Happy New Year, from the National Hispanic Council on Aging. We believe in starting 2025 on a celebratory note, and we do so with great enthusiasm for this month’s issue of Latino Empowerment. We encourage our community and supporters to come together in recognition of the admirable and courageous Congresswoman Linda Sánchez.
The congresswoman is the latest recipient of NHCOA’s Outstanding Public Policy Award, which we give to those who have demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the betterment of society as a public servant. Linda Sánchez is one who has certainly demonstrated this, not just in 2024, but throughout the entirety of her career, especially as the representative for California’s 38th congressional district.
Born in Orange, California, Linda was the second-youngest of seven children. Her parents, Ignacio and Maria, immigrated from Mexico and found work as an industrial machinist and elementary school teacher respectively. With such a large family, it is no wonder that Congresswoman Sánchez remembers a sense of “We need to stick together,” a sentiment common within Hispanic and Latino communities. She eventually earned her Bachelor of the Arts degree in Spanish Literature, from UC Berkeley, with an emphasis on bilingual education, which would come in handy in such roles as a bilingual aide and an ESL instructor. Even prior to her political career, Linda Sánchez was acting as a bridge between cultures. She eventually earned her Law degree from UCLA, and would work as an attorney, specifically with organizations concerning workers’ rights.
In 2002, Linda was elected to the House of Representatives at 34 years old. She has since become a highly active representative within US legislature, devoting her time to such important causes as school safety, gender equity, housing, and more. In 2009, Congresswoman Sánchez introduced the Gender Equity in Health Premiums Act, which would bar health insurance companies from charging women more for health care premiums, an act that has since become part of the Affordable Care Act.
Organizations within the field of aging, like NHCOA, know her for championing caregivers and older adults within U.S. policy, including the 2021 reintroduction of the Concentrating on High-Value Alzheimer’s Needs to Get to an End (CHANGE) Act. The CHANGE Act is a crucial piece of legislature for the aging population, as it strengthens the detection rate of Alzheimer’s disease, by incentivizing clinicians to detect, refer, and diagnose Alzheimer’s and related dementias in their earliest stages. The CHANGE Act also provides more time and space for discussion of appropriate care planning services, including potential participation in clinical trials.
And just recently, in 2024, Congresswoman Sánchez became the first Latina and woman of color to serve as a ranking member on a Ways and Means subcommittee. She remains an important leader within Hispanic and Latino communities, and the entirety of the United States. We are thrilled to ring in the new year celebrating such trailblazers as Congresswoman Linda Sánchez.
References:
– “Full Biography,” About Linda. LindaSánchez.house.gov. https://lindaSánchez .house.gov/about-linda
– “Representative Linda T. Sánchez,” Members. Congress.gov. https://www.congress.gov/member/linda-Sánchez /S001156
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