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These 10 Latino personalities made history and died in 2022: this is how they left their mark on US culture.

2022-12-30T19:57:22.663Z


From a history-making legal scholar and cabinet member, to civil rights activists and educators, a groundbreaking philanthropist, and several pioneers in the arts.


By Raúl A. Reyes -

NBC News

Several personalities from the Latino community who dedicated themselves to a wide range of activities ranging from the arts and entertainment to the fight for legal and civil rights, and whose lives and works left a deep mark on American institutions, passed away in 2022 .

From Sesame Street

's beloved 'Luis'

to the first Latino to serve in a White House cabinet, these are the 10 people of Latin American origin who left their mark on the nation and our culture, expanding opportunities for generations to come.

IRENE FACE

The award-winning New York-born composer and performer of Puerto Rican and Cuban descent passed away in late November at age 63.

As a child, she sang and danced on local Spanish-language television and performed on Broadway.

As a teenager she was cast

on PBS's

The Electric Company and starred in the film

Sparkle

.

Irene Cara in 1986. Michael Ochs Archives / Getty Images

But what catapulted her to stardom was the recording of the title song for

Fame,

the popular 1980 movie. Along with the song from the movie

Flashdance

(

What a Feeling

recorded in 1983), Cara became the voice of two iconic anthems. of pop.

The youthful exuberance of these songs indelibly defined Cara before audiences.

"She (Cara) was one of the reasons I'm here!" John Leguizamo tweeted after her passing.

"She made me believe that even if you were Latino you could do it!"

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He received an Academy Award, a Golden Globe, and two Grammy Awards.

"Irene was bubbly, ambitious and spirited; she could do it all. She could sing, dance, write and act," said music producer/songwriter Lee Curreri, who co-starred in

Fame

.

Curreri has fond memories of his relationship with Cara because of her mutual passion for music.

"During pause moments in the movie, we would go out and sing together. I loved listening to her voice, all day long. She was genuine."

LAURO CAVAZOS JR.

He died at the age of 95 and was the first Latino member of the United States cabinet.

Cavazos was born in Texas and began his education at a two-room school in King Ranch, where his father was a foreman.

Although schools in South Texas were segregated during the 1930s, Cavazos' father fought for his daughter to attend an all-white school in nearby Kingsville.

The young Cavazos became the first student of Mexican origin in the local elementary school, which was the beginning of a life in which he broke many barriers.

Lauro Cavazos during a briefing on February 1, 1990, when he was Secretary of Education. Diana Walker / Getty Images file

Cavazos received his bachelor's and master's degrees in zoology from what is now Texas Tech University and earned a Ph.D. in physiology from Iowa State University. In 1975, he became the first Latino dean of the University of Texas Medical School. Tufts and in 1980 returned to Texas Tech, where he became the university's first Latino president.

In 1988, President Reagan appointed Cavazos Secretary of Education, making him the first Hispanic to serve in the US Cabinet, a role he also served under President George HW Bush.

Betsy Busch, clinical associate professor of pediatrics at Tufts Medical School, praised Cavazos as "innovative and ahead of her time."

"He was a wonderful, captivating teacher," Busch said.

"He communicated his themes with such passion that he was contagious."

Cavazos urged his medical students to think not just about their research and his patients, Busch said, but also "what they, as physicians, could contribute to society at large."

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EMILIO DELGADO

The famous actor from a Mexican family born in Calexico, California, died at the age of 81: he left behind a long artistic career that he combined with his activism for various causes.

Delgado was in Los Angeles looking for acting work when he got a call to take part in a new children's television show.

He earned the part and went on to play the character named 'Luis' on

Sesame Street

for decades, earning the record for the longest-running role by an actor of Mexican origin on television.

Delgado joined the cast in 1971 and was part of the regular cast until 2016, also participating in the show's 50th anniversary in 2019.

Rosita talks with Luis, played by Emilio Delgado, during a broadcast of "Sesame Street" in New York on June 25, 2003.Chris Hondros / Getty Images file

At a time when positive portrayals of Latinos were rare in the media, Delgado provided millions of children with a role model.

In 1988, his character's wedding to "María", played by Sonia Manzano, was a historic event for public television (Elmo wore the ring).

Together, "Luis" and "María" showed young audiences that Latinos were people who worked, fell in love and were part of their community.

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Delgado was also an activist for charitable and political causes, Manzano told NBC News.

When they met, Delgado was handing out "Boycott the Grapes" buttons in support of César Chávez's farmworker movement.

"For us, it was important to show Latinos in an authentic and bicultural way to show that Latinos had the same hopes and dreams as other Americans," Manzano said.

"Emilio had an amazing ability not to judge," Manzano said.

