María L. de Hernández was a pioneering Mexican-American civil rights activist who fled to Texas during the Mexican Revolution in 1915. As an early certified midwife in Bexar County, she provided critical care to indigent mothers while co-founding the civil rights organization Orden Caballeros de América in 1929. She broke barriers as one of San Antonio’s earliest Mexican-American female radio announcers in 1932, using media to advance education and workers’ rights. Her legacy continues through schools and commemorations honoring her groundbreaking work.
Early Life in Mexico and Immigration to Texas
Before becoming a prominent civil rights activist, María L. de Hernández began her journey in the small town of Garza García, near Monterrey in Nuevo León, Mexico. Born in 1896 as María Rebecca Latigo, she first worked as an elementary school teacher in Monterrey before the Mexican Revolution forced her to flee to Texas in 1915.
Like many Mexican immigrants, she settled initially in Laredo before moving to San Antonio in 1918 after marrying Pedro Hernández Barrera. The couple established themselves in their new community by opening a family grocery store and bakery.
Despite building a new life in Texas, Hernández maintained strong connections to her Mexican heritage, which later influenced her work with organizations like the Orden Caballeros de América and her passion for civil rights advocacy.
The Midwife Who Cared for Her Community
While establishing her presence in San Antonio, María L. de Hernández embraced an indispensable role as a community midwife that defined much of her early impact. For over 20 years, she traversed the city by horse and buggy, delivering babies and sometimes staying with mothers for days to safeguard their wellbeing.
In 1927, she became an early certified midwife in Bexar County, providing critical care to indigent mothers who lacked access to other medical services. Her dedication extended beyond deliveries when she founded the Sociedad Obstétrica Fenareta in 1938 to support midwives’ professional development.
Hernández firmly believed mothers formed society’s foundation. This philosophy underpinned her midwifery work, which became integral to her broader advocacy for San Antonio’s Mexican-American community.
Founding the Orden Caballeros De América
María L. de Hernández’s activism reached a pivotal moment in 1929 when she co-founded the Orden Caballeros de América, an organization that became instrumental in the Mexican-American civil rights movement.
Through this pioneering organization, Hernández demonstrated an unwavering commitment to fighting discrimination in San Antonio. She delivered powerful speeches condemning the inadequate educational resources provided to Mexican-American students. The Orden advocated fiercely for improved educational facilities in Spanish-speaking communities.
Although not a founding group of LULAC, the Orden Caballeros de América shared many of the same goals and contributed to the broader civil rights movement. As a rights activist, Hernández ensured that the Orden Caballeros de América educated Mexican-Americans about their civil rights, creating a foundation for generations of advocacy work.
Breaking Barriers as a Female Radio Pioneer
As Hernández’s civil rights work expanded through the Orden Caballeros de América, she recognized the power of mass communication to reach broader audiences. In 1932, she made history as one of San Antonio’s earliest Mexican-American female radio announcers, breaking barriers in a medium dominated by men.
As a radio personality, Hernández challenged expectations that women should remain confined to the domestic sphere. She used the airwaves to educate and inspire Mexican-Americans throughout the United States. She believed radio could amplify voices fighting injustice and inequality, giving unprecedented visibility to her community’s struggles.
Her pioneering presence behind the microphone represented a significant milestone for representation. Through her broadcasts, she demonstrated how effectively media could advance civil rights work, creating a template for advocacy that influenced generations of activists.
Advocating for Equal Education and Civil Rights
Throughout the late 1920s and 1930s, Hernández’s dedication to equal education and civil rights became the cornerstone of her activism. Her co-founding of the Orden Caballeros de América in 1929 created a powerful platform to educate Mexican-Americans about their rights while fighting for equal educational opportunities.
Her activism was thorough and fearless:
- Advocated during the 1938 Pecan Shellers’ strike, confronting economic discrimination
- Met with Mexico’s president in 1939 to address concerns about Mexican-American treatment
- Worked as a midwife providing affordable healthcare to underserved community members
- Used her radio platform to speak against injustices affecting both Mexican and African American communities
- Fought systemic barriers to education and workers’ rights through organized community action
Supporting Mothers Through Asociación Protectora De Madres
During the depths of the Great Depression in the early 1930s, one of Hernández’s most impactful initiatives took root when she founded the Asociación Protectora de Madres. This organization became a lifeline for indigent expecting mothers in San Antonio who couldn’t afford proper medical care.
María Rebecca Latigo de Hernández believed that by empowering mothers, she was building a stronger foundation for America itself. The Asociación provided both financial assistance and practical support through educational programs teaching essential child-rearing and nutritional skills.
This work complemented her broader advocacy for Mexican-American rights in San Antonio. By focusing on mothers’ wellbeing, she addressed immediate community needs while fostering long-term social change. The Asociación represented her conviction that uplifting the most vulnerable members of society was integral to achieving true equality.
Her Powerful Speeches and Written Works
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The power of María Hernández’s activism resonated through her eloquent speeches and thought-provoking writings, which challenged prevailing narratives about Mexican-Americans in Texas.
In her essay México y Los Cuatro Poderes Que Dirigen al Pueblo (Mexico and the Four Powers That Govern the People), she argued that domestic spheres directly influence public life. She boldly confronted the San Antonio school system for its inadequate facilities for Spanish-speaking children. At her 1970 Raza Unida Party keynote, she reminded audiences that her ancestors predated Anglo-Americans in the region.
Her work complemented organizations like the League of United Latin American Citizens and the Orden Caballeros de América. She consistently positioned Mexican-American mothers as society’s foundation, worthy of respect and proper educational resources.
Her perspective was revolutionary for its time—asserting that Mexican-Americans were not newcomers but rightful inheritors of their homeland.
Lasting Legacy and Contemporary Recognition
María Hernández’s powerful voice continues to echo long after her lifetime, as her contributions to Mexican-American civil rights have gradually received wider recognition. Born María Rebecca Latigo, she championed the West Side Mexican community through her leadership in community defense efforts and her writings, including Que Dirigen al Pueblo.
Tributes to María L. de Hernández appear across Texas, including a San Marcos school dedicated in her honor in 1995. In 1986, she appeared on a National Women’s History Week poster celebrating significant 20th-century San Antonio figures. Despite lacking formal education, her daughter-taught literacy skills enabled her impactful advocacy. Google commemorated her legacy with a doodle marking what would’ve been her 122nd birthday, highlighting her groundbreaking role as one of San Antonio’s first female Mexican-American radio announcers.