5 Powerhouse Hispanic Women You Should Know

By- Erika Semprun

We’re celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month by getting to know some of the outstanding women in our Latin communities. Here are five powerhouse icons you should know:

Carolina Herrera

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New York in the seventies was the center of the world for the most extravagant and flamboyant.

A post shared by CAROLINA HERRERA (@carolinaherrera) on Jan 16, 2019 at 8:25am PST

If you love fashion and keep up with the latest trends, then you’ve heard the name, Carolina Herrera. For decades, this Venezuelan fashion designer graced the fashion world with her style and expertise. She’s known for her design of garments, bridal gowns, fragrances, and handbags. But if that wasn’t impressive enough, Herrera is also noteworthy for being the stylists of many First Ladies, including Laura Bush and Michelle Obama.

Sonia Sotomayor

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#Twosday (📸: Rob Howard)

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Prefer politics over the world of fashion? Then we’re sure you’ve heard of Sonia Sotomayor. Born in the Bronx to Puerto Rican parents, she is known as being the first Latina Justice. After being appointed by President Obama, Sotomayor became the Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. Today, she’s an author and idol to Latina girls and women of all ages who dream of sharing their voice with the world.

Dolores Huerta

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How did the famous "Sí se puede!" or "Yes we can!" phrase get started? Find out from Dolores Huerta, herself. @independentlens shares her story on Tues, Mar 27 at 9/8c. #DoloresPBS . . . #PBS #IndieLensPBS #SiSePuede #YesWeCan #Dolores #DoloresHuerta #WomensHistoryMonth #feminism #CesarChavez #documentary #IndependentLens #documentaryfilm #documentaryfilms

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Known for being the recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the Eleanor Roosevelt Award for Human Rights, the Puffin/Nation Prize for Creative Citizenship, and the Community of Christ International Peace Award, Dolores Huerta is one of the most outstanding women of the Hispanic community. Born in New Mexico in 1930, Huerta later became both an advocate of fair labor laws and a civil rights activist. In 1962, she co-founded the National Farm Workers Association (now known as the United Farm Workers of America).

Julia Alvarez

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🎉✨BIG NEWS📚✨ We’re thrilled to publish a new novel by Julia Alvarez in April 2020! AFTERLIFE is the first new adult novel in almost fifteen years from one of the most critically acclaimed and bestselling Latinx writers of her generation. It’s a luminous look inside the mind of a literature professor, an immigrant, trying to rediscover who she is after the sudden death of her husband. Read more and preorder at the link in our bio! . . . #juliaalvarez #afterlife #howthegarciagirlslosttheiraccents #yo #inthetimeofthebutterflies #latinxfiction #latinxwriters #book #books #bookstagram #igreads

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Fans of literature and poetry may have heard of Julia Alvarez. The Dominican American writer is best known for her novel How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents—the story of four young girls who, after moving to New York City, find a life much different than the one they left behind in the Dominican Republic.

Rita Moreno

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Me and the #HispanicHeritage insert that was in the LA times and HOY yesterday. Full story on my Facebook page!! #hispanichertiagemonth

A post shared by Rita Moreno (@theritamoreno) on Sep 15, 2018 at 8:00am PDT

Notable for her seventy year-long career, Rita Moreno is a Puerto Rican artist who’s widely known in the acting and music worlds. The actress is best known for her work in West Side Story, The King and I, and Oz.

Want to read about other notable women of the Hispanic world? Check out Spanish Classroom!