MassLive recently asked readers to name who they believe are Hispanic and Latino leaders working to make a difference in Massachusetts.
These leader profiles will be published during Hispanic Heritage Month, from September 15 to October 15. These are people who our readers have identified as inspirational and may be doing good things for their communities. They are being recognized for their achievements, leadership and efforts to inspire change.
Lorna Rivera
Lona Rivera, professor of Latino studies and director of the Mauricio Gaston Latino Community Development and Public Policy Institute at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Javier Rivas/Photographer, University of Massachusetts Boston
Age: 54
Community: Boston
Her story: Lorna Rivera is a professor of Latino Studies at the University of Massachusetts Boston (UMass).
Outside of the classroom, Rivera serves as director of the Mauricio Gaston Institute for Latino Community Development and Public Policy at the University of Massachusetts Boston.
As Gaston Director, Rivera’s duties include leading community-based research projects, coordinating public policy advocacy, overseeing federally funded projects and supporting leadership development programs for Latinos in Massachusetts.
“More specific research and data on Latinos has allowed us to develop legislation and shape public policies and practices that address the needs of the growing Latino population,” Rivera told MassLive.
“Our work highlights important differences between Puerto Ricans, Guatemalans, Colombians, Salvadorans, Brazilians and Dominicans – the largest groups in Massachusetts. Our research also shows the remarkable diversity of life experiences across Latino cultures,” she said.
Rivera, who has dedicated her life to shedding more light on diverse Hispanic and Latino communities, said leading the Gaston Institute is a “dream come true” because her work “increases knowledge about the history, experiences, contributions and positive impact of Latinos in the United States.”
The daughter of Puerto Rican immigrants, Rivera was the first in her family to earn a college degree.
“I always wanted to be a teacher because my teachers were the ones that helped me survive and grow,” Rivera said, growing up in Chicago, Illinois.
She then earned her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from DePaul University, where she interned at the university’s Latino Studies Center, working on community organizing projects and urban school reform.
“I learned from the best and was inspired by leading scholars in Latino studies,” she said. “As I interviewed activists fighting for better schools and civil rights, I became passionate about the power of research.”
This led Rivera to earn her master’s and doctorate in sociology at Northeastern University, where she “had the incredible opportunity to become involved with the Latino, Latin American and Caribbean Studies program and coordinate a community service internship.”
Today, Rivera says her work is “deeply rooted in a sense of gratitude and a responsibility to care for others because my community has cared for me.”
In addition to being an educator, Rivera also serves on the boards of several nonprofit organizations, including Fenway High School, the Anna B. Stearns Charitable Foundation and the Boston Foundation’s Latino Equity Fund.
Rivera said the job is especially rewarding because it is “mission-driven: mobilizing resources, advocating for disadvantaged communities and building a better future.”
In her words, “To work in solidarity and be true allies, we must constantly critically reflect on our own ‘positions’; we must consider who we are in relationship.”
We’re always listening to more inspiring people, so if you’d like to suggest someone else who should be recognised, please fill in this form.
