Born August 30, 1907

Guatemala City, Guatemala

Died November 4, 1992

Guatemala

Labor leader

"During World War II … women took advantage of the wartime demand for their labor to advance their interests … Energetic labor organizers like Luisa Moreno … built a powerful union of women workers."
—From Pushing the Limits: 1940–1961

Luisa Moreno was a trade union leader and a civil rights activist. Fluent in both English and Spanish, she was a major figure in the struggle for Hispanic civil rights and fair treatment for nearly three decades. During World War II (1939–45), Moreno's efforts led to better pay and working conditions for women workers, particularly Hispanic workers in the war industries.

While the U.S. economy was booming in the mid-1920s, many workers emigrated from Mexico to the United States. However, when the Great Depression (1929–41), a period of high unemployment and decreased business activity through the 1930s, began, the...