Most Influential Latin American Women in History for Hispanic Heritage Month

 Dolores Huerta 

Dolores Clara Fernandez was born on April 10, 1930 in Dawson, a small mining town in the mountains of northern New Mexico. Her father Juan Fernández, a farm worker and miner by trade, was a union activist who ran for political office and won a seat in the New Mexico legislature in 1938. Dolores spent most of her childhood and early adult life in Stockton, California where she and her two brothers moved with their mother, following her parents’ divorce.

According to Dolores, her mother’s independence and entrepreneurial spirit was one of the primary reasons she became a feminist. Dolores’ mother Alicia was known for her kindness and compassion towards others. She offered rooms at affordable rates in her 70 room hotel, which she acquired after years of hard work. Alicia welcomed low-wage workers in the hotel, and often, waived the fee for them altogether. She was an active participant in community affairs, involved in numerous civic organizations and the church. Alicia encouraged the cultural diversity that was a natural part of Dolores’ upbringing in Stockton. The agricultural community where they lived was made up of Mexican, Filipino, African-American, Japanese and Chinese working families.

Sylvia del Villard

The actress, dancer, singer, choreographer, and orator Sylvia del Villard Moreno, was one of the greatest spokespersons for Afro-Puerto Rican culture.

Sylvia completed her elementary and high school education in Santurce. Afterwards, she enrolled at Fisk University in Tennessee with a scholarship from the Puerto Rican Government, taking courses in social work and anthropology. Later, she finished her studies at the University of Puerto Rico. 

This cangrejera’s passion for Africa was awakened while studying at the City College of New York, where she joined the dancing and singing troupe Africa House. This experience helped her to find her African roots in the Yoruba and Igbo tribes of Nigeria. Being in New York, she took advantage of her stay by studying with Sonya Rudenka and Leo Braun, the latter of which was the singing instructor and voice coach for the Metropolitan Opera Chorus. 

Born on February 28, 1928 to Ponce-native Marcolina Guilbert and the Arecibo-native Agustín Villard, Sylvia began her professional career on the island in 1963, singing and reciting poetry at the nightclub Ocho Puertas in Old San Juan. From that moment, she devoted herself to the arts, dabbling in various different genres.