Antonia Hernández facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Antonia Hernández
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| Born | 1948 (age 76–77) |
| Education | University of California, Los Angeles (BA, JD) |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) | Michael Stern |
Antonia Hernández (born 1948) is a well-known lawyer, activist, and philanthropist, which means she works to help others. She is the president and CEO of the California Community Foundation, an organization that supports communities in California.
Hernández is famous for her work as a lawyer. In 1975, she represented ten women of Mexican heritage in a major court case called Madrigal v. Quilligan. The case was about women who were sterilized at a hospital without their full permission. She was also the first Latina to be a lawyer for the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee, a powerful group that helps make laws. From 1985 to 2004, she led the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF), an organization that fights for the rights of Latinos in the United States.
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Early Life and Schooling
Antonia Hernández was born in Torreón, Mexico, in 1948. Her father was born in the United States, but his family was forced to move to Mexico during the Great Depression as part of the Mexican Repatriation program. In 1956, when Antonia was seven, her family moved back to the U.S. and settled in a housing project in East Los Angeles.
When she started school in Los Angeles, Antonia knew very little English. However, she was very eager to learn. A teacher saw her potential and helped her, and she quickly became a great student.
After graduating from Garfield High School, Hernández went to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). She earned a degree in History in 1970. She then continued her studies at the UCLA School of Law and became a lawyer in 1974.
A Career Fighting for Others
The Madrigal v. Quilligan Case
In 1975, Hernández began working on the important case Madrigal v. Quilligan. She fought against a hospital practice where women, mostly minorities, were being sterilized without their full and informed consent. Even though the court did not rule in favor of the women, the case was a success in many ways. It led to new laws that require hospitals to get clear permission from patients for such procedures.
Working in Washington, D.C.
From 1979 to 1980, Hernández worked for the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. She was the first Latina lawyer to ever hold this position. She advised Senator Ted Kennedy on important topics like immigration and civil rights.
Senator Kennedy was so impressed with her that he asked her to help with his campaign when he ran for president in 1980. She helped organize his campaign in states like Texas, Louisiana, and Arizona.
Leading MALDEF
In 1981, Hernández joined the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF). By 1985, she became its president and general counsel.
At one point, she had a major disagreement with MALDEF over how a lawsuit was handled and left the organization. However, she took legal action to defend her decisions and was brought back as president.
During her time at MALDEF, Hernández led many important efforts:
- Fair School Funding: She led a case against the state of Texas because some school districts with many minority students were not getting enough money. The case helped make school funding fairer.
- Bilingual Education: She helped create programs in Denver, Colorado, that supported students who spoke Spanish and came from different cultural backgrounds.
- College Access: She worked to expand college programs for Latino students in South Texas.
- In-State Tuition: She supported a new law in California that allowed students who were not official U.S. residents to pay the same college tuition as other students from California.
California Community Foundation
In 2004, Hernández left MALDEF to become the president and CEO of the California Community Foundation (CCF). She still leads this organization today, helping to manage money that supports education, health, and the arts in Los Angeles County.
Hernández also serves on the boards of many other important groups, including the American Automobile Association and the Council on Foundations.
Awards and Honors
For her incredible work, Antonia Hernández has received many awards. In 1998, Whittier College gave her an honorary doctorate degree. Brown University gave her another one in 2016. These awards recognize her lifelong dedication to helping others and fighting for justice.
