List of Puerto Rican women

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Notable women in Puerto Rico[edit]

Main article: List of Puerto Ricans

Prominent women in Puerto Rico include the following:

Actresses, comedians and directors[edit]

Authors, playwrights and poets[edit]

Businesswomen and industrialists[edit]

  • Camalia Valdés, businesswoman. President and CEO of Cerveceria India, Inc., Puerto Rico's largest brewery.[10]
  • 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.

Civil rights and/or political activists[edit]

  • 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.[11]
  • Ana Roque, women's rights activist. Suffragist and one of the founders of the University of Puerto Rico.
  • 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.[12]
  • 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.
  • Luisa Capetillo, activist and writer. Social labor organizer and essayist who fought for women's rights, free love, and human emancipation.
  • María de las Mercedes Barbudo, political activist. First female "Independentista". First woman to become an avid advocate of the Puerto Rican Independence..[13]
  • 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.
  • 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[edit]

Educators[edit]

  • Edna Coll, educator and author. President of the Society of Puerto Rican Authors. Also founded the Puerto Rico Academy of Fine Arts.[14]
  • 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.[15]
  • Margot Arce de Vázquez, educator. Founder of the Department of Hispanic Studies in the University of Puerto Rico.
  • 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[edit]

  • Delma S. Arrigoitia, historian and author. First person in the University of Puerto Rico to earn a master's degree in the field of history.[16]
  • Gladys Esther Tormes González, a historian and head archivist of the Archivo Histórico de Ponce in Ponce, Puerto Rico. Serving since 1974, she is the longest-serving archivist in the municipality of Ponce.
  • Mariana Bracetti, one of the many leaders during the struggle for Puerto Rican independence, she helped to knit the original “Flag of Lares” which was displayed to show victory over the Spanish
  • Socorro Giron, Puerto Rican historian, writer, and scholar. Author of "Ponce, el teatro La Perla y La Campana de la Almudaina: Historia de Ponce desde sus comienzos hasta la Segunda Decada del Siglo XX."

Journalists[edit]

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

Judges[edit]

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

Military personnel[edit]

  • 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[17]
  • 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 to report to Camp Las Casas in Santurce, Puerto Rico; in October 1918, she signed her contract with the Army.
  • Irene M. Zoppi, Brigadier General, U.S. Army Reserve. BG Zoppi is the first Puerto Rican woman promoted to the rank of general in the U.S. Army Reserve. Born and raised in Canóvanas, Puerto Rico as Irene Miller y Rodriguez, she began her career as a private first class with the Military Police Corps back in 1985. She is an example of Puerto Rico’s Public School Education System to include University. She was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in 1988, and rose through the ranks until she earned her star in 2017.

Brig. Gen. Zoppi speaks five languages, is a Ph.D. and has three masters’ degrees. Her military assignments over the years included a deployment with the 3rd Armored Division during the Gulf War. She has earned numerous awards and decorations including the Legion of Merit, Bronze Star, Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia), and the Kuwait Liberation Medal (Government of Kuwait). Dr. Zoppi’s civilian achievements include serving as a Program Director for the National Intelligence University under the National Security Agency. You can learn more about Brig. Gen. (Dr.) Zoppi at the U.S. Army Reserve Official Website. Famous Kin. Brig. Gen. Zoppi’s famous kin include one very notable relationship. She is a first cousin five times removed from President Abraham Lincoln via Lincoln’s grandfather, also named Abraham Lincoln. In light of her own patriotic service to the United States, it is not surprising to find a number of notable patriots and cabinet members in Brig. Gen. Zoppi's family tree. These include familial connections to Amos Lincoln (Boston Tea Party participant), Elihu Washburne (Secretary of State), Nicholas Gilman (signer of the Constitution), John Hancock (signer of the Declaration of Independence), Nathanial Gorham (signer of the Constitution), and Salmon P. Chase (Secretary of the Treasury). In addition to Abraham Lincoln, other presidents with family ties to Brig. Gen. Zoppi include James Garfield, Gerald Ford, and both presidents Bush. Some of the more notable women include Juliette Gordon Low (founder of the Girl Scouts) and Amelia Earhart (aviation pioneer). There are also a number of celebrities, probably the most notable of which is Elvis Presley.

