The Association for the Advancement of Mexican Americans 50th Anniversary Co-Chairs Announced

The Association for the Advancement of Mexican Americans (AAMA) 50th Anniversary Celebration - the Illumine Celebration/Celebración de Iluminación - will be held at the George R. Brown Convention Center on Friday, February 26, 2021 from 6:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Alexandra and Leandra Hernández - daughters of legacy founder Froilán Hernández are serving as AAMA Co-Chairs for this event, its signature fundraiser. AAMA's 50th Anniversary Celebration will be their first event chairing together.

Alexandria H. Hernández (MSA, University of St. Thomas), is a human resource professional with Luby's Fuddruckers Restaurants, LLC. Following in her parents' footsteps, Alexandria is passionate about community outreach, community activism, and serving her community through non-profit/volunteer and restaurant outreach. During her undergraduate years at the University of St. Thomas, Alexandria served on two councils that promoted volunteer work in the community. In her 15-year tenure with Luby's, Alexandria has served the community as a member of the Diversity Council, a member of the Employee Activities Committee, and as a volunteer at Camp Hope. As AAMA's 50th Anniversary Gala Co-Chair, she is excited to serve her community, carry on her parents' legacies, and ensure that AAMA continues to be successful in the years to come.

Leandra H. Hernández (Ph.D., Texas A&M University), is Assistant Professor of Communication Studies at Utah Valley University. She enjoys teaching health communication, gender studies, and media studies courses. She utilizes Chicana feminist and qualitative approaches to explore Latina/o cultural health experiences, Latina/o journalism and media representations, and Latina/o cultural identities in reproductive justice and gendered violence contexts. She is the co-author of several books Challenging Reproductive Control and Gendered Violence in the Americas: Intersectionality, Power, and Struggles for Rights, recipient of the 2018 NCA Feminist & Women's Studies Division Bonnie Ritter Book Award. She is also the co-editor of the following books (with Lexington Press): This Bridge We Call Communication: Anzalduan Approaches to Theory, Method, and Praxis (2019); Military Spouses with Graduate Degrees: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Thriving Amidst Uncertainty (2019); and Latina/o/x Communication Studies Theories, Methods, and Practice (2020). Furthermore, as the Immediate Past Chair of the NCA La Raza Caucus and Latina/o Communication Studies Division, she works to foster the study of Latina/o Communication Studies for students and scholars alike. Although she currently lives in Utah, as a born-and-raised Houstonian and as AAMA's 50th Anniversary Gala Co-Chair, she is passionate about working with and advocating for her community in the East End in Houston, Texas and carrying on her parents' educational and activist legacies in both Texas and Utah.

AAMA was founded in 1970 by a group of students, businessmen, and teachers who came together to address key issues in the community, including drug abuse and school completion. Its first board of directors included Luis Cano, Froilan Hernández, Ninfa Laurenzo, Roland Laurenzo, David Martinez, William Navarro, and Yolanda Navarro. Today, the nonprofit serves over 10,000 individuals annually across Texas through charter schools, prevention and counseling services, adult education, and other community services.

The Illumine Celebration/Celebración de Iluminación will honor AAMA's legacy and founders Froilan Hernández and Roland Laurenzo.

Proceeds raised by the Illumine Celebration/Celebración de Iluminación will benefit the various educational and health programs operated by AAMA in Texas. AAMA is dedicated to inspiring and empowering Latinos to pursue their potential and achieve success through education, workforce readiness, and leadership development.

Please contact Debbie Ortiz, Chief Development Officer, at 713-929-2322 or dortiz@aama.org for sponsorship opportunities and to reserve a table.