America celebrates Hispanic Heritage month to recognize the impact Hispanic culture and people have had in our history. According to National Hispanic American Heritage Month 2022 (hispanicheritagemonth.gov): "Each year, Americans observe National Hispanic Heritage Month from September 15 to October 15, by celebrating the histories, cultures and contributions of American citizens whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean and Central and South America." 

Born in Panama in 1920, Dr. Rhode was a pioneering nurse, educator, researcher, and activist. She earned her nursing diploma from the Medical and Surgical Hospital School of Nursing in San Antonio, Texas, but noticed that there were very few Hispanic nurses for the community. This motivated her to obtain a Bachelors of Arts degree in Psychiatric Mental Health Nursing at New York’s Columbia University. She then continued with her education and became the first Hispanic nurse to earn a PhD at New York University in 1971.

In the 1970's, Dr. Rhode secured a federal position reviewing research and educational grants, but noticed that there was still a lack of Hispanic nurses in academics, research, and public policy, which drove her extensive career in activism. She went on to serve as Dean of the College of Nursing at SUNY, became WHO’s psychiatric consultant to the Guatemalan government, and was appointed Permanent UN Representative to UNICEF for the International Federation of Business and Professional Women. Dr. Rhode also founded the National Association of Hispanic Nurses in 1975, and achieved one of nursing’s highest honors, a Fellowship from the American Academy of Nursing.

Silvia Rivera was a trailblazing drag queen, activist, and community leader who spent her life fighting for the rights of transgender individuals, especially those of color. She was a leader of the Stonewall Inn uprising in 1969, throwing one of the first Molotov cocktails at the police and leading a series of protests afterward. Throughout the 1970's, Rivera fought against exclusion of transgender people from the LGBTQ+ movement. At one such Gay Pride Parade, she stole the microphone and said “If it wasn’t for the drag queen, there would be no gay liberation movement. We’re the front-liners,” before being booed off the stage.

Rivera continued to fight for trans visibility in queer spaces such as the Gay Activist Alliance, which excluded trans individuals, especially trans people of color. In 1971, she and activist Marsha P. Johnson founded the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries (STAR) and the STAR house, which provided shelter and a space to organize for the trans community. The Sylvia Rivera Law Project continues her legacy, working to guarantee “all people are free to self-determine their gender identity and expression, regardless of income or race, and without facing harassment, discrimination, or violence.”

Sonia Sotomayor is the first Hispanic person and the third woman to serve on the United States Supreme Court. As a student at Princeton University, Sotomayor advocated against the discrimination of Puerto Rican employees and applicants and was a co-chairman for the Puerto Rican activist group Acción Puertorriqueña. Sotomayor then continued to study at Yale Law school to get her J.D., and while doing so she co-chaired the Latin American and Native American Students Association. On May 26 of 2009, after many successful years as an attorney, Sotomayor was nominated to the United States Supreme Court and confirmed on August 6th in a 68-31 vote. Throughout her life, Sotomayor has been a key advocate and role model for Hispanic women that has worked to protect human rights in the United States. She has voted to protect affirmative action, marriage equality, and the affordable care act. Sotomayor is and will continue to be an important voice and decision-maker on the United States Supreme Court.

Delores Huerta is one of the most influential labor activists of the 20th century. Huerta was born on April 10, 1930 in Dawson, New Mexico.  Her parents divorced when Huerta was three years old and she moved to Stockton, California with her mother and two siblings.  Shaped by poverty and prejudice against Hispanics, Huerta began her career as an activist in 1955 when she co-founded the Stockton chapter of the Community Service Organization, which fought for economic improvements for Hispanics.

Despite the ethnic and gender bias of the era, Huerta went on to become an national leader in labor activism.  Huerta co-founded the National Farmworkers Association eventually becoming United Farm Workers which provides farmworkers the power to negotiate with agriculture enterprises. Huerta also co-founded the Agricultural Workers Association which lead voter registration drives and pressing local governments to improve the farmworker barrios. She also directed the Delano grape strike resulting in the entire California table grape industry into signing a collective bargaining agreement with United Farm Workers in 1970.

Huerta’s advocacy continues through the Dolores Huerta Foundation with the aim to weave women’s rights, LGBTQ rights, immigrant rights, labor rights, and civil rights into an individual thread.

Sylvia Mendez is an American Civil Rights advocate and Nurse who was at the center of the Mendez v. Westminster case.  Sylvia Mendez and her family moved to Orange County, California when she was eight years old and tried to enroll her at Westminster Elementary School. The school refused to enroll her because she and her family were Hispanic. This case was the first successful federal school desegregation decision in the United States. This was a landmark case and it too often goes unrecognized. After Mendez retired from Nursing, she traveled and worked to advocate against the discrimination against Hispanic Americans and the prevalence of her case Mendez v. Westminster. In 2011, President Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom for her work in civil rights.

"The Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers (SHPE) at Michigan State University (MSU) changes lives by empowering the Hispanic community to realize its fullest potential and to impact the world through STEM awareness, access, support and development."

"Native American and Hispanic Business Students (NAHBS) is a business organization that is dedicated to molding our members into young, vibrant professionals. By giving them the opportunity to network with recruiters from Fortune 500 companies, our members gain access to experiences and individuals that could result in them landing internships and/or full-time positions. Our meetings allow members to meet with recruiters to practice crucial networking and interviewing skills, as well as be given opportunities for resume-building"

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"The Association of Latino Professionals For America (otherwise known as ALPFA) is a national Latino professional association in the United States that focuses in empowering and developing Latinos as leaders of character for the nation, in every sector of the global economy. ALPFA provides Hispanic students with the resources to excel after college while also providing a community at Michigan State University."

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"An organization designated for any Latinx identifying MSU students who are seeking potential careers in policy, to provide support in the for of career exposure, networking opportunities, and mentorship, scholarship, and internship experience."

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