To end the year, a number of Philadelphia publications — and ones around the world — often list their most powerful or influential people. It is in that spirit that AL DÍA launches its first list of 10 ALDIALISTS — highlighting the Latino leaders across Philadelphia and the region that made a splash in 2022.

They come from all walks of life, work in a multitude of different industries, and tackle tasks big and small on a daily basis. But no matter their background and journey, they make a difference in the Latino community of Philadelphia and the many beyond it.

These leaders are often overlooked (not all), but even without the recognition they continue to push boundaries and redefine the Latino experience in the U.S. For that, they are our heroes, or ALDIALISTS for 2022 as we'll call them, and we want to give them just a little of the spotlight they so deserve for their work.

1. Person of the Year: Gisele Barreto Fetterman 

Gisele Barreto Fetterman is AL DÍA's Person of the Year because even though she wasn't running for U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania in 2022, she was as much a part of her husband, John's successful campaign as him. 

She was thrust into not only the statewide, but national spotlight as John suffered a stroke days before the Democratic primary in Pennsylvania. Not only did she throw herself into the mix on social media, but also took more of a prominent role taking interviews and spreading the campaign's message across the Commonwealth. No matter peoples' backgrounds or political beliefs, it was Gisele's kindness that shone through and hit home for voters.

Gisele was also the face of the Fetterman campaign and its outreach to Latino communities across Pennsylvania. Not only did she hold many in-person events to get face time with voters, but used her story as an undocumented immigrant rising to be the Second Lady of PA as a connecting point with many communities.

2. Chef Cristina Martinez 

Cristina Martínez is a Mexican chef known in Philadelphia for her activism in favor of immigrant rights and for being the founder of the restaurants South Philly Barbacoa and Casa México, located in the Italian Market.

According to what she told AL DÍA in an interview, her most important achievement in 2022 was the recognition she received from the James Beard Foundation as Best Chef in the Mid-Atlantic. After receiving the award, Martinez was interviewed by major Hispanic media around the United States. 

On Dec. 7, Chef Martinez was honored again, this time by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Philadelphia, receiving the Innovation Award, given to an entrepreneur or company that has broken barriers or overcome significant obstacles. 

For Martínez, "the essence of cooking is love." And to attest to this, the chef launched a series of pop-up stores for the Latino community in cities like Chicago, Boston, Miami, New York and Washington. 

In 2023, Martinez hopes to continue her promise of love for good food.

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 3. U.S. Attorney Jacqueline Romero

If we’re talking about history being made in 2022, you’d be hard pressed to find anyone who made bigger history than Jacqueline Romero.

A veteran Assistant Attorney at the Eastern District of Pennsylvania for 16 years, Romero finally got her comeuppance in 2022 after being nominated by President Joe Biden and confirmed as the next U.S. Attorney to lead the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Romero represented not only a rare in-office promotion to become U.S. Attorney, but is the first woman, Latina, and the openly LGBTQ+ individual to ever be nominated and confirmed for the position in the history of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

As the new U.S. Attorney, it is now Romero’s job to oversee the office of 140 people taking on cases across Southeast and Northeast Pennsylvania. 

In addition to the history, Romero was also AL DÍA’s Public Service Archetype for its 2022 Hispanic Heritage Month Awards.

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 4. Alba Martinez

Since arriving to Philadelphia from Puerto Rico during the mid-1980s, Alba Martinez has strived to find her community — other Puerto Ricans, as well as those within the Latino community

Discovering the 47 bus at the time helped her navigate the city and find the very community she longed to find. It was a magical discovery for her, as it helped her feel a sense of belonging in her new surroundings.

In September 2022, Martinez’s story was brought to life with the premier of La Guagua 47. 

The community film and arts project brought together artists and community members across the Latino diaspora in Philadelphia to explore the bonds between the city’s Latino community and the 47 bus route.

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5. Elvita Quiñones

In February 2022, Elvita Quiñones was named the new President of ALPFA Philadelphia. She leads the local chapter of the nation’s oldest Latino professional organization, creating pathways to develop, connect and inspire the next generation of Latino leaders within all sectors of the global economy. 

