The four Americans of Central American heritage who were eluded to in last week’s essay are presented chronologically by their birthdays. These individuals are living proof that the American Dream is alive and flourishing and pose a stark contrast to what is being proselytized today.
Dr. Franklin Ramon Chang-Diaz was born in Costa Rica in 1950 and had spent his youth dreaming of being a “space explorer.” After graduating from a Costa Rican high school, he emigrated to California where he entered high school to learn English, failed the first year studies due to language deficiency, but left the program proficient enough in English to earn a full college scholarship.
In 1973 Chang-Diaz earned his Bachelors of Science in Engineering from the University of Connecticut. The year 1977 proved to be pivotal as he earned his Ph.D. in plasma physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and earned his U.S. citizenship. Fulfilling his boyhood dream, Chang-Diaz became a NASA astronaut and served in the space shuttle missions of 1986, 1989, 1992, 1994, 1996, and 2002 when he helped construct the International Space Station. He spent 1,601 hours in space.
Post NASA, Chang-Diaz created the Ad Astra Rocket Company where he is applying his plasma physics research to develop rocket propellant that theoretically will enable travel to Mars in 39 days. His contributions to rocket science have earned Dr. Franklin Chang-Diaz many honors including being inducted into U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame in 2012.
Hockey superstar Bill Guerin is of maternal, Nicaraguan descent (paternally, French-Canadian and Irish) and was born in Worcester, Massachusetts. By the time Guerin was 19 he was drafted by the New Jersey Devils as the first Hispanic in the National Hockey League. While playing for the Devils, he won his first Stanley Cup in 1995. Fourteen years later, Guerin won his second Stanley Cup playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Highlights of Bill Guerin’s career include: the 1990 NCAA championship; 2001, 2003, 2004, 2007 NHL All Star; 2001 Most Valuable Player. In 2013, Guerin was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame.
Guerin overlapped his 18 season NHL playing in three Olympiads: 1998, 2002, and 2006. This year, 2026, he became the General Manager of Team USA Hockey.
After leaving the playing ice in 2010, Bill Guerin went on to become a development coach for the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he enabled two more Stanley Cup wins (2016, 2017).
Coach Guerin is known to be a no-nonsense kind of leader. What he said about happiness and hockey applies to just about everything in life: “… if the hockey isn’t good, you won’t be happy.” Enjoy what you do.
Dr. Franscisco Rubio was born in Los Angeles in 1975, but his El Salvadorian parents immediately returned to their homeland where Rubio grew-up. In 1981 the family emigrated to Miami, Florida where Rubio graduated from Miami Sunset High School and received an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.
As a West Point graduate, Dr. Rubio took the Oath of Commissioned Officers very seriously as he stated he “… would defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign or domestic …” when he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant and became a Blackhawk helicopter pilot who flew 600 combat missions in Bosnia, Iraq, and Afghanistan.
Rubio became a medical doctor after his combat retirement in 2010. He became a board-certified family physcian and a flight surgeon before he received his acceptance as a NASA astronaut in 2017.
On Sept. 21, 2022, Rubio launched into space as the flight engineer and mission specialist responsible for scientific research in biology, Earth science, physical sciences, and technology development. The mission was complicated by spacecraft damage and Dr. Rubio returned to Earth on Sept. 27, 2023 to complete the longest American space journey of 371 days.
Today, Rubio is a current NASA astronaut serving as a mission specialist in the Artemis III program and as mentor for the upcoming Astronaut Candidate Class.
America Ferrera was born in Los Angeles in 1984 to parents who had emigrated to the U.S. in 1975. She was the last of six children. Her parents divorced when she was 7, leaving her mother to raise her children alone. It was at this time young Ferrera was offered a small part in Shakespeare’s Hamlet. She swallowed the acting bait hook, line, and sinker.
The acting classes Ferrera took during her years at El Camino Real High School rewarded her upon graduation in 2002 with roles in Disney’s Gotta Kick it Up!, Real Women Have Curves, and a guest star role in Touched By An Angel — all released in 2002.
The ABC super hit series, Ugly Betty (2006-2010), was adapted from a short-run hit in Columbia and after the American airing, it was adapted in India, Germany, and Russia. The series explored the themes of inner beauty vs. outer appearance, staying true to oneself, the importance of family, socioeconomic class and culture, and identity and representation. The series planted her superstar career and she has appeared in more than 30 critically acclaimed movies.
In 2007, Ferrera won the triple crown of acting with a Golden Globe (Best Actress), a Screen Actors Guild Award (Outstanding Performance by a Female in a Comedy Series), and a Prime Time Emmy (Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series — the first Latina to receive the award).
During her acting career, Ferrera found time to double major in theatre and international relations and graduate from the University of Southern California in 2013.
Today, Ferrera continues her Hollywood career and is an activist for immigrant rights, Latino civic engagement, women’s equality, and authentic media representation. And in May 2024, she was appointed by the U.N. as a Global Goodwill Ambassador for the International Organization for Migration.
Do not be deceived by propagandizing influencers whose purpose is to destroy the American ideal. President Ronald Reagan was correct when he expanded the remembrance period to a month because we need more time to learn about Americans who contribute to the well being of the country. Carl Degler may have been correct in denouncing the “melting pot” metaphor concept of America and substituting the “salad bowl” perception that the U.S. is a distinguished entity that has developed due to distinguished individuals from distinguished cultures.
Be amazed – read a biography of an American who made a positive contribution to our collective American Dream.
