In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, and in celebration of the accomplishments and contributions of Latino Americans to the United States, we highlight this list of inspiring Latinos and Latinas who were the “firsts” in their respective categories.
Joseph Marion Hernández: became the first Latino member of the U.S. Congress as a delegate from the Florida territory in 1822.
Romualdo Pacheco: became the first Latino U.S. Representative for California in 1876.
Octaviano Larrazolo: became the first Latino U.S. Senator for New Mexico in 1928.
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen: became the first Latina U.S. Representative for Florida in 1989.
Catherine Cortez Masto: became the first Latina U.S. Senator for Nevada in 2016.
Antonia Coello Novello: became the first Latina U.S. Surgeon General in 1990. She was also the first woman to ever hold this position.
Susana Martinez: became the first Latina Governor for New Mexico in 2011.
Alberto Gonzalez: became the first Latino U.S. Attorney General in 2005.
Sonia Sotomayor: became the first Latina U.S. Supreme Court Justice in 2009.
Richard E. Cavazos: became the first Latino U.S. Army General in 1976.
Edward Hidalgo: became the first Latino Secretary of the Navy in 1979.
Franklin Chang-Diaz: became the first Latino U.S. astronaut to fly a space-shuttle mission in 1986.
Ellen Ochoa: became the first Latina U.S. astronaut to fly a space-shuttle mission in 1991.
Luiz Walter Alvarez: became the first Latino Nobel Prize in Physics recipient in 1968 for his discovery about subatomic particles. He later proposed the now-accepted theory that the mass dinosaur extinction was due to a meteor impact.
Severo Ochoa: became the first Latino Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine recipient in 1959 for the synthesis of RNA.
María Amparo Ruiz de Burton: became the first Latina novelist to be published in the United States in 1872 for her novel Who Would have thought it?
Oscar Hiiuelos: became the first Latino Pulitzer Prize for Fiction recipient in 1990 for his novel The Mambo Kings Play Songs of Love.
Nilo Cruz: became the first Latino Pulitzer Prize for Drama recipient in 2003 for his play Anna in the Tropics.
Ilia Calderon: became the first Afro-Latina to anchor a major news desk in the United States in 2017.
Carlos Santana: became the first Latino Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee in 1998.
José Ferrer: became the first Latino Best Actor Oscar award recipient in 1950 for his role in Cyrano de Bergarac.
Rita Moreno: became the first Latina Best Supporting Actress Oscar award recipient in 1961 for her role in West Side Story.
Benicio Del Toro: became the first Latino Best Supporting Actor Oscar award recipient in 2000 for his role in Traffic.
Irene Cara: became the first Latina Best Original Song Oscar award recipient in 1984.
José Quintero: became the Best Director Tony award recipient in 1973.
Desi Arnaz: became the first Latino star of a network television show in 1952 for his role in I Love Lucy.
Esteban Bellán: became the first Latino Major League baseball player in 1871.
Adolfo “Dolf” Luque: became the first Latino World Series player in 1919.
Alfonso “Chico” Carrasquel: became the first Latino All-Star Game player in 1951.
Luis Aparicio: became the first Latino Rookie of the Year in 1956.
Roberto Clemente: became the first Latino Baseball Hall of Fame inductee in 1973.
On this Hispanic Heritage Month, we celebrate our heritage, the accomplishments of our community, and look back at all that these trailblazing Latinos and Latinas made possible for all of us who have followed their footsteps.