Treviño and Nancy López. In boxing,
Mexican American Oscar de la Hoya won
a gold medal at the 1992 Olympics.
Pancho Gonzalez, Gigi Fernandez, and
Gabriela Sabatini are Hispanic-American
tennis stars. Felipe López in basketball
gives a further idea of the range of
Hispanic-American athletes.Achievements in Science
Few people now emigrate from Spain to
the United States; only 1,321 came in- But Spain has been responsible for
sending some great scientists to the
United States. Among them was Severo
Ochoa (1905–1993), who was a corecipi-
ent of the 1959 Nobel Prize in physiolo-
gy or medicine for isolating an enzyme
that allowed him to carry out the first
test-tube synthesis of RNA (ribonucleic
acid). Another was Luis W. Alvarez
(1911–1988), who won the 1968 Nobel
Prize in physics for research on the detec-
tion and nature of subatomic particles. In
1979, with his son Walter Alvarez, he
proposed the now widely held theory that
a comet or asteroid caused the extinction
of the dinosaurs.
In addition to theorizing about aster-
oids and comets, Hispanic Americans
have also made in-person investigations
of outer space. The first Latino astronaut
in space was Costa Rican American
Franklin Chang-Diaz in 1986. Since
then, Dr. Chang-Diaz has logged over
1,200 hours of space flight on five addi-
tional missions.
The first Latina astronaut in space
was Ellen Ochoa in 1993. In that year, she
served on board the space shuttle Discovery
during a nine-day mission during which
the crew conducted atmospheric and solar
studies in order to better understand the
effect of solar activity on the Earth’s cli-
mate and environment. Dr. Ochoa used a
Remote Manipulator System (RMS) to
deploy and capture the Spartan satellite,
which studied the solar corona.
Among the organizations that have
been established to encourage Hispanic-
American science education and participa-
tion in scientific careers is the Society for
the Advancement of Chicanos and Native
Americans in the Sciences. Composed of
science professors, industry scientists, K-
12 educators, and students, the group
promotes opportunities in graduate sci-
ence education for Latinos, Native
Americans, and other minority students.TRADITIONS AND CULTURE
In New York City, the annual Hispanic
Day parade, held on the Sunday of
Columbus Day weekend, celebrates the
diversity that is Hispanic America. Floats
from many countries, cheered by thou-
sands of flag-waving Hispanics, proceed
along Fifth Avenue. Typical of the specta-
tors was a woman from the Bronx at the
parade in 2000 who waved two flags—that
of El Salvador, where she was born, and of
Ecuador, where her husband was born.
Hispanic culture encompasses many
things. It includes the quinceañera, an
elaborate celebration of a girl’s 15th
birthday that is traditional among Cuban
Americans and has spread to some other
Latino communities. Another tradition in
Hispanic culture is the piñata, the deco-
rated container full of candy and toys
that Mexican-American children break
at parties, and that has spread to Anglo
culture. Other traditions include domi-
noes, a favorite game of Puerto Ricans
and other Caribbean Hispanics, and ham-
mocks, an invention the Arawak
bequeathed to the Spanish as an ideal
place for a siesta, or afternoon nap (itself
a time-honored Hispanic custom).238 ATLAS OF HISPANIC-AMERICAN HISTORY
José Reyes of the New York Mets
dives into a base. On Opening
Day of the 2008 Major League
Baseball season, 14 of the Mets’
25 players were Latinos, reflecting
the increased prominence of
Hispanic players throughout the
game. (Corbis)