Happy Birthday to acclaimed writer Sandra Cisneros, born on December 20, 1954 in Chicago, Illinois. Her mother was Mexican American and her father was an immigrant from Mexico who was often nostalgic for his home country. As a result, Cisneros and her family moved between Mexico and Chicago on numerous occasions. The sense of displacement… Continue reading Happy Birthday to Sandra Cisneros, Writer
Year: 1954
Norma Cantú, Lawyer, Educator, Social Activist
Happy Birthday to educator, lawyer, social activist and politico Norma Cantú, born on November 2, 1954 in Brownsville, Texas. Cantú earned a double major BA from the University of Texas and then a law degree from Harvard by age 22. She worked as an attorney with MALDEF (Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund). In 1993… Continue reading Norma Cantú, Lawyer, Educator, Social Activist
Happy Birthday to Cesar Rosas, Musician and Rock Star
Happy Birthday to Cesar Rosas, guitarist, singer, and member of the iconic Mexican American rock band, Los Lobos (The Wolves). Rosas and his fellow band members met in high school, and their band has entertained and inspired audiences for over 30 years. Their music is a unique blend of Mexican folk and American rock, blues,… Continue reading Happy Birthday to Cesar Rosas, Musician and Rock Star
Creation of the Piña Colada 1954 Puerto Rico
With a shake and splash of rum, the famed national drink of Puerto Rico, the piña colada, was officially created on August 16, 1954. The momentous event occurred at the Caribe Hilton’s Beachcomber Bar in San Juan, Puerto Rico by cocktail artist and bartender Ramón “Monchito” Marrero. Monchito had been tasked with creating a new signature… Continue reading Creation of the Piña Colada 1954 Puerto Rico
Happy Birthday to Lincoln Díaz-Balart 1954
Happy Birthday to politician Lincoln Díaz-Balart, born in Havana, Cuba on August 13, 1954. When he was four years old, his family fled from Cuba in 1959. Unlike today, Balart and his family were welcomed in El Norte; no paperwork for DACA, DAPA, or DREAMers was required. Balart was educated in Europe and the US, earning his… Continue reading Happy Birthday to Lincoln Díaz-Balart 1954
Sonia Sotomayor, Latina Supreme Court Justice
Happy Birthday to Sonia Sotomayor, born on June 25, 1954. Sotomayor was appointed by President Barack Obama as the first Latina Supreme Court Justice. Her Puerto Rican parents lived in the Bronx; her father died when she was 9 years old. Her mother was determined to give her and her brother an education. Sotomayor believes… Continue reading Sonia Sotomayor, Latina Supreme Court Justice
“Operations Wetback” (Yes, really) 1954
“Operations Wetback” began on June 17, 1954. Over a 1,000 Border Patrol agents and 750 agricultural agents rounded up tens of thousands of Mexican laborers across the southwest, and deported them by bus, train and boat. Hundreds of thousands more left voluntarily. Allegations and reports of abuse, harassment and beatings were widespread. “Espalda Mojada operaciones”… Continue reading “Operations Wetback” (Yes, really) 1954
Carolyn Curiel, Presidential Speechwriter
Happy Birthday to Carolyn Curiel, born on June 9, 1954 in Hammond, Indiana, to Mexican immigrant parents. Her father was a steelworker and her mother was a housewife. Curiel graduated from Purdue University, and worked as a sports reporter. She expanded her career into political journalism with notable publication such as United Press International, the… Continue reading Carolyn Curiel, Presidential Speechwriter
“Salt of the Earth” 1954
March 14, 1954, was the release date of the classic movie, “Salt of the Earth”. The movie was based on the long, difficult strike in 1951 against the Empire Zinc Company in New Mexico. The actual miners and their families starred in the film. The producers, director, and the movie were blacklisted during the 1950’s… Continue reading “Salt of the Earth” 1954
Hernandez v. Texas: Impartial Juries 1954
On January 11, 1954, arguments were heard at the US Supreme Court for the landmark case, Hernandez v. Texas. The case centered on Pedro Hernandez, a Mexican agricultural worker, who was convicted of murder. Hernandez’s legal team argued that the jury could not be impartial unless members of non-Caucasian races were allowed to participate. The… Continue reading Hernandez v. Texas: Impartial Juries 1954