List of Hispanic and Latino American United States Cabinet members

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Alberto Gonzales is the highest-ranking Hispanic and Latino American to lead the Federal Executive Department; he held the post of Attorney General.

The Cabinet of the United States, which is the principal advisory body to the president of the United States, has had 21 Hispanic and Latino American members altogether, with two of them serving in multiple positions for a total of 23 cabinet appointments. Of that number, 17 different Latino American individuals held a total of 18 permanent cabinet posts, having served as the heads of the federal executive departments; five more Latin Americans held cabinet-level positions, which can differ under each president; and one officeholder served in both cabinet and cabinet-rank roles. The U.S. Census Bureau defines Hispanic or Latino Americans as citizens or residents of the United States who have origins in Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin regardless of race.[1] No Hispanic or Latino American ever held a Cabinet position before the Civil Rights Movement or the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which banned discrimination in public accommodations, employment, and labor unions.[2]

Lauro Cavazos became the first Hispanic to serve in a president's cabinet when he was appointed secretary of education by President Ronald Reagan in 1988.[3] Federico Peña was appointed secretary of transportation by President Bill Clinton in 1993 and served as secretary of energy during part of Clinton's second term, thus making him the first Latino American to hold two different cabinet positions.[4] Aida Álvarez became the first Latina woman to serve in the president's cabinet when President Bill Clinton picked her for the cabinet-rank position of administrator of the Small Business Administration in 1997. However, the first Latina to lead a permanent cabinet office was Hilda Solis when President Barack Obama appointed her secretary of labor in 2009. Mel Martínez, who was born in Cuba, became the first foreign-born Hispanic and Latino American to serve in the presidential cabinet when President George W. Bush named him secretary of housing and urban development in 2001.[5][a]

President Joe Biden named the most Hispanic and Latino Americans as secretaries to his initial Cabinet: former California attorney general Xavier Becerra as secretary of health and human services; Connecticut education commissioner Miguel Cardona as secretary of education; and DHS deputy secretary Alejandro Mayorkas as secretary of homeland security, exceeding by one the record set by President Bill Clinton and equaled by Barack Obama. However, including cabinet reshuffles during his second term in office, Obama still holds the record for most Hispanic and Latino Americans appointed to permanent cabinet positions with five, the most of any presidency, therefore surpassing Clinton's previous number of four.

The Departments of Education, Housing and Urban Development, and Labor have had the most Hispanic or Latino American secretaries with three. The Departments of Energy and Interior have had two; the departments of Commerce, Health and Human Services, Homeland Security, Justice, and Transportation have had one. No Hispanic or Latino American has led departments of Agriculture, Defense, State, Treasury, or Veterans Affairs.[8][9][10][11][12]

The totals for this list include only Hispanic and Latino American presidential appointees confirmed (if necessary) by the United States Senate to cabinet or cabinet-level positions and taking their oath of office; they do not include acting officials or nominees awaiting confirmation.

Permanent Cabinet members[edit]

The following list includes Hispanic and Latino Americans who have held permanent positions in the Cabinet, all of whom are in the line of succession to the presidency. The table below is organized based on the beginning of their terms in office. Officeholders whose terms begin the same day are listed according to the presidential order of succession.

 *  denotes the first Hispanic and Latino American holder of that particular office
No. Portrait Name Office Succession[13] Term start Term end Party Administration(s) Ref.
1 Lauro Cavazos* Secretary of Education 16 September 20, 1988 December 12, 1990 Republican Reagan [3]
Bush Sr.
2 Manuel Lujan Jr.* Secretary of Interior 8 February 3, 1989 January 20, 1993 [14]
3 Federico Peña* Secretary of Transportation 14 January 21, 1993 February 14, 1997 Democratic Clinton [4]
4 Henry Cisneros* Secretary of Housing and Urban Development 13 January 22, 1993 January 20, 1997 [15]
(3) Federico Peña* Secretary of Energy 15 March 12, 1997 June 30, 1998 [4]
5 Bill Richardson Secretary of Energy 15 August 18, 1998 January 20, 2001 [16]
6 Mel Martínez Secretary of Housing and Urban Development 13[a] January 24, 2001 August 13, 2004 Republican Bush Jr. [5]
7 Alberto Gonzales* Attorney General 7 February 3, 2005 September 17, 2007 [17]
8 Carlos Gutierrez* Secretary of Commerce 10[a] February 7, 2005 January 20, 2009 [18]
9 Ken Salazar Secretary of Interior 8 January 20, 2009 April 12, 2013 Democratic Obama [19]
10 Hilda Solis* Secretary of Labor 11 February 24, 2009 January 22, 2013 [20]
11 Tom Perez Secretary of Labor 11 July 23, 2013 January 20, 2017 [21]
12 Julian Castro Secretary of Housing and Urban Development 13 July 28, 2014 January 20, 2017 [22]
13 John King Jr. Secretary of Education 16 January 1, 2016 January 20, 2017 [23]
14 Alexander Acosta Secretary of Labor 11 April 28, 2017 July 19, 2019 Republican Trump [24]
15 Alejandro Mayorkas* Secretary of Homeland Security 18[a] February 2, 2021 Incumbent Democratic Biden [25]
16 Miguel Cardona Secretary of Education 16 March 2, 2021 Incumbent [26]
17 Xavier Becerra* Secretary of Health and Human Services 12 March 19, 2021 Incumbent [27]

Cabinet-level positions[edit]

The president may designate or remove additional officials as cabinet members. These positions have not always been in the Cabinet, so some Hispanic and Latino American officeholders may not be listed.

The following list includes Hispanic and Latino Americans who have held cabinet-rank positions, which can vary under each president. They are not in the line of succession and are not necessarily officers of the United States. The table below is organized based on the beginning of their terms in office while it raised to cabinet-level status. Officeholders whose terms begin the same day are listed alphabetically by last name.

