Title: 11 influential Hispanic activists you need to know
Headings: 11 influential Hispanic activists you need to know
11 influential Hispanic activists you need to know
SEE ALSO: Latino entrepreneurs have the drive, but are blocked from accessing the tools to succeed
1. Gloria Anzaldúa
2. Joan Baez
3. Cesar Chavez
4. Berta Cáceres
5. Juan Felipe Herrera
6. Sylvia Mendez
7. Lizzie Velásquez
8. Rodolfo "Corky" Gonzales
9. Raffi Freedman-Gurspan
10. Sandra Cisneros
11. Sophie Cruz
Get our hottest stories delivered to your inbox.
Sign up for Mashable Newsletters to get personalized updates on top stories and viral hits.

Content: He is perhaps most widely known for his poem " Yo Soy Joaquín " — or its English translation "I Am Joaquín" — which confronts cultural multiplicity and the oppression of Chicano Americans in the U.S.
Gonzales was also a talented boxer prior to his activist career, winning the Golden Glove championships in his youth. He died in April 2005, but leaves behind a legacy of Chicano empowerment and pride. 9. Raffi Freedman-Gurspan
Image: National Center for Transgender equality
One of the most vocal advocates for the LGBTQ community in U.S. government, Raffi Freedman-Gurspan has a history of powerful activism, especially for transgender people of color. Freedman-Gurspan, who is a Latina and Indigenous transgender woman, now serves as the primary liaison for LGBTQ issues for the White House — the first openly trans member of staff at the White House. Throughout her time at the White House, Freedman-Gurspan has advocated for policy shifts supporting trans inclusion in government and beyond. She has a long history of activism that precedes her political career. Previously, she served as a policy adviser for the National Center for Transgender Equality, where she led racial and economic justice initiatives focused on low-income and transgender people of color. A notable name in the policy space for Latinx queer people, Freedman-Gurspan accomplished all of this before turning 30.