By Dalia Díaz
During the last few days, the launching of the space craft from Cape Canaveral to the International Space Station grabbed most of my free time (which is a lot these days.) I was lucky to catch an interview with former astronaut Jose Hernandez which brought back memories of the day I met Astronaut Franklin Chang Diaz.
José Hernández was born in California of Mexican parents. As a child, he worked in the fields with his parents harvesting crops, living half the year in the United States and the other half in Mexico. He attended many different schools and didn’t learn English until he was 12 years old.
José graduated from high school and did very well in college with the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) program. He earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of the Pacific in 1984 and an M.S. in electrical and computer engineering from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
He joined the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas in 2001. After three years of being turned down eleven times for astronaut training by NASA, José was selected in 2004.
Watching how José Hernández was enjoying reliving his experience in space while waiting for the Dragon to take off, I remembered the day I interviewed Franklin Chang Diaz on my television show around 1984.
He was born in Costa Rica and in his childhood always dreamed of going into space so, he made it his goal by moving to the United States.
Franklin finished high school in Connecticut and earned a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of Connecticut and then a Ph.D. in applied plasma physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. For his graduate research Mr. Chang Diaz worked in the field of fusion technology and plasma-based rocket propulsion.
These men had similar families and upbringing but also a common goal. It was only through their perseverance and hard work they accomplished them.
We are very proud to bring you the list of Latinos of Spanish-speaking countries or of Latino descent who have traveled into space on page 5.
