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Looking forward to this year’s Mother’s Day we wanted to take a look at some of the great mothers who have influenced some of our favorite Hispanic celebrities. As the traditional Hispanic household is centered around the mother, she is the one who makes most of the household decisions and acts as the primary caregiver. So it shouldn’t come as any surprise that Mother’s Day ranks first as the holiday for Latino Americans to send cards and money–surpassing even Christmas and Valentine’s Day. In part, this is due to some of the US Hispanics who have had to leave their mothers behind in their homeland in pursuit of a better life. However, the importance of the mother in the Hispanic household can also be seen In the fact that most US Latina moms are flooded with gifts twice a year, commemorating them on the US Mothers Day and on the date it is celebrated in their Heritage country.*

FAMOUS HISPANICS CREDIT THEIR SUCCESS TO THEIR MOTHERS

USA -  2013 "X Factor" Top 12 Party  - Los AngelesAmong the young Latina starlets, Demi Lovato faced her own battles with addiction having taken time off from her tour back in 2010 to make a visit to rehab. Not being daunted by the issues that she faced, she came back and began hosting The X Factor alongside the likes of American Idol alum Simon Cowell, Britney Spears, and L.A. Reid. In finding her sobriety and overcoming the obstacles that stood in her way, Demi Lovato has credited the help and influence she received from her mother, Dianne Lovato, to help keep her get her back on the right track.**

Known civil rights activist Lupe Anguiano spent her whole life in service of others. After entering a convent for nine years beginning in 1949, she notably assisted Cesar Chavez and his civil rights movement before working to try a develop a bilingual education bill with Lyndon B. Johnson, securing 6 different housing projects to help more than 500 women secure jobs and get off welfare, and later founding the National Women’s Employment and Education Model Program. In regards to the motivation for her service of others, Anguiano credited her mother who “instilled obedience, respect, truthfulness and love for one another in [her].”***

Ellen Ochoa, the first Hispanic astronaut to go out in space, received acclamation for her success in 1993 for her first space launch. She would attribute her admirable work ethic later to her mother who placed a large emphasis on education for all her children, even attending college after her children were born and persevering through 20 years of college learning by taking one class at a time and graduating a year after Ellen. This drive to succeed echoed in the work of Ochoa who’s hard work also led to holding three optical device patents and earning degrees in physics and electrical engineering****

Our Infographic on the Family Role of Latina Moms

Hispanic Buying Power Report

Sources:
*Corporate.univision.com, “Mother’s Day in the US Hispanic Household”, May 2011
**https://quemas.mamaslatinas.com/inspiration/124911/look_latino_celebs_who_are/23541/demi_lovato?slideid=23541
***https://nypost.com/2007/03/12/lupe-anguiano-a-tireless-warrior-woman/
****https://latino.si.edu/virtualgallery/ojos/bios/bios_Ochoa.htm