In The Community
Genny Castillo
Image Credits: Genny Castillo
Genny Castillo is the Deputy Director of the Southern Economic Advancement Project (SEAP) and is known for her leadership in policy and community engagement. Since January 2024, Genny has led SEAP in its mission to support innovative policy research and bridge gaps across the South. Her role involves connecting communities with crucial resources and driving impactful local programming.
SEAP is dedicated to addressing pressing regional issues, with a focus on addressing the impacts of climate change and extreme weather on Southern communities, ensuring all Southerners have access to basic needs like food, housing, and transportation. SEAP also advocates for policies that promote healthy living and access to quality care.
Genny’s career is defined by her dedication to public service and leadership. Before her current role, she served as the Regional Engagement Director for SEAP from 2019 to 2024 and was the COO of the BLUE Institute, which trains young people of color for leadership in electoral campaigns. Genny’s experience includes her impactful role as the Latinx Constituency Director for the Democratic Party of Georgia during the 2018 campaign cycle, and as Director of Caucus Services, she developed a highly successful state legislative caucus internship program.
This dynamic Latina has made empowering and elevating her community the center of her professional life, leaving a lasting impact for generations to come.
Maria Urbina
Image Credits: Mari Urbina
Maria Urbina, Managing Director of Indivisible and of Nicaraguan descent, has made major strides in progressive politics. Her role at Indivisible, a movement born out of resistance to the Trump agenda, highlights her lifetime commitment to grassroots activism and political reform.
Indivisible is a grassroots movement made up of everyday people determined to reshape American democracy to be more inclusive. It started as the “Indivisible Guide,” a Google doc that explained how to resist Trump’s agenda in 2016. Since then, it has grown into a nationwide movement where members come together in their local communities to call representatives, go to rallies, etc. While small, their actions build up a lot of political power at the local level to move the needle. The overall goal is to build a democracy that reflects the interests of everyone, not just the interests of a powerful few.
Maria's career is marked by her strategic and impactful roles in politics. Before joining Indivisible, she was Vice President of Politics and Campaigns at Voto Latino, overseeing national campaigns and voter engagement. Her experience also includes seven years as a senior advisor to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D- NV) and various political engagement roles in Senate races and President Obama’s re-election campaign.
Her expertise in strategy, messaging, and policy, especially for Latinx, AAPI, and immigrant communities, earns her regular appearances on news channels like MSNBC and Univision, making her one of the few Latina faces we see on broadcast news But through sustained representation for Latinx voices, Maria’s example provides hope that more will follow in her footsteps.
Sarah Audelo
Image Credits: Sarah Audelo
Sarah Audelo’s career reflects her unwavering dedication to youth empowerment and social justice. As the former Executive Director of the Alliance for Youth Action, Sarah led the nation’s largest youth grassroots organizing network, focusing on building political power among young people across the United States.
The Alliance for Youth Action is renowned for its work in empowering young people, particularly those from marginalized communities, to take on leadership roles, promoting involvement in political processes and advocacy, and addressing economic justice, reproductive rights, LGBTQ rights, and more.
Sarah’s career includes serving as Hillary Clinton’s Millennial Vote Director in the 2016 election and working with organizations like Advocates for Youth and Generation Progress. After graduating from Georgetown University, she began her career as a special education teacher with Teach for America in the Rio Grande Valley.
Currently, Sarah is the Deputy Advocacy Director at the Open Society Foundations, where she supports global efforts for justice, democratic governance, and human rights. This makes Sarah one of the few Latinas in a decision-making position in the philanthropy world. To put that into perspective, according to the 2022 Diversity Among Philanthropic Professionals Report, only an estimated 6.6% of Latinos hold board positions in philanthropy, compared to 52.8% of white people in those positions.
Her work at Open Society Foundations continues to advance bold, democratic solutions to critical challenges, especially in marginalized communities that are historically underinvested in by philanthropy. To that point, a 2022 survey titled “Financial Challenges of Nonprofits Serving People of Color,” found that nonprofits serving or led by people of color face greater financial struggles due to lower funding from donations and grants.
“Our study pushes the field to acknowledge that the nonprofit sector is not race-neutral and understanding the racial/ethnic barriers at the institutional level is key to addressing the issues of under-resourced POC nonprofits. The structural barriers make it necessary for interventions at the institutional level because it is harder for individual nonprofits or leaders to overcome resource challenges,” stated authors Mirae Kim and Bo Li.
