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From Communist Cuba to Congress: The story of Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, a trailblazing Latina

Ileana Ros-Lehtinen - The LIBRE Initiative

October 14, 2024

Recently former congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen talked about her story with Cesar Grajales in Sabor A Freedom podcast. You can listen to the episode right here

Nearly 75 years ago, 8-year-old Ileana Carmen Ros hurriedly packed all her things in a few suitcases. She wasn’t preparing for a leisurely summer trip. No, she and her family were escaping the grips of Fidel Castro’s communist regime and forced to say goodbye to their beloved Cuba, the place the family had called home for generations.  

This is the story of Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, senior U.S. Representative from Florida, and the first Latina elected to the US Congress.  

Like hundreds of thousands of Cubans, Ros-Lehtinen and her family settled in Miami, Florida to start a new life in the land of opportunity, where people lived in freedom.  

While she was anxious and scared about leaving her native Cuba behind, this would be the first step of a lifelong journey that would propel her to become one of the most influential Latino politicians in the U.S. Congress. 

‘Education is a lifelong journey’ 

Always seeking to learn, Ros-Lehtinen completed her studies in education in South Florida and became a teacher and school principal. Her leadership and freedom-minded ideas became an inspiration to those around her.  

Fueled by her family and even her own students, she decided to seek public office. In 1982 Ros-Lehtinen was elected to the Florida State House of Representatives and later to the Florida Senate House of Representative in 1986, breaking the glass ceiling as the first Hispanic woman to serve in either body. 

Ileana-Ros Lehtinen celebrates victory in her 1989 run for Congress with husband Dexter Lehtinen.
Ileana-Ros Lehtinen celebrates victory in her 1989 run for Congress with husband Dexter Lehtinen. 

Education is a lifelong journey,” Ros-Lehtinen says and has devoted her career to helping people prosper through education. During her tenure in the Florida State House, she introduced the Florida prepaid college program, which helps students have tuition and attend college and supported legislation to allow more students to access Federal financial aid. 

After a successful run in state office, in 1989, Ros-Lehtinen won a hard-fought special election for Florida’s 18th Congressional District in Miami-Dade County, and then the 27th District in the US House of Representatives (1989-2019). She would go on to serve the people in her district in our nation’s capital for three decades. By the end of her tenure, Ros-Lehtinen was the most senior U.S. Representative from Florida and Chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee (2011–2013).    

 

‘La Loba Feroz’ the ‘Ferocious She Wolf’ 

As a Cuban refugee, Ros-Lehtinen fervently opposed Fidel Castro’s tyrannical and oppressive regime. She frequently spoke out against dictatorships in Cuba, Nicaragua, Venezuela and all over the world. Her tough Cuba policies led Castro to dub her “la Loba Feroz,” or the “Ferocious She Wolf. 

She became a shining example of the critical role Latinos play in America’s fight to preserve the freedoms and liberties that have made the U.S. the greatest country in history. This Hispanic Heritage Month, as America commemorates the place Latinos have in American history, we had the honor to speak with Ros-Lehtinen about what it means to be a Latino in the U.S. and how this community is key to preserving the liberty of Americans for decades to come.  

Ileana is just one of the millions of examples of how Latinos play a key role in defending American liberty.  

To learn more about how Latinos are defending American freedom today, sign up to the ¡¿Qué Pasa, LIBRE?! newsletter here.  

This conversation was edited for length and clarity.   

As a Cuban American who came to the U.S. as a kid, how did Cuba’s shift to socialism shape your worldview and motivate you to become a public servant? 

IRL: I came to the U.S. fleeing the communist takeover of my native Cuba as an 8-year-old with my parents and brother. Through the prism of a child, I have vivid memories of that transition and that, coupled with my parents’ continued support of and work for democracy in Cuba as exiles, gives me a unique worldview.  

We must never take for granted the freedoms that we enjoy in the United States 

In my household, world issues were domestic issues, and that inspired my work in Congress against oppression and for human rights not only in our hemisphere, [but] in countries such as my native Cuba, Nicaragua, and Venezuela … also in faraway places like North Korea and the Middle East.  

However, my motivation to run for public office was to help my community and that was a cornerstone of my legacy as the first Hispanic woman elected to Congress. I am proud of the constituent advocacy work that my office and I accomplished over three decades.  

 

You were the first Hispanic woman elected to Congress. Tell us more about that moment, how it felt, and what it was like to work in Congress at the time? 

IRL: It was an incredible moment when we realized that I had become the first Hispanic woman in Congress.  

It was a testament to the greatness of this country and a huge personal accomplishment that I proudly share with my hometown community and Hispanics all over the United States. I was also the only female member of the Florida delegation at the time, but I would not let my gender or ethnicity be a factor in achieving my goals.  

One of [my] goals was to be a member of the Foreign Affairs committee, which I was honored to chair years later. Because I was elected in a special election, committee assignments had already been done and there were no seats on the Committee for a Republican.  

However, my dear and respected Democrat colleague, U.S House Representative Dante Fascell, went to bat for me and convinced the Democratic leadership not only to add a spot for a GOP member, but to allow me to be on the committee. It was a true demonstration of bipartisanship and collegiality, which I honored throughout my time in Congress.  

 

As a representative, you became one of the most successful members of Congress and a reliable voice for South Florida and Hispanics. What achievement are you most proud of during your time in Congress? 

IRL: My nearly three decades in Congress gave me many opportunities to uplift our Hispanic community and to fight for important issues that impacted my constituents and Americans around the nation. I could tell you about the many votes to support democracy and denounce repressive regimes all over the world, or supporting our allies, fostering growth in the Western Hemisphere through trade agreements, sanctioning dictators — the list would be quite long. 

But honestly, I will go back to the first question and tell you that constituent service is my proudest achievement. Helping everyday individuals cut through the federal bureaucracy and making a positive impact on an individual or family, that is worth its weight in gold! 

 

What are the main challenges the Latino community is facing today? 

IRL: The Latino community faces the same challenges as other communities. Latinos by and large emigrate to the U.S. for a better life, for stability, and, in many cases, for freedom. We want better and more affordable education for our kids and grandkids, good paying jobs, a lower tax burden, and smaller government.  

The Latino population… is the largest minority in the U.S. This gives us the opportunity to impact positive change not only at the federal level, but at the local and state level as well.  

 

What do you think is the secret behind America’s success? And what role do Latinos play in defending America and making sure it prospers in the future? 

IRL: American exceptionality and generosity are at the heart of our success as a country. As Latinos, whether you are naturalized, first or second generation, we have a heritage and a culture that we bring to the American table.  

We are free to voice our opinions and choose our leaders, a privilege that is denied to many in our own hemisphere. Latinos are entrepreneurs and I encourage Latinos everywhere to continue to work hard to own a business, work at a major corporation, run for elected office at any level and make sure your voice is heard.  

 

Today, a majority of Latinos are pessimistic about the future of America, with most thinking the American Dream is out of reach. What is your message to those Latinos who might be cynical or disenchanted with how the country is going? 

IRL: I want the same — no, better — lives for my nine grandchildren and for their children. We are a hard-working community, and with hard work and determination, the American Dream is attainable.  

Sure, there are obstacles and setbacks, but this is still a great country with ample opportunities if you dream big and pursue those dreams.  

Don’t give up — I haven’t.