By Mikaila Rivas '26
National Hispanic Heritage Month occurs from September 15 to October 15. One may question why the honoring of Hispanic history and accomplishments initiates on a selected day versus the start of a new month. The reason is many countries of Central America have their independence day around September 15th, such as Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua. The following individuals have displayed their talents and skills and have paved the way for future Hispanics to succeed in various fields.
Nava Mau:
Nava Mau has become the first trans-person ever in history to be nominated fo
for an Emmy award in the outstanding supporting actress in a limited or anthology series or movies category. The Mexican actress had amazing performances on HBO Max’s Generation and the hit Netflix series, Baby Reindeer. In Generation, the experiences her character, Ana, faces, calls attention to the many struggles Latinas in America may be challenged with. Additionally, she has been an active advocate for undervalued communities. In an interview with Impact Media, they state she has worked as a “legal assistant for immigrant survivors of violence” and as a “conductor of advocacy for LGBTQ+ survivors of violence.”
Marcello Hernández:
Hernández is the first Gen Z cast member of Saturday Night Live and has received much acclaim for his comedic performance. His role as “Domingo” in a recent SNL skit
has additionally gained much popularity as he sings to the rhythm of Sabrina Carpenter's “Espresso,” while explaining his relationship with his “friend” to her fiancé. He started out in the East Village as a promoter on the streets, attempting to get bystanders to purchase tickets for comedy shows. He soon gained popularity online for his comedic acts, where he shared his experience with having immigrant parents. In July, the Dominican and Cuban comedian was honored as a recipient of Variety magazine’s 2024 Power of Hollywood award.
Karl-Anthony Towns:
Karl-Anthony Towns is in his tenth season of the NBA and plays as a center fo
for the New York Knicks. In May, the basketball player of African-American and Dominican descent was awarded the NBA’s 2023-2024 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Social Justice Champion Award. Abdul-Jabbar is known as one of the best basketball players in NBA history and is an acknowledged advocate for many marginalized groups, including women and the LGBTQIA+ community and is against any forms of religious discrimination. One of the many reasons Towns was granted the award, was because of his work in helping to pass Minnesota’s Restore the Vote bill which granted the right to vote to over a thousand people who were formerly incarcerated.
Andrea Vidaurre:
Vidaurre was one of the winners of the 2024 Goldman Environmental Prize, also known as the “Green Nobel Prize.” As a powerful leader, she successfully convinced the
California Air Resources Board to initiate two transportation regulations that will limit railroad and track emissions. Consequently, other states have also taken on California's regulations, signifying Vidaurre was not only able to help her local community, but was able to make a change in her country. She was raised in a Peruvian household in California’s Inland Empire, which is east of Los Angeles. The area has some of the worst air quality in all of America. In 2020, she co-founded the People's Collective for Environmental Justice, which is a female led nonprofit that seeks to end environmental racism and advocates for a world of zero emissions. She emphasizes how she is simply trying to help people breathe, a fundamental human function that all deserve to do in a healthy manner.
Anitta:
Larissa de Macedo Machado, better known by her musician name Anitta, is a
Brazilian artist who received the award for Best Latin Music Video, for the third time in a row, during the MTV Music Video Awards. With this achievement, she has officially broken the record for the most awards by a female singer in MTV’s Best Latin category. In 2021, she was well-known for her song “Envolver,” which reached number one on Spotify’s Global 200 Chart, making her the first Brazilian singer to do so. In September, she was additionally the headline artist for the NFL’s first game in Brazil.
I am so proud of my people and their many achievements that have made significant impacts not only in their communities, but in the world. I cannot wait to hear about the more people we help, the headlines we make, the honors we receive, and progress we make as time goes by.
All Photos Courtesy of latimes.com, 800poundgorillamedia.com, nypost.com, goldmanprize.org and billboard.com
Sources: @impact instagram, nbcnews.com, variety.com pc4ej.org
Edited By Catherine Grace Polatidis '26 and Ms. Brilliant
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