Yadira Sanchez
Image Credits: Yadira Sanchez
Yadira Sanchez is a prominent Mexican advocate for Latinx civic empowerment, serving as the Executive Director and co-founder of Poder Latinx. This organization is dedicated to building Latinx political power through innovative strategies and community engagement. They do this by getting people involved in voting, educating them about important issues, and developing young leaders who can drive real change in their communities. They started as a small team in Florida, but they now have a presence in states like Arizona, California, Georgia, Texas, and Washington.
The Poder Latinx mission is to build a country where the Latino community is represented and their voices are heard, so they help Latinos become informed advocates for justice and democracy. This way, no matter what challenges they face, the community can stand strong and protected.
Yadira’s previous role as Development Director for Mi Familia Vota involved raising over 20 million dollars for the organization and expanding their partnerships to boost civic participation. Her leadership includes experience serving on the boards of nonprofits like Dialogue on Diversity, dedicated to social and political advancement; Family Values @ Work Action, dedicated to building political power among marginalized voters; and Western Resource Advocates, dedicated to fighting the climate crisis.
Yadira’s work hasn’t gone unnoticed. She was recognized as a 2021 American Express Ngen Fellow and a 40 under 40 honoree by the American Association of Political Consultants. Yadira’s only getting started. She has many more years ahead of her for her leadership to continue to shape the future of Latinx civic engagement and political power.
Tory Gavito
Image Credits: Tory Gavito
Victoria "Tory" Gavito is a trailblazer in political strategy and advocacy, known for her role as President of Way to Win. This national hub for donors uses a data-informed approach to political funding, aiming to advance transformative policies to build lasting structural power for marginalized communities.
Way to Win’s work is focused on strengthening political infrastructure by investing in grassroots organizations at the state level, promoting policies that drive social and economic equity, and shaping public discourse to support progressive causes. Their mission is to disrupt conventional politics by connecting funders and organizers, addressing systemic issues, and leveraging a broad network for meaningful change in ways that are creative, efficient, and ultimately, transformative.
As if building an entirely new funding organization wasn’t enough, Tory’s career also includes founding the Texas Future Project and the Texas Future Project Research Center, where she led the development of strategies to put Texas on a pathway to becoming a battleground state and thus, competitive for Democrats to be able to win local, state, and federal elections there. Her background as an attorney advocating for workers’ rights and her inspiration from her grandmother, an immigrant from Mexico, underscores her dedication to movement-building and explains what fuels her fire - reasons that many Latinas can relate to.
Did you miss an installment of the Latinas Who Lead series? Make sure to catch up and find even more inspiring Latinas:
5 Latina Activists Disrupting the Political Status Quo
- 5 Latine LGBTQ+ Game Changers ›
- 5 Latina Activists Disrupting the Political Status Quo ›
- Nathalie Molina Niño on Why Latinas Belong in Boardrooms—and How to Get There - Luz Media ›
Isabel Allende
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Starting her career in 1967, Isabel Allende is one of the most prolific Latina authors out there. This Chilean writer is known for her fiction novels and the way she blends magical realism into her stories. Some of her most well-known novels include “The House of the Spirits,” “City of the Beasts,” and “Evaluna,” though there are many other titles to explore.
Allende continues writing to this day, at 81 years old, and her stories resonate with people of all ages. Some of her most recent work includes “The Wind Knows My Name,” a historical and contemporary fiction story that focuses on love, sacrifice, loss, and self-discovery, and “Perla the Mighty Dog,” Allende’s very first children’s book with illustrations by the talented Chicana artist Sandy Rodríguez.
In “Perla the Mighty Dog,” Allende explores the unbreakable bond between a child and their pet. The story follows Nico Rico and his dog Perla. Like many kids unfortunately experience, Nico is being bullied at school. But Perla isn’t standing by and letting it happen. No, no! She will use her superpowers of making people love her and roaring like a lion to help Nico find his own superpowers and stand up for himself.
What we love about this story is that it’s heartwarming, charming, and poignant, with vibrant and whimsical illustrations. It can be the perfect read for kids, but it’s also easy for adults to enjoy the message of kindness at the core of this story.
