By Josie Pitzen, Public Policy Chair 2024-25
From September 15th to October 15th Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated, nationally citizens recognize and commemorate Hispanic and Latino culture, history, art, traditions and more.
This year’s theme is “Pioneers of Change: Shaping the Future Together” [1]. It is important to recognize the significance that Latinx has on the current generation, and many past.
National Hispanic Heritage month began in 1968, starting as a “week-long celebration” [2], President Reagan then expanded it to a month in 1988, further recognizing the significance. Hispanic Heritage Month is recognized not from the 1st of the month, but beginning from the 15th of the month, the reason being that most “Central American countries celebrate their independence within these dates” [2]. Further recognizing the importance of Hispanic Heritage and the history behind it.
It is important to allow people to be celebrated for their culture and their impact on the nation. Having these celebrations of Latinx shows that as a nation their contributions are valued, and respected.
In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, SWE will commemorate some past engineers, creatives, and important figures.
Dr. Ellen Ochoa
Dr. Ellen Ochoa was born on May 10th, 1958 and is now 66 years old. In 1993 she was the first Latina to go to space. She was the first Hispanic director at JSC [4]. She worked roles at NASA including the Deputy Center Director and Director of Flight Crew Operations. She first joined NASA “in 1988 as a research engineer” [4] and was selected as an astronaut in 1990. She embarked on a nine-day mission on space shuttle Discovery. In total she has spent about 1,000 hours in orbit [4]. She earned her bachelors in physics at San Diego State University, and then continued on to earn a masters and doctorate in electrical engineering from Stanford University. She has won multitudes of awards from NASA including the Distinguished Service Medal and others.
Cesar Estrada Chavez
Cesar Chavez lived from March 31st, 1927, to April 23rd, 1993. He was influenced by the black civil rights movement, and realized he too wanted rights. He began to protest in the early 60s “the unfair treatment of farm workers in California and the Southwest” [3]. Chavez and Dolores Huerta then founded the National Farm Workers Association in 1962. This meant that workers could now go on strike and stand up for their rights. He created waves in the unions and allowed for Hispanic and Latino workers to have equal rights as the other laborers. [3].
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
Ileana Ros-Lethitnen was born on July 15th, 1952. She was the first Latina that was elected to US Congress, in 1989. [5]. Currently she acts as the senior US Representative from Florida. Her life started in Havana Cuba, and at age 8 her family escaped from Cuba and came to Florida. She first earned her AA at Miami-Dade Community College, then her bachelors and masters from Florida International University, and then continued to earn her PhD in education at the University of Miami in 2004. [5] Within her career she strives to gain women safety and recognition, and advocates for education and equal rights.
References:
[1] ”Hispanic Heritage Month” National Archives, 22 July 2024, https://www.archives.gov/news/topics/hispanic-heritage-month#:~:text=The%20theme%20for%202024%20is,%3A%20Shaping%20the%20Future%20Together.%E2%80%9D
[2] ”Hispanic Heritage Month” National Museum of the American Latino, https://latino.si.edu/learn/teaching-and-learning-resources/hispanic-heritage-month-resources/hispanic-heritage-month
[3] ”Cesar Chavez” Smithsonian, https://www.si.edu/object/cesar-chavez%3Anpg_NPG.78.TC298
[4] ”NASA Astronaut Dr. Elleon Ochoa”, NASA, 17 July 2023
[5] Anderson, Ashlee. “Ileana Ros-Lehtinen” Women’s History, 2019