"He saw people as individuals; when he was talking to you, you were the only person in the room."

JORGE DIAZ-JOHNSTON

A same-sex marriage activist and advocate, Díaz-Johnston died at age 54.

The son of a former Cuban political prisoner, Díaz-Johnston asked his fiancé to marry him by giving him his father's ring.

However, their marriage was not easy: Jorge Díaz and Don Johnston had to fight for the right to legally marry, as plaintiffs in a case that is part of the history of LGBTQ+ civil rights in Florida.

Don Johnston, left, and Jorge Diaz kiss after obtaining a marriage license in Miami on January 5, 2015. Joe Raedle / Getty Images file

Diaz and Johnston were one of six Florida couples who applied for same-day marriage licenses in 2014. All were denied.

The couples filed a lawsuit, claiming the state's ban on same-sex marriage violated the Constitution.

In 2015, a Florida court ruled in their favor, making Miami-Dade County the first in the state to allow same-sex marriage.

That same year, a federal judge's ruling in another case legalized same-sex marriage throughout Florida.

"My brother didn't like discrimination in any way; he thought discrimination against some people was discrimination against all people," said Manny Diaz, chairman of the Florida Democratic Party.

His brother was a warm and happy person, "with a strong sense of justice," Diaz said.

"Being part of the lawsuit, that was his proudest moment," Diaz added.

"He believed in fighting to improve the state and he made history."

CARMEN HERRERA

Born into an intellectual family in Cuba, Herrera lived a long and fruitful life until she was 106 years old.

She studied art in Paris and spent decades in New York City honing her artistic style.

She was noted for using bold colors and geometric shapes in works that have been compared to those of Mondrian and Ellsworth Kelly.

However, for most of her life she worked unrecognized, with the support of her husband, a high school teacher.

Carmen Herrera looks at the sketch of one of her paintings as she browses through a gallery catalog with some of her works in her studio in New York, on May 29, 2015. Richard Drew / AP file

Herrera's life changed dramatically after a fellow artist recommended her for a gallery show in 2004. She sold her first painting at age 89 and was soon hailed as "the new thing" in the art world.

Collectors and museums took an interest in her work, while critics praised her.

The Observer of London called it "the discovery of the decade".

"Carmen was a typical Cuban of her time, elegant and sophisticated," said Tony Bechara, her friend and neighbor of more than 40 years.

"She was very optimistic, a person who sees the glass half full."

Herrera used to say, according to Bechara, that being ignored by the art world for so long was "a form of freedom," since it allowed her to create without expectations or judgment.

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In a 2015 documentary, Herrera reflected on her late-life success.

"There's a saying that if you wait for the bus, the bus will come. Well, I waited almost a century for the bus to come. And it came!" she said with a laugh.

ROLANDO HINOJOSA-SMITH

Hinojosa-Smith died at age 93 and was known as the "dean of Chicano authors."

This proud Texan was best known for his epic series of 15 novels set in the fictional Rio Grande Valley community of Klail City.

His stories centered on the joys, triumphs, and heartaches of ordinary people living in the borderlands.

Often compared to William Faulkner, in 2014 Hinojosa-Smith received a lifetime achievement award from the National Book Critics Circle.

Rolando Hinojosa-Smith in 2010.Marsha Miller/UT Austin file

Hinojosa-Smith's bicultural stories highlighted an area of ​​the country that is often ignored by other Americans.

"She loved the community and she loved writing about her community," said writer Richard Z. Santos.

"It was a voice saying: we're down here, we're living interesting lives, creating interesting art. And he wasn't afraid to break the conventional rules of writing."

A Hinojosa-Smith novel, for example, might include a change in narrator, a song, a poem, or a transcription.

As a professor of literature at the University of Texas at Austin for 35 years, Hinojosa-Smith mentored countless young writers.

Jaime A. Mejía, an associate professor at Texas State University, described him as "very cool, with a great sense of humor."

Mejía noted that Hinojosa-Smith was one of the first American literary voices to be published in both Spanish and English.

"He was an incredible human being. It was a pleasure to be with him."

MICHAEL OLIVES

Olivas, who passed away at age 71, was a professor and jurist with an extensive career focused on legal analysis and creating new academic opportunities for the Latino community.

As a young man, Olivas studied to be a priest, but later switched to law because he realized that "he was much better at afflicting the comfortable than at consoling the afflicted."

Olivas spent 38 years on the faculty of the University of Houston Law Center, wrote 16 books, and was nationally recognized for his scholarship focused on higher education and immigration law.

Michael Olivas. Courtesy of the University of Houston Law Center

Thomas Saenz, president and general counsel of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, recalled Olivas as a "thoughtful and brilliant" person who helped promote legal academy as a career path for Latino lawyers.