 *  denotes the first Hispanic and Latino American holder of that particular office
No. Portrait Name Office Term start Term end Party Administration(s) Ref.
1 Bill Richardson* United States Ambassador to the United Nations February 18, 1997 August 18, 1998 Democratic Clinton [16]
2 Aida Álvarez* Administrator of the Small Business Administration March 7, 1997 January 19, 2001 [28]
3 Maria Contreras-Sweet Administrator of the Small Business Administration April 7, 2014 January 20, 2017 Obama [29]
4 Jovita Carranza Administrator of the Small Business Administration January 14, 2020 January 20, 2021 Republican Trump [30]
5 Isabel Guzman Administrator of the Small Business Administration March 17, 2021 Incumbent Democtatic Biden [31]

See also[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d Ineligible to serve in the line of succession due to being a naturalized citizen and not a natural-born citizen.[6][7]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "The Hispanic Population: 2010" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 22, 2014.
  2. ^ "Transcript of Civil Rights Act (1964)". Retrieved February 8, 2009.
  3. ^ a b McFadden, Robert D. (March 16, 2022). "Lauro Cavazos, First Hispanic Cabinet Member, Dies at 95". The New York Times. Archived from the original on March 17, 2022. Retrieved March 17, 2022.
  4. ^ a b c "Energy Secretary Pena quits to be with family". Tampa Bay Times. April 7, 1998. Archived from the original on September 28, 2022. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
  5. ^ a b Lytle, Tamara (December 10, 2003). "MARTINEZ WILL HEAD BACK TO ORLANDO". Orlando Sentinel. Archived from the original on July 20, 2021. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
  6. ^ "U.S. Code: Title 3, 19. Vacancy In Offices of Both President and Vice President; Officers Eligible to Act". Cornell Law School. Retrieved November 16, 2008.
  7. ^ "The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription". National Archives and Records Administration. Retrieved November 16, 2008.
  8. ^ "Former Secretaries". usda.gov. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  9. ^ "Secretaries of Defense". history.defense.gov. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  10. ^ "Former Secretaries of State". history.state.gov. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  11. ^ "History of the Treasury: Secretaries of the Treasury". United States Department of the Treasury. Retrieved March 22, 2014.
  12. ^ "History - Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)". va.gov. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
  13. ^ Feerick, John. "Essays on Amendment XXV: Presidential Succession". The Heritage Guide to the Constitution. The Heritage Foundation. Archived from the original on August 22, 2020. Retrieved July 3, 2018.
  14. ^ Montague, Zach (April 26, 2019). "Manuel Luján Jr., Ex-Congressman and Interior Secretary, Dies at 90". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 26, 2019. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
  15. ^ Holmes, Steven A. (November 22, 1996). "Housing Secretary Resigns, Citing Finances". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 26, 2015. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
  16. ^ a b "Senate confirms pair of Cabinet nominations before recess". Tampa Bay Times. August 1, 1998. Archived from the original on September 28, 2022. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
  17. ^ "Senate confirms Gonzales for attorney general". NBC News. Associated Press. February 1, 2005. Archived from the original on March 10, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2005.
  18. ^ "Gutierrez approved to head Commerce Dept". NBC News. Associated Press. January 24, 2005. Archived from the original on November 29, 2020. Retrieved January 25, 2005.
  19. ^ Caldwell, Leigh Ann (January 16, 2013). "Salazar stepping down as interior secretary". CBS News. Archived from the original on September 28, 2022. Retrieved January 17, 2013.
  20. ^ Hughes, Darrell A. (February 24, 2009). "Solis Confirmed as Labor Secretary". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on September 27, 2022. Retrieved February 25, 2009.
  21. ^ Younglai, Rachelle (July 18, 2013). "Senate approves Perez as new labor secretary". Reuters. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved July 19, 2013.
  22. ^ Itkowitz, Colby (July 9, 2014). "Julian Castro easily confirmed for HUD job today". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on July 9, 2014. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
  23. ^ Resmovits, Joy (March 15, 2016). "Three things to know about new-ish U.S. Education Secretary John King Jr". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on March 15, 2016. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  24. ^ Salam, Maya (April 27, 2017). "Senate Confirms R. Alexander Acosta as Labor Secretary". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 3, 2021. Retrieved April 28, 2017.
  25. ^ Macias, Amanda (February 2, 2021). "Senate confirms Alejandro Mayorkas as America's first Latino Homeland Security chief". CNBC. Archived from the original on February 2, 2021. Retrieved February 3, 2021.
  26. ^ Tatum, Sophie (March 2, 2021). "Miguel Cardona confirmed by the Senate as education secretary". ABC News. Archived from the original on June 4, 2022. Retrieved March 3, 2021.
  27. ^ Ollstein, Alice Miranda (March 18, 2021). "Senate narrowly confirms Becerra as health secretary". Politico. Archived from the original on March 18, 2021. Retrieved March 19, 2021.
  28. ^ Ho, Rodney (February 14, 1997). "New SBA Chief Alvarez Vows To Improve Portfolio Oversight". The Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on September 28, 2022. Retrieved September 1, 2022.
  29. ^ Pizzanghera, Jim (March 27, 2014). "Maria Contreras-Sweet confirmed as SBA chief". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on July 13, 2021. Retrieved March 28, 2014.
  30. ^ Jagoda, Naomi (January 7, 2020). "Senate confirms Trump pick for small business chief". The Hill. Archived from the original on July 13, 2021. Retrieved January 8, 2020.
  31. ^ Rummler, Orion (March 16, 2021). "Senate confirms Isabel Guzman to lead Small Business Administration". Axios. Archived from the original on September 29, 2022. Retrieved September 20, 2022.
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