09/15/2025
September 15th begins Hispanic Heritage Month. That’s why we put together a little bit of trivia to test your knowledge about Latino history. How many of these famous figures can you name? More information about these trailblazing individuals is listed below, along with the answers.
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1. Cesar Chavez was a Mexican American farmworker who became a prominent civil rights activist. He founded the National Farm Workers Association to help protect the rights of farm workers, and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom after his death in 1994.
2. Dr. Ellen Ochoa is the first Hispanic woman to ever travel to space, making her first trip in 1993. She has since been to space three additional times and was awarded the Exceptional Service Medal by NASA.
3. Sonia Sotomayor made history in 2009 when she became the first woman of color to be appointed to the Supreme Court of the United States. She was born in New York to a Puerto Rican family and has spent over 40 years advocating for the rights of many minority groups.
4. Sandra Cisneros is an American writer who is best known for her first novel, “The House on Mango Street.” She has been described as possibly “the most famous Chicana writer,” and was the first female Mexican-American writer to have her work published by a mainstream publisher (first Vintage Press and then Random House).
5. Oscar de la Renta was a Dominican fashion designer who trained under Cristóbal Balenciaga and Antonio del Castillo. He quickly rose to prominence after working with Elizabeth Arden before becoming the first Dominican to design for a French couture house (Balmain).
6. Celia Cruz was an Afro-Cuban singer who rose to fame in 1950 as the first Black person to appear as the lead singer of the band “La Sonora Matancera.” In the 1970s, Cruz transitioned into the Salsa genre of music, with many describing her voice and style as “operatic.” She also starred in several films, won numerous Grammys, and several Latin Grammy awards as well.
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