For many years, Olivas went public with his "Dirty Dozen" list of the best law schools without Latino professors, putting pressure on schools to diversify their faculty.

In 2018, the Association of American Law Schools presented Olivas with its highest honor, the Triennial Lifetime Service Award to Legal Education and the Law.

Olivas, a renaissance man, was also known as "The Rock & Roll Professor" and hosted a radio show that explored his interest in music and pop culture.

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham, who delivered the eulogy at Olivas' funeral mass, described his legacy as "kindness, positivity and making a difference in the lives of others."

And she added that "her heart from him never seemed too full."

TINA RAMIREZ

Ramírez, who died at the age of 92, was a pioneer and educator of dance.

The daughter of a Mexican bullfighter, she danced on Broadway and around the world before dedicating herself to teaching.

When she realized the few opportunities that existed for Latino dancers, she created the Ballet Hispánico in New York City in 1970. Her goals were to give Latinos a presence in the world of dance and to instill pride in Hispanic culture.

Tina Ramírez, artistic director of the Ballet Hispánico, in New York, on October 16, 2008. Seth Wenig / AP file

Ballet Hispánico began on a shoestring budget, performing in hospitals, parks, and prisons.

In those early days, Ramírez taught parents how to sew costumes for their children.

He grew this local group of "city neighborhood dancers" (as The New York Times put it in 1974) into a world-renowned arts organization.

Ballet Hispánico now includes a professional dance company, a dance school, and multiple community arts programs.

In 2005, Ramírez received the National Medal of Arts, the nation's highest cultural honor.

"Tina gave many people the right to dream, to see their possibilities," said Eduardo Vilaro, artistic director and CEO of Ballet Hispánico.

Vilaro recalled that Ramírez originally wanted to give Latin dancers an alternative to dancing in nightclubs and in stereotypical roles.

"She created a place for people to become the best creative version of her. She was a visionary."

ERNEST Z ROBLES

In his long life of 91 years, Robles was characterized by the success he achieved with his philanthropic work.

In 1975 he took out a second mortgage for $30,000 to finance a new scholarship program.

He and his wife wanted to make college more accessible to Latino students, and the Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF) was born.

Since then, HSF has awarded more than $700 million to thousands of students.

Relatives pray during the funeral of Ernest Robles, 91, founder of the National Hispanic Scholarship Fund, at Holy Name of Jesus Church in Redlands, California, on September 26. Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images file

The nonprofit that Robles started at home is now supported by major corporations, from Amazon to Walmart.

"Back then, there was no blueprint for what he was doing," said Mike Chavez, Robles' nephew and an assistant professor of sociology at Riverside City College in Southern California.

"HSF's first office was an extra bedroom in his house."

Chávez said his uncle was very proud, not of his own accomplishments, but of HSF recipients who went on to pursue careers in medicine, media, law and science.

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A decorated Marine Corps veteran, Robles worked as a teacher, principal, and later for the federal government's Office of Education.

For his work with HSF, he was recognized at the White House by Presidents Ronald Reagan and George HW Bush.

"People said that Ernest was humble and that he never wanted to be the center of attention," said Gustavo Arellano, a columnist for the Los Angeles Times.

"For pioneers like Robles, it was always about the work, the cause, not the spotlight. But it changed lives."

FREDDY RODRIGUEZ

Plastic artist deceased at the age of 96.

Born in the Dominican Republic, Rodríguez's life changed when he was young after a teacher gave him a pass to the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

He fell in love with abstract art and later became a painter whose work addressed themes such as colonialism, Roman Catholicism, and Latino identity.

Although his paintings have been acquired by the Smithsonian Museum and the National Gallery, Rodríguez is best known for designing the memorial for American Airlines Flight 587, a 2001 plane crash that resonated throughout the Dominican diaspora.

Freddy Rodriguez.Manolo Salas, via Hutchinson Modern & Contemporary

"What's interesting about Freddy is that his work had space to examine militarism, dictatorship and the legacy of Dominican baseball players," said writer and artist Marcia G. Yerman.

"He refused to be pigeonholed as a type of artist. I think his public artwork (the Flight 587 memorial) combined all of his talents, along with his intellect and his heart."

Rodríguez was among the group of contemporary painters who transformed abstraction in the 1970s, according to Alejandro Anreus, a professor at William Paterson University in New Jersey.

"A lot of abstract art is about nothing," Anreus said.

"But Freddy made paintings that were densely layered, full of social, political and spiritual meaning. His job was to take abstraction and fill it with content."

Source: telemundo

All news articles on 2022-12-30

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