Honoring Hispanic Heritage, Defending Reproductive Freedom

National Hispanic Heritage Month is a celebration of the traditions, resilience, and contributions of Hispanic and Latine communities. From the rhythms of music and dance to the power of organizing for justice, Hispanic heritage is woven into the very fabric of America.

But honoring this heritage means more than remembering history—it means confronting the challenges Hispanic communities face today, especially when it comes to reproductive freedom.

Reproductive Freedom Through a Hispanic Lens

Across the country, too many Hispanic families face barriers to the care and choices they deserve. Language access, immigration status, income inequality, and systemic discrimination create real obstacles to accessing reproductive health services, from contraception to abortion care.

These barriers are compounded in states where restrictive abortion bans and underfunded health systems already limit access. For many, the result is delayed care, higher costs, and fewer options for making personal decisions about their bodies and their families.

A report from the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice and the Center for Law and Social Policy found that immigrants—especially those who are undocumented or in mixed-status families—are particularly vulnerable to the harmful impacts of abortion bans and criminalization.

According to the National Women’s Law Center, nearly 4 million Latinas of reproductive age live in abortion care deserts, and more than 300,000 live in pregnancy care deserts—places where the basic health services they need are simply out of reach.

The National Partnership for Women & Families confirmed what so many already know: the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade has devastated communities—and Latinas have borne the brunt of its impact.

Remembering Rosie Jiménez and Josseli Barnica

This month, we honor the legacy of Rosie Jiménez, the first woman known to have died due to the Hyde Amendment’s discriminatory ban on abortion coverage for Medicaid recipients.

We also remember Josseli Barnica, a 22-year-old immigrant from Honduras who died in Texas in 2022 after being denied timely miscarriage care under the state’s restrictive abortion laws. Her story underscores the devastating and dangerous consequences of abortion bans on emergency pregnancy care.

These women—and countless others whose names we may never know—remind us that reproductive freedom is not theoretical. It’s about life, dignity, and the right to decide our own futures.

Heritage Is More Than Celebration—It’s Action

To truly honor Hispanic heritage, we must fight for a future where every person—regardless of where they were born, the language they speak, or the zip code they live in—has the freedom to make personal decisions about their body, their health, and their family.

Reproductive freedom is not separate from Hispanic heritage—it is part of it. Freedom, dignity, and justice are values carried across generations, across borders, and across communities.

Join Us in Storytelling

This National Hispanic Heritage Month, we are holding space for stories—stories of resilience, of struggle, of joy, and of the fight for reproductive freedom.

Join our storytelling event to hear and share the lived experiences of Hispanic communities, and to commit to building a future where reproductive freedom belongs to all of us.