Tehlor Kay Mejia
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When it comes to middle-grade and young adult fiction, Tehlor Kay Mejia is one of the Latine names that stand out. They’re a third-generation Mexican-American, transgender, bestselling, and award-winning author who came out of the gate swinging. Their debut novel, “We Set the Dark on Fire,” received the Oregon Spirit Book Award for debut fiction, the Neukom Institute Literary Arts Award runner-up honor for debut speculative fiction, and it was featured in several best book lists in 2019. Including Seventeen, Cosmopolitan, and O, the Oprah Magazine.
Then, their debut middle-grade novel, “Paola Santiago and the River of Tears,” found similar success. It was one of Amazon’s best books of 2020 in the 9-12 age range and a TV adaptation has been in development since 2022 on Disney, produced by Eva Longoria. Themes like community, radical inclusion, and abolitionist values can be found in Mejia’s stories, no matter what the intended audience is, and it’s part of what makes their books so compelling.
Mejia’s latest works include the contemporary LGBT romance “Sammy Espinoza's Last Review,” Mejia’s adult debut, and the YA LGBT fantasy duology “Lucha of the Night Forest,” which are both great options. You should go with “Sammy Espinoza’s Last Review” if you want a swoon-worthy romance with delicious banter surrounded by music and family issues. If you love fantasy, “Lucha of the Night Forest” offers a story full of adventure, sapphic love, strong and nuanced characters, and beautiful prose. The best part is that you won’t have to wait terribly long for the conclusion of this duology since “Lucha of the Forgotten Spring” will hit the shelves in 2025.
Matt de la Peña
Image Credit: Matt de la Peña
Matt de la Peña is a Newbery Medal-winning author of Mexican descent and he specializes in children’s books and YA novels, some of which you’ve definitely heard of before. De la Peña started his career in 2005 with his debut novel, “Ball Don’t Lie,” which was named ALA-YALSA Best Book for Young Adults and later adapted into a movie in 2011.
In 2008, de la Peña published his second novel, “Mexican WhiteBoy,” combining his passion for sport and Mexican heritage into an engaging story of friendship, coming of age, acceptance, and identity. It was one of the top 10 picks for the ALA-YALSA Best Books for Young Adults and it was named a Notable Book for a Global Society in 2009, to mention a few achievements.
De la Peña’s latest work is the children’s picture book “The Perfect Place,” and it’s the uplifting story of young Lucas, a boy with perfect grades but a not-so-perfect home life. His dad is always dealing with his broken-down truck, his mom works long hours, and he shares a small room with his baby sister. One night, a strange light wakes him and guides him to a place where perfect people love.
The longer Lucas spends in that place, the more he wonders if he really knows what perfection means and what’s so great about it. It’s a wonderful picture book about learning to feel at home with yourself, a message children can definitely connect with (and adults too)!
Angie Cruz
Image Credit: Angie Cruz
Dominican award-winning author Angie Cruz is known for her fiction work, which explores themes of gender, race, displacement, home, and the working-class experience. Her career started in 2001 with the publication of her first novel, “Soledad,” which tells the journey of a young Latina woman confronting her and her mother’s past as they try to save their relationship.
One of Cruz’s most well-known works is “How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water,” published in 2022. This book won the Gold Medal of the Latino Book Award/The Isabel Allende Most Inspirational Book Award and is a finalist for the 2024 Neustadt International Prize for Literature.
The novel is ambitious in its concept and very moving in its execution. It follows Cara Romero, a Dominican woman living in NYC who’s going through a rough patch due to the 2008 recession. She goes through an agency in hopes of finding a job after getting fired from her old one, and the agency interview turns into a therapy session. Cruz creates characters readers can root for and enjoy getting to know, this is no exception.
More recently, Cruz published a children’s book in 2024, “Angélica and la Güira,” and it’s the story about a Dominican girl who learns to harness the power of music to bridge the gap between Washington Heights, where she lives, and the Dominican Republic. It explores themes like community while capturing the spirit of these locations. It’s a fun tribute to music, home, and Dominican culture!
Lilliam Rivera
Image Credit: Lilliam Rivera
Lilliam Rivera is a versatile award-winning author of Puerto Rican descent who has dabbled in middle-grade, young adult, and a graphic novel for DC comics. She will also be adding horror to her list of genres with the forthcoming novel, “Tiny Threads.” Her books have received a Pura Belpré Honor and they have been featured in many “best of” lists, including publications like NY Times, Los Angeles Times, The New Yorker, and NPR. Her personal essays have also been published in The New York Times, Buzzfeed Books, and The Washington Post, to name a few.
