María Rebeca Latigo de Hernández, Mexican immigrant rights activist, gets a Google doodle

The Google logo on Google’s home page in the United States, Mexico, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Singapore and Uruguay celebrates the life and achievements of María Rebeca Latigo de Hernández.

María Rebeca Latigo de Hernández was a Mexican-American rights activist who fought for the rights of Mexican immigrants. She was born in San Pedro Garza García, Mexico on July 29, 1896 — 122 years ago. She was married in 1915, at the age of 19, to Pedro Hernández Barrera in Hebbronville, Texas. They had 10 children.

She was an activist against the segregation, racial oppression and poor education that the Mexican American children were receiving.

She passed at the age of 89 on January 8, 1986, in Texas.

Google wrote:

Today’s Doodle celebrates what would have been the 122nd birthday of María Rebecca Latigo de Hernández, a civil rights leader integral to advancing Mexican American and Mexican immigrant rights.

Born in Garza García, near Monterrey, Mexico in 1896, Hernández later immigrated to San Antonio, Texas, where she became one of the leading voices speaking against economic discrimination and educational segregation that was faced primarily by women and children of Mexican descent. Among her many contributions, she co-founded the Orden Caballeros de America (Order of the Knights of America) — a benefit society dedicated to educating Mexican Americans about their rights. She also helped organize the Asociación Protectora de Madres (Association for the Protection of Mothers) which provided financial aid to expectant mothers and La Liga de Defensa Pro-Escolar (The School Defense League) which fought to replace segregated educational facilities.

In addition to being a powerful organizer, Hernández was also a talented orator: she became San Antonio’s first Mexican American female radio announcer, and spent much of the rest of her life speaking up against injustice and inequality across both the Mexican and African American communities.

Today’s Doodle illustrates Hernández doing what she did best — using her voice to elevate and benefit her community.