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 in 1948, is a very important lawyer, activist, and helper of communities. She is currently the leader (President and CEO) of the California Community Foundation. Antonia Hernández helped people in a big court case called Madrigal v. Quilligan in 1975. She fought for women who were treated unfairly at a hospital. She was also the first Latina woman to work as a lawyer for the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. Later, she led a group called the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) for many years.
Growing Up and School
Hernández was born in Torreón, Mexico in 1948. She grew up on a community farm. Her grandparents and father were born in the United States. But they were forced to move to Mexico during the Great Depression. This was part of a time when many Mexican families had to leave the U.S.
In 1956, when she was seven, Antonia moved to the United States. Her family settled in the Maravilla Housing Projects in East Los Angeles.
Antonia started school in Los Angeles even though she knew little English. She really wanted to learn. A teacher saw her potential, and she did very well in school from a young age.
After finishing Garfield High School, Hernández went to the University of California Los Angeles. She earned a bachelor's degree in History in 1970. Then, she went to UCLA School of Law and became a lawyer in 1974.
Her Career
In 1975, Hernández started working at the Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice.
From 1979 to 1980, Hernández made history. She became the first Latina lawyer to work for the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee. She worked for Senator Ted Kennedy. Her job mostly involved issues about immigration. She also worked on civil rights and choosing judges.
Senator Ted Kennedy later asked Hernández to join his team for his 1980 presidential campaign. She helped run the campaign in states like Texas, Louisiana, and Arizona.
In 1981, Hernández joined the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF). She worked as a regional lawyer in Washington, D.C. In 1985, she was chosen to be the president and general counsel of MALDEF.
During her time at MALDEF, Hernández worked on many important cases. From 1984 to 1995, she led a case against the State of Texas. This case argued that public schools in Texas were not funded fairly. This caused differences between rich and poor school districts. The case ended in 1995. The Texas Supreme Court said the state legislature could make school districts share funding.
Hernández also worked on a similar case in California. She showed how funding was different for city and suburban schools. While leading MALDEF, she also helped create programs for Latino students. These programs taught in two languages and celebrated different cultures. She also helped more Latinos go to college in South Texas. And she worked for a law in California. This law allowed students without documents to pay the same tuition as other in-state students at public universities.
In February 2004, Hernández left MALDEF. She then became the president and CEO of the California Community Foundation (CCF).
Besides her work with CCF, Hernández is part of many other groups. She serves on the board of organizations like the American Automobile Association and Grameen America. She is also a member of the American Law Institute.
Awards and Honors
Hernández has received special recognition for her work. She was given an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree. This was from Whittier College in 1998 and Brown University in 2016.
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Antonia Hernández
