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Antonia Hernandez, born 1948
Born Torreon, Mexico
At age eight, Antonia Hernandez moved from Torreon, Mexico, to Los Angeles, California, where she experienced the inequities of life as an immigrant. Childhood memories of injustice inspired her to promote Latino agency as a student activist at UCLA and as a staff attorney at the Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice.
In 1979, Hernandez became the first Latina counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary, soon joining the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF). Rising to MALDEF president and general counsel, Hernandez championed a constituency of 29 million Latinos through legal and political initiatives. Since 2004, she has led the California Community Foundation, as a supporter of local nonprofits focused on increasing public access to health services, housing, education, and the arts. This print, by distinguished Chicana artist Barbara Carrasco, celebrates Hernandez's legacy as a leading legal and cultural advocate for Latinos and other underserved populations in the United States.
Barbara Carrasco, 2005 |