It's Hispanic Heritage Month! From September 15th to October 15th, Hispanic Heritage Month is dedicated to recognizing the achievements, history, and culture of Hispanic Americans. Here are a few iconic Hispanic Americans from modern history.

Ellen Ochoa

In 1993, Dr. Ellen Ochoa made history by being the first Hispanic woman to go to space. She went on a 9-day voyage aboard the Discovery shuttle. Since then she's become the first Hispanic woman to be director of the Johnson Space Center. She's highly decorated, having won the NASA Distinguished Service Medal and many other awards.

Sylvia Mendez

Sylvia Mendez is known as an American civil rights activist and nurse who played a major role in unifying her neighborhood. Sylvia Mendez and her family were the driving force behind the Mendez v. Westminster case, which paved the way for equal chances of education regardless of heritage. This was a monumental win that laid the groundwork for countless changes!

Lin-Manuel Miranda

Best known for his acclaimed play Hamilton, Lin-Manuel Miranda is a playwright, filmmaker, and activist. In his career, he's won 45 prestigious awards and has had the chance to take his plays all over the globe. That's an impressive feat! Fun fact, before he was a world famous playwright, he was a high school English teacher.

Jovita Idár

Jovita Idár was a writer, activist, and teacher known for her work in civil rights and for starting her own newspaper that covered the challenges her community faced. She was committed to self-education and providing education for impoverished communities.

Gloria Estefan

Gloria Estefan is an artist, entrepreneur, and musician who has won multiple Grammy awards, been awarded and the Presidential Medal of Freedom, and is known for chart-topping songs. She's provided musical levity to deployed troops, and she's considered one of the best-selling singers of all time! In 2002, she earned the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute Medallion of Excellence for Community Service.

What Hispanic Heritage Month Means to NWCU

It'd be impossible to sum up the countless achievements of Hispanic Americans in a single article. That said, Hispanic Heritage Month is another chance to honor and amplify the culture of our community members and to do our part in shining a positive light on Hispanic History. To those of Hispanic heritage, we thank you for all you've done.