Salem Press

Back More

Article Citation
Save this article
Print this Article/Save as PDF
Email this article
Copy Permalink to this Article to Clipboard✓

Great Lives from History: Latinos

Loretta Sánchez

by William A. Teipe

American politician

Sánchez entered political office in 1996 when she defeated Bob Dornan, becoming the first Latina from Orange County, California, to serve in Congress. Representative Sánchez has worked on a variety of issues ranging from national defense to women’s rights, as well as issues pertaining to commerce, the economy, and small business.

Areas of achievement: Government and politics; women’s rights; business

Early Life

Loretta Sánchez (law-REHT-ah SAHN-chehz) was born in Lynwood, California, to parents who had immigrated from Mexico in search of more opportunity for their children. The family initially settled in El Monte, a city in Los Angeles County. Concerned about their children’s access to better education, her parents moved to the city of Anaheim in Orange County. In Anaheim, Sánchez grew up in a neighborhood with few Latino families, and, as a result, she came to appreciate the cultural values instilled by her family, particularly her parents, who taught her the value of persistence, hard work, and education as a way of achieving success in one’s professional and public life.

Loretta Sánchez.

324_Sanchez_Loretta.jpg

(AP Photo)

Sánchez credits her parents, as well as the Head Start program, with helping her to succeed in school. Throughout her school years, her parents supported and encouraged her to study diligently and earn high grades. She describes her parents as role models who cultivated in her a love of learning, as well as an appreciation for how hard other immigrant families had to work in the United States. Sánchez was an exemplary student who excelled in school and at learning about her family’s cultural heritage. Her father was instrumental in this regard, guiding her in reading Spanish literature at home, and his efforts provided her with a cultural knowledge of Latin America and enabled her to be bilingual.

At Katella High School, Sánchez scored well on her Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and qualified as a National Merit Scholar. After graduating from high school, she was offered scholarships at several prestigious schools and decided to attend Chapman College, a private college in the city of Orange. Upon finishing college, she entered graduate school, and after earning her MBA at American University she embarked on a successful business career.

Sánchez worked as a financial analyst in the 1980’s and early 1990’s before she decided to enter politics.

In 1994, she campaigned for city council, and although she did not win the election, this did not deter her from politics. In the 1996 election, Sánchez, a Democrat, challenged Republican Bob Dornan, who represented California’s Forty-seventh District in the House of Representatives, an area that traditionally had been Republican and politically conservative. However, during Dornan’s more than ten years in office, the demographics of the 47th district and much of Orange County had changed considerably, gradually shifting to a more Democratic constituency because of the growth of the Latino community. This change, as well as her well-run grassroots campaign, resulted in Sánchez’s victory. Dornan contested the results, but the voting count was upheld, and Sánchez took her seat in the House of Representatives. By 2011, Sánchez had represented the district for almost fifteen years.

Life’s Work

Sánchez characterizes herself as a “blue dog Democrat” who advocates for a variety of social and economic issues, while at the same time supporting responsible fiscal management. As of 2010, Sánchez had worked on many important issues reflecting the diversity of her district’s constituency. These issues include greater equality for women in the military, more resources for all levels of public education, strong national security, effective health care, support for small businesses, and international human rights.

Sánchez has promoted women’s rights and worked to advance and empower women in all walks of life. In 2005, she began investigating cases of sexual assault in the military and succeeded in amending the Uniform Code of Military Justice in order to provide greater protection for victims of sexual assault. Sánchez has also sponsored legislation aimed at providing equal wages for women and ensuring reproductive rights.

Sánchez believes strongly in the power of education to empower individuals to achieve their dreams. She explains in her autobiography that not only does America’s economic well-being rely on access to strong public education, but also its national security depends on the quality of the nation’s educational institutions and their ability to serve students. Without resources and support systems for schools and students, particularly minority students, Sánchez notes, the United States runs the risk of losing its economic competitiveness in the world economy. She advocates for more counseling and academic and financial support services for students in underserved school districts.

Sánchez has also advocated for a strong national defense. She has served on the House Committee on Armed Services, including the Subcommittees on Strategic Forces and Military Personnel. After the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, she became vice chair of the House Committee on Homeland Security and chair of the Subcommittee on Terrorism, Unconventional Threats and Capabilities. In 2006, she supported the Security and Accountability for Every Port Act, which increases both port security and shipping commerce in the Los Angeles and Long Beach areas.

Sánchez has brought her previous business experience to bear as a member of the Joint Economic Committee, which studies and provides research data to Congress on matters relating to the economic health of the United States. She supports legislation to stimulate small business in Orange County and throughout California, including access to business loans, lower taxes, and the development of mass transit to improve the flow of goods and services. Sánchez’s congressional district includes not only large portions of the Latino community but also the largest Vietnamese community outside of Vietnam. In 2008, she became cochair of the Congressional Caucus on Vietnam, and in this position she called for greater religious freedom and civil rights in Vietnam.

Significance

Loretta Sánchez made history when she was elected in 1996 as the first Latina representative of Orange County in the U.S. Congress. During her tenure in office, Sánchez has served on the Congressional Caucus on Women’s Issues and has been a strong advocate for public education, national defense, and greater equality for women in civilian life, as well as for women serving in the military. She has also worked to increase access to public and higher education for all students.

Citation Types

Type

Format

MLA 9th

Teipe, William A. "Loretta Sánchez." Great Lives from History: Latinos, edited by Carmen Tafolla & Martha P. Cotera, Salem Press, 2012. Salem Online, online.salempress.com/articleDetails.do?articleName=GLL_10013240055901001.

APA 7th

Teipe, W. A. (2012). Loretta Sánchez. In C. Tafolla & M. P. Cotera (Eds.), Great Lives from History: Latinos. Salem Press. online.salempress.com.

CMOS 17th

Teipe, William A. "Loretta Sánchez." Edited by Carmen Tafolla & Martha P. Cotera. Great Lives from History: Latinos. Hackensack: Salem Press, 2012. Accessed October 22, 2025. online.salempress.com.

Table of Contents