About the Book

"Gathers more than 1,250 events in Latino American history; hard-won victories, barrier-breaking triumphs, inspirational stories, amazing people, and remarkable achievements are presented in areas including everything from government and labor movements to entertainment and sports. This comprehensive volume also includes ... accomplishments in science, exploration, religion, the military, literature, film, theater, dance, music, TV and movies, and much more"--

Book Synopsis

Salute the Latino legends, pioneers, and trailblazers! Celebrate the Hispanic milestones, accomplishments, and victories!

An inspiring exploration of 1,250 groundbreaking individuals and pioneering events, Latino Firsts: Trailblazers and Milestones in United States History honors the an indelible mark Hispanics have made on American history and society. Featured are brigadier general Richard E. Cavazos, Nobel laureate Gabriela Mistral, actress America Ferrera, playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda, civil rights activist Dolores Huerta, Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science Francisco Ayala, artist Jen-Michel Basquiat, weightlifter Sarah Elizabeth Robles, and many, many more notable people and accomplishments, such as ...

The first Latinos--three Mexican American lawyers--to argue a case before the U.S. Supreme Court: Gustavo C. García, Carlos Cadena, and John J. Herrera prevailed in Hernandez v. Texas to have juries in the state of Texas desegregated in 1954

The first Latina to represent the United States in the Olympics in archery: Jennifer Muciño-Fernández in 2020

The first Hispanic American to be awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for his years of work on behalf of civil rights for Latinos: President Ronald Reagan honored Hector Pérez García in 1984

The first Latino to be named executive director and president of the Academy of American Poets: Puerto Rican Ricardo Alberto Maldonado in 2023

The United States' first recorded Latino labor organizing activity: Juan Gómez organized cowboys in the panhandle of Texas in 1883, leading several hundred cowboys on strike against ranch owners

The first Latino to hold the rank of brigadier general of the U.S. Marine Corps: Angela Salinas in 2006

The first Hispanic to be inducted into the American Classical Music Hall of Fame: Opera soprano Martina Arroyo in 2020

The first Puerto Rican and first U.S. Latino to win the Academy Award for Best Actor: José Ferrer in 1950 for Cyrano de Bergerac

The first Latina to serve as a CEO of a Fortune 500 company: Cuban American Geisha Williams became the CEO the Pacific Gas and Electric Company in 2017

The first Latina to serve as a bishop of the United Methodist Church: Minerva G. Carcaño in 2004

The first Latino known to have graduated from an Ivy League school: David Camden DeLeón graduated in 1836 from the University of Pennsylvania

The first Latina dancer to star on Broadway: Puerto Rican Chita Rivera was the principal dancer in 1952's Guys and Dolls

The first Hispanic spy for the United States: Captain Román Antonio Baca in 1862

The first Latino to be named chief scientist for NASA: France Anne-Dominic Córdova in 1993

The first Latino to receive the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism: Peruvian American journalist Carlos Lozada in 2019

And thousands of other milestones and firsts!

Milestones, victories and success are not always noticed when they happen. Sometimes an achievement is only recognized years later. Revel and rejoice in the renowned and lesser-known, barrier-breaking trailblazers in all fields--arts, entertainment, business, civil rights, education, government, invention, journalism, religion, science, sports, music, and more. Latino Firsts illuminates the rich and important history of Hispanic Americans!

Review Quotes

"... adds to Visible Ink's series of Firsts books (Black Firsts; Indigenous Firsts) .... Inspiring and readable ..." --Library Journal

"Impressively comprehensive, exceptionally well organized, illustrated with B/W photos, and thoroughly 'reader friendly' in presentation ..." --Midwest Book Review

"Latino Firsts, by renowned scholar and National Humanities Medal recipient Nicolás Kanellos, is a unique collection of profiles ... on the contributions of Hispanics to all areas of American society, from politics to space exploration. ... focuses on the achievements or actions of pioneers. ... demonstrates the impact the Hispanic population has had on the development of the United States. ... centuries of Latino accomplishments from the 1500s to 2024. The impressive collection provides concise overviews that are geared toward nonspecialist audiences. Latino Firsts is an excellent reference guide that provides a starting point for research. In many ways the entries indicate that work still needs to be done to weave Latinos into the greater American historical narrative." --Southwestern Historical Quarterly