The Accomplishments of Hilda Solis

Showing any kind of courage can lead to sacrifices. When a person takes action for what she believes in despite the consequences, she is showing political courage. Because Hilda Solis was taught by her father, an immigrant from Mexico who worked at a battery recycling plant, to stand up for her rights no matter what heritage she is, Solis was conscious about the difficulties of being in a working-class community. While in college, Solis interned at the White House Office of Hispanic Affairs which taught her that she can accomplish anything, if she works hard (“Hilda Solis,” Newsmakers). Hilda Solis showed political courage when she raised the minimum wage in California by writing a bill, enforced the law of anti-sweatshops, stood up for minority and poor communities by starting the creation of the Environmental Bill, and fought for more power for interns and workers.

Hilda Solis courageously wrote and supported a bill to raise the minimum wage in California and enforced a law of anti-sweatshops despite the Republican Party’s opposition. When she was elected to the California State Senate, Solis immediately wrote a bill to raise the minimum wage; however, it failed to pass the legislature, so she fought for the bill to be passed by the voters with help of labor leaders (“Hilda Solis,” Newsmakers). Although the bill was rejected, Solis still fought for the rights of the people, jeopardizing her seat in the senate and the faith of the senate. The government “uncovered a sweatshop where 72 Thai workers were working. Solis held Senate hearings, questioned garment manufacturers, and pushed for stronger enforcement of anti-sweatshop laws” (“Hilda Solis,” Newsmakers). Afterwards, Solis clearly risked the trust of her town by questioning...

... middle of paper ...

...al Bill was vetoed and opposed by large companies, Solis fearlessly persisted to help the poor and minority communities be heard. Trying to be heard in a company she was not extremely involved with and the criticism from Governor Walker caused her to be courageous, and she made new rules and changes to give more power to workers and interns of the country. Being politically courageous can lead to much criticism, but Hilda Solis boldly fought for what she thought was right and for the people she cared about.

Works Cited

Walton, Anthony. Hilda Solis. Kennedy, Caroline, ed. Profiles in Courage for Our Time. New York: Hyperion, 2002. 269-292. Print.

Solis, Hilda. “Environmental Justice: An Unalienable Right for All.” Human Rights 30 (2003): 5-6. JSTOR. Web. 13 February 2014.

“Hilda Solis.” Newsmakers 1: n. pag. Gale U.S. History in Context. Web. 10 February 2014.