Cesar Chavez witnessed the harsh conditions faced by farmers and is now one of the most recognized activists of Latin American descent in the country. From his background, Chávez's work was primarily marked by the promotion of better living and working conditions for agricultural workers. Chávez led marches, boycotts, and several hunger strikes to demand fair wages and basic working conditions. Using non-violent approaches, he co-founded the National Farm Workers Association in 1962, which later became the United Farm Workers. Cesar worked as a union leader throughout his life and dedicated his days to ensuring a change in the scenario for agricultural workers.

●      Ellen Ochoa: ENGENHEIRA E EX-ASTRONAUTA DE ORIGEM MEXICANA

Ellen Ochoa, sumariamente, foi a primeira mulher hispânica a viajar ao espaço, em 1993, posteriormente atuando como diretora do Centro Espacial Johnson da NASA entre 2013 e 2018. Ochoa nasceu em Los Angeles na década de 1950, mas sua identidade cultural e as experiências vividas por sua família mexicana desempenharam um papel importante em sua formação e em seu compromisso com a educação e com a promoção da diversidade nas áreas de ciência e tecnologia. “Ao longo de sua carreira na NASA, Ochoa fez um total de quatro voos espaciais, passando quase 1000 horas no espaço. Além de sua carreira como astronauta, ela também ocupou posições de liderança na NASA, incluindo a diretoria do Centro Espacial Johnson em Houston, Texas, onde supervisionou o treinamento de astronautas e operações de voo.” A fulcralidade da atuação de Ochoa, num contexto social, se encontra na promoção da diversidade dentro da área de STEM (ciência, tecnologia, engenharia e matemática), especialmente voltado ao acesso a mulheres e minorias.

●      Rita Moreno: SINGER AND DANCER

Born in Humacao, Puerto Rico, Rita Moreno has opened doors for Latin artists in the entertainment industry through her career achievements. Moreno moved to the United States as a child with her mother, and her performance in the world of art and film reached Hollywood, becoming one of the first Latina women to have a successful career in film in the 1950s. Rita has not only been awarded an “Oscar”, but has also won an Emmy, a Grammy and a Tony, becoming one of the few artists to achieve “EGOT” status (winner of the four main awards in the entertainment industry). Throughout her career, Rita Moreno has broken stereotypes about Latinos in Hollywood and worked to increase representation and diversity in the media, always using her voice to bring important issues affecting the Hispanic community to the spotlight.

Ellen Ochoa: ENGINEER AND FORMER ASTRONAUT OF MEXICAN ORIGIN

Ellen Ochoa was the first Hispanic woman to travel to space in 1993, and later served as director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center from 2013 to 2018. Ochoa was born in Los Angeles in the 1950s, but her cultural identity and the experiences of her Mexican family played an important role in her formation and in her commitment to education and promoting diversity in the fields of science and technology. “Throughout her NASA career, Ochoa made a total of four space flights, spending almost 1,000 hours in space. In addition to her career as an astronaut, she also held leadership positions at NASA, including director of the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, where she oversaw astronaut training and flight operations.” The core of Ochoa's work, in a social context, is to promote diversity within the STEM field (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), especially focused on access for women and minorities.

In short, the vibrant and dynamic presence of Latinos and Hispanics in the United States is a crucial factor in the country’s economic and social growth. With a significant impact, in 2020, they represented approximately 13% of the U.S. GDP, equivalent to approximately $2.8 trillion. This group not only contributes to job creation and wage growth, but also drives productivity and innovation in several areas. The growing Latino population, which already represents almost 1 in 5 people in the U.S., is reshaping every aspect of American society, and by 2060, this number is expected to nearly double; Latinos are expected to make up one in four, totaling 119 million.

It is important to emphasize that Latinos are not a monolith; their diversity enriches the American social fabric and promotes improvements in the lives of their peers and other excluded minorities. As the country faces challenges related to immigration and social integration, it is essential to recognize the vital role that Latinos play, given the fact that a large portion of the Latino population is of working and entrepreneurial age. Reducing immigration could undermine this strength, jeopardizing the United States' position as a global power. Therefore, it is imperative to value and support the contributions of Hispanics and Latinos, ensuring that their voices are heard and their needs are met. The future of the United States is intrinsically tied to the success and inclusion of this ever-growing demographic.