Physicians, scientists and inventors[edit]

  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.[22][23]

Politicians[edit]

Religion[edit]

Sports[edit]

  • 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.[26]
  • Angelita Lind, athlete. Track and field athlete.
  • Ivelisse Echevarría, softball player. Inducted into the International Softball Federation Hall of Fame (2003).
  • Rebekah Colberg, athlete. Pioneer women participant in the 1938 Central American and Caribbean Games and gold medal winner in discus and javelin throws.

Notable stateside Puerto Rican women[edit]

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[edit]

Authors, playwrights and poets[edit]

Businesswomen and industrialists[edit]

  • 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.
  • María Vizcarrondo-De Soto, corporate CEO. First Latino woman to become the President and CEO of the United Way of Essex and West Hudson.[38]
  • 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.[39]

Civil rights and/or political activists[edit]

Composers, musicians and singers[edit]

Educators[edit]

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

Journalists[edit]

Judges and law enforcement[edit]

  • Dora Irizarry, Federal District Judge. First Latino woman to serve as state judge in New York.
  • Faith Evans, U.S. Marshal. First woman to become a U.S. Marshal.
  • 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.
  • Vanessa Ruiz, Court of Appeals Judge. Associate Judge of the District of Columbia Court of Appeals.

Military personnel[edit]

Physicians, scientists and inventors[edit]

  • 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[edit]

  • Carmen E. Arroyo, state legislator. First Puerto Rican woman elected to any state assembly, chair New York Hispanic Legislative Caucus.
  • Gloria Tristani, federal commissioner. First latino woman to serve as commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).
  • María Colón Sánchez, state legislator. First Latino woman elected to the Connecticut General Assembly.[54]
  • 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.

Religion[edit]

  • Bavi Edna Rivera, Episcopal bishop. First Latino woman to become a bishop and the 12th woman consecrated a bishop in the Episcopal Church.[55]

Sports[edit]

