Throughout the years, Hispanic-Americans have helped shape Florida into the state we know today. Maurice Ferre is one Hispanic-American that is truly remarkable. He was born on June 23, 1935, in Ponce, Puerto Rico. He later moved to Florida and made an impact. From being the first Hispanic-American to be Mayor of Miami, to being a state representative in the Florida House of Representatives; Maurice Ferre has been an integral part in carving Florida. Maurice Ferre molded Florida in a sizable way by becoming the state’s first Hispanic-American to become mayor of the city of Miami. He served as mayor for six terms, from 1973-1985. As a candidate for becoming mayor, Maurice Ferre was a strong voice in his campaign. Throughout his campaign, he showed voters that, although he was a democrat, he would go against his own political party if he believed that he had a better alternative. According to William Gibson, Maurice Ferre opposed his party’s health care plans in Congress. Not only does this show that he is an independent thinker, Maurice Ferre is also courageous and willing to make a change. As Mayor of Miami, he demonstrated that Hispanic-Americans can hold public office just as well as White-Americans. The Florida International University states, “Ferre provided leadership and vision when Miami took its …show more content…
He has also served on countless presidential advisory boards. According to revolvy.com, “He has been active in national political campaigns…” This reveals that Maurice Ferre has influenced candidates on their way to presidency. In his later years, Maurice still continues to affect Florida by writing a book about the contributions that Hispanic-Americans have made to the American culture (revolvy.com). Altogether, Maurice Ferre has molded Florida in many