After 15 years as a staff and faculty member at Temple University’s Fox School of Business, she also made a pivot in her career during the summer this year, joining tech company, Salesforce. She is the Director of Employee Advocacy and Belonging, a role that connects with the mission she strived for at Temple, advocating for diversity, equity, inclusion and representation. In the role, she helps employees from diverse communities improve their work experiences, and assists in career navigation to help companies retain diverse talent. 

Quiñones has established herself as among the most impactful DE&I leaders in the region.

6. PA Rep.-elect Johanny Cepeda-Freyitz

Another history-maker on the list, Johanny Cepeda-Freyitz is also another Latino trailblazer out of Reading, PA — an-ever growing hub of Latino economic and political power in the Commonwealth.

Cepeda-Freyitz’s history came during the 2022 midterms, as she became the first Democrat and Latino to ever be elected to represent Pennsylvania’s 129th District in Harrisburg. With the win over her Republican challenger, Cepeda-Freyitz will also be the only Latina in the Pennsylvania State Capital in 2023.

Her win is also yet another example of the growing power of Latinos in Reading, as she is the second Latino to ever be elected to represent a district containing part of the city in Harrisburg. 

Along the way on the campaign trail, Cepeda-Freyitz got support from not only established Latino leaders in Reading like Manny Guzman and Eddie Moran, but also growing national figures like Gisele Fetterman.

We expect big things from Cepeda-Freyitz next year.

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7. Shannon Morales

Since leaving the corporate world to become a full-time entrepreneur in early 2020, Shannon Morales has immersed herself into the tech space. 

While navigating the pandemic, Morales launched Tribaja, a platform designed to help companies build a diverse tech pipeline.

Since its launch, she has used the platform to open many doors for Black, Latinx and other diverse talent across the nation to enter into the tech space.

This year, she has been aided by thousands of dollars in funding to help grow her commitment toward diverse talent beyond just Philadelphia and New Jersey, and into other prominent markets across the nation.

8. Nasheli Juliana Ortiz-Gonzalez

When Nasheli Julianna Ortiz-Gonzalez took over Taller Puertorriqueño at the tail end of 2021, she had some massive shoes to fill — to say the least.

However, rather than buckle under the pressure of being the next Carmen Febo San Miguel, Ortiz-Gonzalez defined her own leadership style to chart the next phase of Philadelphia’s Puerto Rican and Latino bastion in North Philly.

She was part of the organization’s new collaboration with the Kimmel Cultural Campus and the Philadelphia Orchestra to bring the magic of performance art to the community and the magic of North Philly’s artistic scene to one of the biggest stages on the East Coast. 

Beyond that, Ortiz-Gonzalez also helped launch the much-anticipated partnership between Taller and the Inter-American University of Puerto Rico. With all the newness, Ortiz-Gonzalez also kept up Taller’s robust calendar of arts and culture events, partnered to aid relief after Hurricane Fiona, took part in more than a few get-out-to-vote efforts, and much more.

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9. Caroline Cruz

Caroline Cruz is a dedicated Latina lawyer, whose decision to study law was sparked by her desire to make a positive impact on those who are underserved and most vulnerable.

After more than a year of doing so as the Chief of Staff for the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Children & Families (OCF), she joined the Office of Immigrant Affairs in October 2022.

In her new role as Director of Language Access and Immigrant Inclusion for the Office of Immigrant Affairs, Cruz uses her legal expertise to systematize immigrant inclusion and language access practices and works to expand immigrant-inclusive policies and practices.

Her dedication to Philadelphia’s immigrant communities has been on full display as several buses of migrants have come to Philadelphia over the past couple months.

10. Cesar Viveros

Dedicated to his Latino community in Philadelphia and inspired by his native Mexico, Cesar Viveros is an artist, activist and muralist whose career spans 25 years.

One example of his activism is the recent accomplishments of the Cesar Andreu Iglesias Community Garden, which Viveros co-founded. In 2022, Viveros was able to receive a financial grant from the William Penn Foundation for the community garden to acquire some of the land that was in dispute, with North Philadelphia neighbors to be displaced from their land.

In addition, the garden also obtained its certification as a nonprofit organization and had a solar panel electricity system installed for the benefit of the Arlington Street community.

Viveros was also among those chosen to receive a grant from the Pew Center for Arts & Heritage for his career as a visual artist.

Recent accomplishments include a series of murals on Latin American history that Viveros worked on for Puentes de Salud with a collective of artists.

In 2023, Viveros hopes to continue his community art work.

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