  • Gigi Fernández, tennis player. First Puerto Rican female athlete to turn professional,[56] first Puerto Rican woman to ever win an Olympic gold medal, and the first to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.[57]
  • Lisa Fernández, softball player. Olympic gold medalist.
  • Maritza Correia, athlete. First black Puerto Rican woman in the U.S. Olympic Swimming Team.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Camila Sagardía a lucirse en Colombia". primerahora.com. Primera Hora. Retrieved 18 March 2019.
  2. ^ Marquita Rivera at IMDb. Retrieved 14 April 2008
  3. ^ Bios[permanent dead link]
  4. ^ "Giannina Braschi". National Book Festival. Library of Congress. 2012. Retrieved 2013-12-26. 'Braschi: one of the most revolutionary voices in Latin America today'
  5. ^ Isabel Freire de Matos por Esther Rivera Torres
  6. ^ JS Theatre
  7. ^ Santiago's Page on pbs.org
  8. ^ Puerto Rico Past and Present: An Encyclopedia By Ronald Fernandez, Serafín Méndez Méndez, Gail Cueto
  9. ^ (in Spanish) Ensayistas.org, Rosario Ferré. Retrieved 6 January 2007.
  10. ^ Camalia Valdez – Bio Archived 2009-03-19 at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ Biografias Archived 2006-07-18 at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ Journal of American Ethnic History Archived 2008-09-30 at the Wayback Machine
  13. ^ Mercedes – La primera Independentista Puertorriquena Archived 2011-04-21 at the Wayback Machine
  14. ^ "Tras las Huellas de Nuestro Paso"; by: Ildelfonso López; Publisher: AEELA, 1998
  15. ^ "Statue Honoring Tizol". Archived from the original on 2012-02-29. Retrieved 2013-10-06.
  16. ^ Puerto Rico Daily Sun Archived 2011-10-09 at the Wayback Machine
  17. ^ 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
  18. ^ 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.
  19. ^ Designan nuevamente a Martha Carcana para dirigir la Guardia Nacional, primerahora.com; accessed 4 April 2016.
  20. ^ "Tuller designa a coronela retirada como ayudante especial". Elnuevodia.com. February 22, 2014. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  21. ^ "Yo vengo de una cultura machista". El Nuevo Día (in Spanish). February 25, 2014. Retrieved April 4, 2016.
  22. ^ Yajaira Sierra One Step Closer to Becoming First Puerto Rican Woman in Space Archived 2012-07-17 at the Wayback Machine
  23. ^ "Yajaira Sierra dreams of being 1st Puerto Rican woman in space". Fox News. Archived from the original on 2015-07-11. Retrieved 2013-10-06.
  24. ^ Biografia Archived 2010-05-26 at the Wayback Machine
  25. ^ Puerto Rico A Timeline, Almost a Woman, PBS, New York
  26. ^ Puerto Rico Herald
  27. ^ "Poets, Philosophers, Lovers". University of Pittsburgh Press. Retrieved 2020-08-07.
  28. ^ "The Promise of Latino/a Literature by Christopher Gonzalez". ohiostatepress.org. Retrieved 2020-08-07.
  29. ^ "Precarious Crossings: Immigration, Neoliberalism, and the Atlantic". ohiostatepress.org. Retrieved 2020-08-07.
  30. ^ a b "Hispanic Firsts", By; Nicolas Kanellos, publisher Visible Ink Press; ISBN 0-7876-0519-0; p. 40
  31. ^ Honoree – Georgia Writers Hall of Fame
  32. ^ Princeton's Children's Book Festival Archived 2010-02-26 at the Wayback Machine
  33. ^ Dictionary of Literary Biography intro online
  34. ^ Heath Anthology bio
  35. ^ "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
  36. ^ The Love of Neighbors: Rosario Ferre's Eccentric Neighborhoods / Vencindarios excentricos Article in Contemporary Women s Writing 6(3):251–266 · January 2013. "The Love of Neighbors: Rosario Ferre's Eccentric Neighborhoods". Contemporary Women's Writing. 6 (3): 251–266.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  37. ^ Garrigos, Cristina. "Bilingual, bicultural and postmodern: Rosario Ferre and Giannina Braschi find cultural identity in the United States through their literature". Insula. 57 (July 2002): 667–68.
  38. ^ El Diario/La Prensa Archived 2006-01-03 at the Wayback Machine
  39. ^ highest-ranking Latina in network television
  40. ^ Changing the Face of Medicine
  41. ^ 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.
  42. ^ "Sauceda, Isis (28 March 2007). "Cambio Historico (Historic Change)". People en Español (in Spanish): 111–112.
  43. ^ A Life of Troubles Followed a Singer’s Burst of Fame
  44. ^ Profile of Elizabeth Vargas, ABC News Journalist
  45. ^ "KENA to Launch in April". Archived from the original on 2012-09-25. Retrieved 2020-03-05.
  46. ^ Did You Know? Quick Facts on Latinos in the Military Archived 2006-05-05 at the Wayback Machine
  47. ^ a b Women's Memorial Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine
  48. ^ Garcia Cubero, Linda. "Punto Final!". Latina Style. Archived from the original on 3 March 2009. Retrieved 24 March 2009.
  49. ^ Women's Military Memorial Archived 2016-03-03 at the Wayback Machine
  50. ^ Ryan takes charge of Law Department
  51. ^ Maritza Sáenz Ryan – Bio.
  52. ^ Our American Dream: Meet the First Latina US Military Pilot Archived 2016-04-16 at the Wayback Machine
  53. ^ Rachel Heyhoe Archived 2010-10-01 at the Wayback Machine
  54. ^ Maria Sanchez: Godmother of the Puerto Rican Community Archived 2012-04-30 at the Wayback Machine
  55. ^ "Diocese of Olympia'" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-12-14. Retrieved 2010-12-14.
  56. ^ according to Hispanic Magazine, 1988
  57. ^ "Gigi Fernández: "We Have A Mixed Identity"". Puerto Rico Herald. Archived from the original on 5 June 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2011.
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