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Notable women in Puerto Rico

Main article: List of Puerto Ricans

Prominent women in Puerto Rico include the following:

Actresses, comedians and directors:

Authors, playwrights and poets:

Businesswomen and industrialists:

  • Carlota Alfaro, fashion designer.
  • Carmen Ana Culpeper, SBA Regional Director. First female Secretary of the Puerto Rico Department of the Treasury and first female president of the Puerto Rico Telephone Company.
  • Camalia Valdés, businesswoman. President and CEO of Cerveceria India, Inc., Puerto Rico's largest brewery.[9]

Civil rights and/or political activists:

  • María de las Mercedes Barbudo, political activist. First female "Independentista". First woman to become an avid advocate of the Puerto Rican Independence..[10]
  • Mariana Bracetti, political activist. Bracetti was the leader of the "Lares's Revolutionary Council" during the Grito de Lares. Bracetti knit the first flag of the future "Republic of Puerto Rico".
  • María Cadilla, women's rights activist. Women rights activist and one of the first women in Puerto Rico to earn a doctoral degree.
  • Blanca Canales, political activist. Nationalist leader who led the Jayuya Uprising in 1950 against U.S. colonial rule of Puerto Rico.
  • Isabel González, civil rights activist. Young Puerto Rican mother who paved the way for Puerto Ricans to be given United States citizenship.[11]
  • Lolita Lebrón, political activist. Nationalist leader and activist. Lebrón was the leader of a group of nationalists, who proceeded to attack the United States House of Representatives in 1954.
  • Ana María O'Neill, women's rights activist and educator. First female Professor of Business at the University of Puerto Rico. A women's rights activist, she urged women to defend their right to vote.[12]
  • Ana Roque, women's rights activist. Suffragist and one of the founders of the University of Puerto Rico.
  • Olga Viscal Garriga, political activist. Student leader at the University of Puerto Rico and spokesperson of the Puerto Rican Nationalist Party's branch in Río Piedras.

Composers, musicians and singers:

Educators:

  • Margot Arce de Vázquez, educator. Founder of the Department of Hispanic Studies in the University of Puerto Rico.
  • Edna Coll, educator and author. President of the Society of Puerto Rican Authors. Also founded the Puerto Rico Academy of Fine Arts.[13]
  • Ana G. Méndez, educator. Founder of the Ana G. Méndez University System.
  • Lolita Tizol, educator. At a time when most people in Ponce, as in most of Puerto Rico, did not know how to read and write, Tizol took it upon herself to overcome challenges to help others.[14]
  • Nilita Vientós Gastón, educator. First female lawyer to work for the Department of Justice of Puerto Rico. Won a case before the Supreme Court for the use of the Spanish language in Puerto Rican courts.

Historians:

  • Delma S. Arrigoitia, historian and author. First person in the University of Puerto Rico to earn a Masters Degree in the field of history.[15]

Journalists:

  • Isabel Cuchí Coll, journalist and author. Director of the "Sociedad de Autores Puertorriqueños (Puerto Rican Authors Society).[13]
  • Carmen Jovet, journalist. First Puerto Rican woman to become news anchor in Puerto Rico.

Judges:

  • Carmen Consuelo Vargas, Federal District Court judge. First Puerto Rican female to become a federal district judge and chief justice.

Military personnel:


  • Marta Carcana, Major General, U.S. Army; in 2015, became the first woman to be named Adjutant General of the Puerto Rican National Guard[16]
  • Michelle Fraley (née Hernández), Colonel, U.S. Army; became in 1984 the first Puerto Rican woman to graduate from West Point Military Academy; former chief of staff of the Army Network Enterprise Technology Command[17][18]
  • Carmen García Rosado, Private First Class, U.S. Women's Army Corps; was among the first 200 Puerto Rican women to be recruited into the WAC's during World War II; author of LAS WACS-Participacion de la Mujer Boricua en la Segunda Guerra Mundial (The WACs – The participation of the Puerto Rican women in the Second World War), the first book which documents the experiences of the first 200 Puerto Rican women to participate in said conflict as members of the armed forces of the United States[19]
  • Hila Levy, Captain, U.S. Air Force; in 2007, became the first Puerto Rican Rhodes scholar[20][21]
  • María Inés Ortiz, Captain, U.S. Army; of Puerto Rican descent; first United States Army nurse to die in combat during Operation Iraqi Freedom and the first to die in combat since the Vietnam War[22]
  • Dolores Piñero, U.S. Army Medical Corps; despite the fact that she was not an active member of the military, she was the first Puerto Rican woman doctor to serve in the Army under contract during World War I; at first she was turned down, but after writing a letter to the Army Surgeon General in Washington, D.C. she was ordered her to report to Camp Las Casas in Santurce, Puerto Rico; on October 1918, she signed her contract with the Army
  • Lizbeth Robles, U.S. Army; in 2005, was the first female soldier born in Puerto Rico to die in combat as an active soldier during Operation Iraqi Freedom[23]
  • Frances M. Vega, SPC, U.S. Army; on 2 November 2003, became the first female soldier of Puerto Rican descent to die in a combat zone during Operation Iraqi Freedom[24]


