Catherine Cortez Masto and the Long Tradition of Hispanic Civic Leadership

By Dr. Ernesto R. Villarreal

July 5, 2026

When Catherine Cortez Masto was elected to the United States Senate in 2016, newspapers across the country celebrated the historic moment. She became the first Latina ever elected to serve in the United States Senate, a milestone that reflected the changing face of leadership in the United States. For many, her election represented the breaking of a barrier that had stood since the nation’s founding.

Yet viewed through the broader lens of history, her election tells another story.Hispano and Indigenous communities have never been absent from civic leadership.

Long before the founding of the United States, Hispano societies governed kingdoms, municipalities, universities, and colonies throughout Europe and the Americas. Spain developed one of the world’s oldest systems of municipal government, where elected local councils, known as cabildos or ayuntamientos, administered cities and represented the interests of their communities. These traditions crossed the Atlantic and became part of life throughout Spanish America.

At the same time, the Indigenous civilizations of the Americas—including the Mexica (Aztec), Maya, Inca, Purépecha, Taíno, and countless others—had already developed sophisticated systems of government, diplomacy, taxation, public works, and law centuries before European contact. Leadership was not a foreign concept introduced to the Americas; it was already deeply rooted in the continent’s civilizations.

The Hispano world that eventually emerged was shaped by these intertwined traditions. Across IberoAmerica, generations of civic leaders served as governors, judges, military officers, educators, legislators, mayors, diplomats, and presidents. Communities depended upon individuals willing to place the public good above personal ambition and to guide society through periods of growth, conflict, and change.

Within the United States, however, opportunities for Hispano political participation were often limited by discrimination, language barriers, unequal educational opportunities, and unequal access to political institutions. As these barriers slowly began to diminish, more Hispanos entered public service at every level of government.

Catherine Cortez Masto’s career reflects this continuing story. Born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, she built a career in law, served as Nevada’s Attorney General, and in 2016 became the first Latina elected to the United States Senate. Throughout her career, she has frequently spoken about her family’s values of public service, hard work, and opening doors for future generations. Her election was historic not because Hispanos/Chicanx had suddenly become leaders, but because one of America’s oldest institutions finally reflected a tradition of leadership that had existed within Hispano/Chicanx communities for centuries.

Her story offers an important lesson for young people. Leadership does not begin with holding high office. It begins with serving others, earning the trust of one’s community, and accepting responsibility for the common good. Whether someone becomes a student leader, a teacher, a small business owner, a city council member, or a United States Senator, civic leadership grows from the same commitment to improving the lives of others.

At Capacitando, we celebrate Catherine Cortez Masto not simply because she was “the first.” We celebrate her because she represents a long and enduring tradition of Hispanic civic leadership—a tradition that stretches from the governing councils of Spain, to the great civilizations of the Americas, to the neighborhoods, schools, businesses, and public institutions where Hispanic leaders continue to serve today. Her achievement reminds us that leadership has always been part of our heritage, and that each generation has the opportunity to strengthen that legacy through service, integrity, and civic engagement.

Educators are encouraged to explore an extended article with classroom discussion questions for student use by clicking below.

Photo Credit:
By Office of Senator Maggie Hassan – https://www.hassan.senate.gov/news/photos/committee-hearings, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=65615090