Whether they’re serving on the bench, in Congress or at the
White House, these six powerful Latinas have each made political
history in their own way. Hilda Solis, Secretary of Labor In
2009 Hilda Solis became the first Latina to serve as a U.S.
president’s cabinet member. But Solis was breaking ground long
before she became part of the Obama White House. She got her
start in California state government in the early 1990s,
becoming the first Latina elected to the California State
Senate. She went on to serve four terms in Congress, where she
championed the rights of immigrants, workers, minorities and
women. Solis grew up east of Los Angeles, the daughter of pro-
union immigrant parents. Her mother, from Nicaragua, worked in a
toy factory, and her father, from Mexico, worked in a battery
recycling plant. Both were outspoken against poor working
conditions and inspired Solis to take an interest in labor.
Solis, who often tweets about the importance of the Latino
community to U.S. economic recovery, has degrees