Physicians, scientists and inventors:

  • Olga D. González-Sanabria, NASA engineer. Highest ranking Latino at NASA Glenn Research Center and a member of the Ohio Women's Hall of Fame.
  • Amri Hernández-Pellerano, NASA engineer. Develops energy equipment at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center.
  • Dr. Miriam Rodón-Naveira, NASA scientist. First Latino woman to hold the Deputy Directorship for the Environmental Sciences Division within the National Exposure Research Laboratory.
  • Yajaira Sierra Sastre, NASA scientist. Performs preliminary testing and research work in NASA in the area of food consumption and health of astronauts for future mission to Mars.[25][26]


Politicians:

Religion:

Sports:

  • Rebekah Colberg, athlete. Pioneer women participant in the 1938 Central American and Caribbean Games and gold medal winner in discus and javelin throws.
  • Ivelisse Echevarría, softball player. Inducted into the International Softball Federation Hall of Fame (2003).
  • Anita Lallande, olympic swimmer and gold medal winner. Holds the island's record for most medals won at CAC Games with a total of 17 and 10 gold.[29]
  • Angelita Lind, athlete. Track and field athlete.

Notable stateside Puerto Rican women

Main article: List of Puerto Ricans

Women from Puerto Rico or of Puerto Rican descent that have become prominent in the mainland United States include the following:

Actresses, comedians and directors:

Authors, playwrights and poets:

  • Pura Belpré, author. First Puerto Rican librarian in New York City.[30]
  • Nicholasa Mohr, writer. First Latino woman to have literary works published by the major commercial publishing houses, and longest continuously published Latino female writer for these publishing houses.[31][32][33]
  • Judith Ortíz Cofer, poet, writer and essayist. First Latino to win an O. Henry Prize. First recipient of the Pura Belpre Award for Hispanic children's literature.[31][34]
  • Micol Ostow, author. Ostow wrote of "Mind Your Manners, Dick and Jane". Her novel, "Emily Goldberg Learns to Salsa", was named a New York Public Library Book for the Teen Age.[35]

Businesswomen and industrialists:

  • Aída Álvarez, Cabinet member. First Latino woman to hold a sub-cabinet level position in the federal U.S. executive branch. She performed as director of the Small Business Administration.
  • Nina Tassler, corporate president. President of CBS Entertainment. Highest profile Latino woman in network television and one of the few executives who has the power to greenlight series.[36]
  • María Vizcarrondo-De Soto, corporate CEO. First Latino woman to become the President and CEO of the United Way of Essex and West Hudson.[37]

Civil rights and/or political activists:

Composers, musicians and singers:

Educators:

  • Ninfa Segarra, education administrator. President of the New York City Board of Education 2000–2002.

Journalists:

Judges and law enforcement:

  • Faith Evans, U.S. Marshal. First woman to become a U.S. Marshal.
  • Dora Irizarry, Federal District Judge. First Latino woman to serve as state judge in New York.
  • Vanessa Ruiz, Court of Appeals Judge. Associate Judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.
  • Sonia Sotomayor, U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice. First Puerto Rican woman to serve as an (2d Cir.) U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judge and first Latino to become a U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice.

Military personnel:

Physicians, scientists and inventors:

  • Dr. Antonia Coello Novello, physician. First Latino and first woman U.S. Surgeon General (1990–93).
  • Mercedes Reaves Research engineer and scientist. Reaves is responsible for the design of a viable full-scale solar sail and the development and testing of a scale model solar sail at NASA Langley Research Center.
  • Monserrate Román, microbiologist. Participated in the building of the International Space Station.

Politicians:

  • Carmen E. Arroyo, state legislator. First Puerto Rican woman elected to any state assembly, chair New York Hispanic Legislative Caucus.
  • María Colón Sánchez, state legislator. First Latino woman elected to the Connecticut General Assembly.[51]
  • Gloria Tristani, federal commissioner. First latino woman to serve as commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
  • Nydia Velázquez, member of Congress. First Puerto Rican congresswoman. Chair of House Small Business Committee.
  • Wilda Diaz, mayor. First female mayor of Perth Amboy, New Jersey, and first Puerto Rican woman elected mayor in that state.

Clergy:

  • Bavi Edna Rivera, Episcopal bishop. First Latino woman to become a bishop and the 12th woman consecrated a bishop in the Episcopal Church.[52]

Sports:

  • Maritza Correia, athlete. First black Puerto Rican woman in the U.S. Olympic Swimming Team.
  • Gigi Fernández, tennis player. First Puerto Rican female athlete to turn professional,[53] first Puerto Rican woman to ever win an Olympic gold medal, and the first to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.[54]
  • Lisa Fernández, softball player. Olympic gold medalist.

