Carmen Arroyo, New York

Born in Corozal, Puerto Rico, Ms. Arroyo is a trailblazing leader known for her work as an activist, poet, and legislator. She became a prominent community organizer after moving to New York in 1964 to provide a better life for her seven children. In 1966, she founded the South Bronx Action Group, which expanded tenant advocacy to include services like employment, health and adult education.

Vanessa Calderón-Rosado, Boston

Vanessa Calderón-Rosado, a native of Caguas, Puerto Rico, grew up immersed in the island’s vibrant culture and earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Puerto Rico. With a drive to impact public policy, she pursued her doctoral studies at UMass Boston, later receiving an honorary doctorate from Cambridge College in recognition of her outstanding contributions to community development.

Luis V. Gutiérrez, Chicago

Luis Vicente Gutiérrez, born in Chicago to Puerto Rican parents, launched his political career as an activist on the Chicago City Council, where he represented the 26th Ward from 1986 until his election to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1993, where he represented Illinois’s 4th congressional district for over 25 years.

Lolita Lebrón, Puerto Rico (Posthumous recognition)

Lolita Lebrón was born in 1919, in Lares Puerto Rico. In 1941, she moved to New York City, where she became an active member of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party and eventually rose to a position of influence within the organization.

Ángel Luis Ortiz Rivera, Philadelphia

Born in Caguas, Puerto Rico, in 1941, to Ramona Rivera Santos, a strong and independent single mother. In 1951, his family moved to NYC, settling on Attorney Street, know as “Banana Street,” by the local Boricua community. Elected as Councilman At Large in 1982, he served until 2004 and fought for the equitable legislative representation and increased support for Puerto Rican and Latino communities.

José Rivera, New York

José Rivera, born on July 30, 1936, had a distinguished political career. He started in the New York State Assembly from 1983 to 1987, then served on the NYC Council from 1987 to 2000. He later represented the Bronx’s Fordham-Bedford, Kingsbridge Heights, Bedford Park, and Belmont sections in the New York State Assembly from 2000 to 2022.

Lourdes Ramos-Rivas, Los Angeles

Lourdes I. Ramos-Rivas, Ph.D., President and CEO of the Museum of Latin American Art or MOLAA. Dr. Lourdes Ramos-Rivas, the first Puerto Rican and Latina president and CEO of MOLAA has initiated ambitious plans to grow the museum into a first-class institution with international clout. A native of Puerto Rico, Dr. Ramos has led the Museo de Arte de Puerto Rico in San Juan, one of the largest and most prominent Latin American cultural institutions.

Billy Ocasio, Chicago

Billy Ocasio has served as the President and CEO of the National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts and Culture for the past nine years. A former politician who served as 26th Ward Alderman for 15 years. He left the Chicago City Council in 2009, appointed by Illinois Governor Pat Quinn to serve as an advisor on social justice issues.

Ramon Figueroa Sorrentini and Irmgard Iglesias, Puerto Rico

Ramon and Irmgard, both retired educators, have organized the Comité de Trabajo y Apoyo a Vieques and the Festival Reyes Magos de Vieques for the past 25 years. The Festival has benefitted thousands of Vieques, Puerto Rico, schoolchildren by raising money for school supplies and a children’s festival.

Olga Méndez, New York (Posthumous award)

Olga Aran Méndez (February 5, 1925 — July 29, 2009) was the first Puerto Rican woman elected to a state legislature in the United States when, in 1978, she became a member of the New York State Senate.

Arturo Alfonso Schomburg, New York

Schomburg was a historian, writer, collector, and activist who was born in Santurce, Puerto Rico and moved to the United States in 1891. He researched and raised awareness of the contributions that Afro-Latin Americans and African Americans have made to society. An important intellectual figure in the Harlem Renaissance, his collection became the basis of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, in Harlem.

José E. López, Chicago

José E. López, born in San Sebastián, Puerto Rico has written and lectured extensively on the political and social reality of Puerto Ricans in the United States. He co-founded The Puerto Rican Cultural Center Juan Antonio Corretjer in Chicago, in 1973.

Rev. Luis Cortés, Philadelphia

The Reverend Cortés is the Founder, President and CEO of Esperanza, one of the leading voices for Latinos in America and the premiere Hispanic faith-based Evangelical network in the United States. Rev. Cortés founded Esperanza in 1986.

Rep. Minnie González, Connecticut

González was elected to the Connecticut House of Representatives inl 988, serving the 3rd district in Hartford. She has been the Deputy Majority Leader since 2017.

Rep. Nydia Velázquez, New York

Nydia Margarita Velázquez has served in the United States House of Representatives since 1993. A Democrat from New York, Velázquez is the first Puerto Rican woman to serve in the United States Congress.