Life is a Pleasant Puzzel
By Don Valentine & Nicole Nutting
He-Said: Pal, let’s dis-cuss some of the many contributions Hispanics have made in the dark, to bring our world some light! Did you know it was a Latino scientist that found the link to cure the ravages of Yellow Fever. Senor Carlos Finlay was a Cuban physician who first linked Yellow Fever to mosquitos in 1881. Given the thousands of lives his research saved, he deserves more recognition than he has received. Nicole, did you ever learn about this renowned man in school?
She-Said: Rev Al Sharpton made an interesting comment this weekend on his MSNBC show Politics Nation. He pointed out that the 9/11 terrorists targeted Americans as a cohesive group, with no acknowledgement of our individual differences. It would be great if we could finally celebrate the disparate strands of our American fabric, instead of all this childish infighting!
He-Said: You are so on point. It has taken too long to pay tribute to the proud diversity of heritage that molded our United States.
People never learn about the Chicano migrant civil rights activist Cesar Chavez. Senor Chavez was instrumental in securing union rights for migrant farmworkers during the 1960s. “Viva La Raza!”
Then there is the acclaimed career of Senora Gloria Anzaldúa. She was a noted feminist theorist and author. Senora Anzaldúa paved the way for more intersectional feminism, especially inclusive of Chicana women.
Let’s not forget the strides Senora Sylvia Mendez made in school desegregation. She was the daughter of a Mexican immigrant. Senora Mendez was expected to go to a segregated school for Mexican students as a child. Her parents sued the all-white Westminster School District after they denied entry to Senora Mendez. Mendez v. Westminster was a landmark case settled in 1947. It successfully desegregated public schools in California. The case was the first ruling in the U.S. to rule in favor of desegregation, becoming an example for future cases like Brown v. Board of Education.
She Said: I personally admire our first Hispanic Supreme Court Justice, Sonia Sotomayor. Born of Puerto Rican immigrants, she graduated Summa Cum Laude from Princeton and earned her Juris Doctor from Yale. Nominated by President Obama in 2009, she has been fighting ever since for race and gender rights, as well as criminal justice reform. Our kind of gal!
