The First Latina Elected
by Talia Rodriguez
Latinaherstory March 2026
Hi, I’m Talia. I’m a school board member from Buffalo’s West Side — and the first Latina ever elected to my city’s school board.
Being “the first” is heavy work. It’s an honor, yes — but also a responsibility. You’re not just representing yourself; you’re answering a question some people never had to ask: Can someone like me lead here?
What steadies me is remembering I’m not the first Latina to be a first. Since 2019, I’ve written each month about Latinas across New York — business owners, educators, innovators, organizers — women who lead and create change. Now, I’m focusing on those firsts in politics and public service: the trailblazers in government, school boards, courtrooms, and legislatures.
This month’s term is political efficacy — the belief that your political actions can make a difference. Internal efficacy is believing you can navigate the system — the confidence to try, even if your rice comes out amogollao. External efficacy is believing your voice will be heard — that when you bring your rice to the table, someone will actually eat it. Both require confidence and the right amount of water.
Research shows Latina voices are increasingly shaping U.S. politics. As the Latina Futures 2050 Lab research brief notes, “Latinas comprise roughly 12 percent of all registered women voters in the United States,” and in 2020, 68 percent of registered Latinas turned out to vote. The brief also highlights the “youthfulness of the Latina vote,” underscoring our growing influence.
As both a voter and a public official beginning my journey, the theme of this year’s caucus — “Leaving a Legacy” — feels personal. I thought of my abuela, who marched with Martin Luther King Jr., and of the steps I now take in Albany, realizing what she once imagined. Political efficacy is the distance between questioning whether you belong and declaring that you do. It is the shift from surviving systems to shaping them.
As we center Latinas who were first in politics, I invite you to consider your own efficacy. Can you “make” rice — even if it’s amogollao? And if you do, will they eat it? Because democracy, like rice, is never made by one person alone. And there’s always somebody trying to sneak into the kitchen.
Ms. Talia Rodriguez J.D. is a bi-racial, bi-cultural, and bi-lingual Latina from Buffalo. Ms. Rodriguez’s mission is to write about Latina’s, who have
shaped the face of our city and our region. It is Ms. Rodriguez’s believes that our own people should inspire us and in telling our collective stories, we push our community forward. Ms. Rodriguez is a community advocate and organizer. She is a 5th generation West Sider, a graduate of SUNY Buffalo Law School, and an avid baseball fan. She lives on the West Side with her young son A.J… Ms. Rodriguez sits on the board of several organizations including the Belle Center, where she attended daycare. Ms. Rodriguez loves art, music, food, and her neighbors. You can send your comments or questions to talia.rodriguez.716@gmail.com.