References

  1. ^ Marquita Rivera at IMDb. Retrieved 14 April 2008
  2. ^ Bios[permanent dead link‍]
  3. ^ "Giannina Braschi". National Book Festival. Library of Congress. 2012. Retrieved 10-4-2013. 'Braschi: one of the most revolutionary voices in Latin America today' {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  4. ^ JS Theatre
  5. ^ Isabel Freire de Matos por Esther Rivera Torres
  6. ^ Template:Es icon Ensayistas.org, Rosario Ferré. Retrieved 6 January 2007.
  7. ^ Puerto Rico Past and Present: An Encyclopedia By Ronald Fernandez, Serafín Méndez Méndez, Gail Cueto
  8. ^ Santiago's Page on pbs.org
  9. ^ Camalia Valdez – Bio Archived 2009-03-19 at the Wayback Machine
  10. ^ Mercedes – La primera Independentista Puertorriquena Archived 2011-04-21 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ Journal of American Ethnic History Archived 2008-09-30 at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ Biografias Archived 2006-07-18 at the Wayback Machine
  13. ^ a b "Tras las Huellas de Nuestro Paso"; by: Ildelfonso López; Publisher: AEELA, 1998
  14. ^ Statue Honoring Tizol
  15. ^ Puerto Rico Daily Sun Archived 2011-10-09 at the Wayback Machine
  16. ^ Designan nuevamente a Martha Carcana para dirigir la Guardia Nacional, primerahora.com; accessed 4 April 2016.
  17. ^ "Tuller designa a coronela retirada como ayudante especial". Elnuevodia.com. February 22, 2014. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  18. ^ "Yo vengo de una cultura machista". El Nuevo Día (in Spanish). February 25, 2014. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  19. ^ Carmen García Rosado, "LAS WACS"-Participacion de la Mujer Boricua en la Seginda Guerra Mundial, p. 60; 1ra. Edicion publicada en Octubre de 2006; 2da Edicion revisada 2007; Regitro tro Propiedad Intectual ELA (Government of Puerto Rico) #06-13P-)1A-399
  20. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on January 13, 2009. Retrieved April 1, 2009. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  21. ^ "Puerto Rico News". Topix. Retrieved 2016-04-05.
  22. ^ Michael Robert Patterson. "Maria Ines Ortiz, Captain, United States Army". Arlingtoncemetery.net. Retrieved 2016-04-05.
  23. ^ Fallen Heroes Memorial: Lizbeth Robles, fallenheroesmemorial.com; accessed 4 April 2016.
  24. ^ Griffith, Frank. "Puerto Rican soldier killed in Chinook helicopter downing buried with full military honors". Frances M. Vega profile Archived March 14, 2007, at the Wayback Machine, Associated Press, 10 November 2003.
  25. ^ Yajaira Sierra One Step Closer to Becoming First Puerto Rican Woman in Space Archived 2012-07-17 at the Wayback Machine
  26. ^ Yajaira Sierra dreams of being 1st Puerto Rican woman in space
  27. ^ Biografia Archived 2010-05-26 at the Wayback Machine
  28. ^ Puerto Rico A Timeline, Almost a Woman, PBS, New York
  29. ^ Puerto Rico Herald
  30. ^ "Pura Belpré: The Children's Ambassador". In Vicki Ruiz and Virginia Sánchez Korrol, Latina Legacies: Identity, Biography, and Community New York: Oxford University Press, 2005. 148-157
  31. ^ a b "Hispanic Firsts", By; Nicolas Kanellos, publisher Visible Ink Press; ISBN 0-7876-0519-0; p.40
  32. ^ Dictionary of Literary Biography intro online
  33. ^ Heath Anthology bio
  34. ^ Honoree - Georgia Writers Hall of Fame
  35. ^ Princeton's Children's Book Festival Archived 2010-02-26 at the Wayback Machine
  36. ^ highest-ranking Latina in network television
  37. ^ El Diario/La Prensa Archived 2006-01-03 at the Wayback Machine
  38. ^ Geisler, Lindsey (11 September 2006). "Mendez case paved way for Brown v. Board". Topeka Capital-Journal. Archived from the original on 9 August 2011. Retrieved 5 April 2007. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  39. ^ "Sauceda, Isis (28 March 2007). "Cambio Historico (Historic Change)". People en Español (in Spanish): 111–112.
  40. ^ Changing the Face of Medicine
  41. ^ KENA to Launch in April
  42. ^ Profile of Elizabeth Vargas, ABC News Journalist
  43. ^ Did You Know? Quick Facts on Latinos in the Military Archived 2006-05-05 at the Wayback Machine
  44. ^ Our American Dream: Meet the First Latina US Military Pilot Archived 2016-04-16 at the Wayback Machine
  45. ^ Rachel Heyhoe Archived 2010-10-01 at the Wayback Machine
  46. ^ Garcia Cubero, Linda. "Punto Final!". Latina Style. Archived from the original on 3 March 2009. Retrieved 24 March 2009. {{cite magazine}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  47. ^ a b Women's Memorial Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine
  48. ^ Women's Military Memorial Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine
  49. ^ Ryan takes charge of Law Department
  50. ^ Maritza Sáenz Ryan - Bio.
  51. ^ Maria Sanchez: Godmother of the Puerto Rican Community Archived 2012-04-30 at the Wayback Machine
  52. ^ Diocese of Olympia’[permanent dead link‍]
  53. ^ according to Hispanic Magazine, 1988
  54. ^ "Gigi Fernández: "We Have A Mixed Identity"". Puerto Rico Herald. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
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