Rivera debuted in 2016 with the YA, contemporary novel “The Education of Margot Sánchez,” a coming-of-age story exploring dysfunctional families, identity, finding yourself, and the difference between making good and bad choices. Other YA novels include the graphic novel “Unearthed: A Jessica Cruz Story,” a reimagining of DC’s Jessica Cruz, one of the greatest Green Lanterns.
Her middle-grade work includes titles like “Goldie Vance: The Hotel Whodunit” and “Goldie Vance: The Hocus-Pocus Hoax,” and her most recent book, “Barely Floating,” which tells the story of twelve-year-old Nat, who fell in love with synchronized swimming. The issue is that her activist parents don’t think it’s a worthwhile sport, with its emphasis on looks, but Nat knows what she wants and is willing to fight for it. It’s a story with a lot of heart, focused on building community and what it means to be resilient.
If you’re a Latino, you will find yourself in these works, and if you’re not, you’ll be exposed to nuanced and fascinating perspectives. Isn’t that what reading is all about; learning, connecting, and broadening our minds?
As an added bonus, Penguin Random House is making it extremely easy for readers to snag amazing books by Latine authors with their summer sweepstakes. Register for a chance to snag a grand prize of 10 summer reads, $1,000 to organize a poolside retreat, and a dual chaise pool float, or to become one of fifty winners to get a 3-book bundle of must-reads. Enter the Meet Us Poolside sweepstakes for a chance to win!
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- Summer Reads by Latina Authors You Can't Miss ›
Rita Moreno - EGOT status
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Rita Moreno's name is synonymous with talent and trailblazing. She made history in 1961 by winning the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Anita in "West Side Story." This win was groundbreaking, as she became the first Latina to win an Oscar and her journey didn’t stop there. Moreno went on to achieve the coveted EGOT status, winning an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony throughout her career. Her story is one of breaking through glass ceilings and her talent is undeniable. Even so, she’s been underrated in the industry, and it’s high time we recognize her position as one of the Hollywood legends.
Salma Hayek - First Mexican Academy Award nominee
Photo by Georges Biard on Wikimedia Commons
Salma Hayek’s nomination for the Academy Award for Best Actress for her portrayal of Frida Kahlo in the 2002 film "Frida" was a significant milestone. Hayek’s nomination was a first for a Mexican actress in this category. Her passion for the role and dedication to bringing Kahlo’s story to life resonated with audiences and critics alike, cementing her place in Hollywood history.
America Ferrera - “Ugly Betty” acclaim
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America Ferrera’s role as Betty Suarez in the hit TV show "Ugly Betty" brought her widespread acclaim and a lot of recognition. In 2007, she made history by winning the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, becoming the first Latina to win in this category. Ferrera’s win was a groundbreaking moment for Latina representation on television, proving that diverse stories and characters resonate with audiences. Ferrera was also nominated for Best Supporting Actress at the Oscars for her role in the movie “Barbie.” This nomination was also historical in its own right because she joined a very small group of Latina actresses to ever be nominated for an Oscar in that category.
Yalitza Aparicio - Visibility for Indigenous talent
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Yalitza Aparicio’s Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for her role in Alfonso Cuarón’s "Roma" in 2018 was a groundbreaking moment. Aparicio, an indigenous Mexican actress and a former schoolteacher, received global recognition for her powerful performance. Her nomination marked a significant step forward for Indigenous representation in cinema, inspiring many young Latinas to pursue their dreams in the arts.
Sofía Vergara - Treading new ground
Photo by Britt Bellamy on Wikimedia Commons
Sofía Vergara, known for her comedic chops, moved into dramatic territory with her latest role in “Griselda,” a series where she portrays the infamous Colombian drug lord, Griselda Blanco. This role has marked a significant milestone in her career and it’s very different from her “Modern Family” character, Gloria, who catapulted her into fame. “Griselda” also earned Vergara a historical Emmy nomination for Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie, becoming the first Latina to ever be nominated in this category.
How many of these historical award nominations for Latinas were you aware of? They’re usually not as publicized or remembered as they should be, so make sure to spread the word and share this with friends!
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