The Hernández family owned and ran a grocery store and bakery. She fought and wrote against the segregation, racial oppression, and poor education that the Mexican American children were receiving. In 1929, the Hernández family helped to organize and found the Order of the Knights of America, or the Orden Caballeros de America. The Order of Knights of America was a committee dedicated to political and civil activists in order to help Mexican Americans as well as Mexican immigrants. They helped with matters including educational and social, but the organization was largely focused on educational matters. The main audience targeted by their organization was Mexican American business owners. However, they also set a goal to help both male and female school aged children. In 1932 María Rebecca Latigo de Hernández was the first Mexican female announceron the radio. In 1933 she helped open an association to help expecting mothers, which was known as Asociación Protectora de Madres. In 1934 María, along with her husband and children, helped to manage an organization which helped to create safe places, and better the education for the West Side Mexican Communities. It was named La Liga de Defensa Pro-Escolar. In connection to her radio career, she spoke to promote Council 16 of the League of United Latin American Citizens on a program called the "Voz de las Americas". The league became well managed in December 1934. She supported the efforts of the league in 1940,and then again in 1947. During the years with the league, she helped to encourage equality for all Mexican Americans, no matter where they were from or where they were living. In 1938 she began working with the pecan-shellers' strike, with a cause for women workers' rights. The strike had begun as a way for women to obtain safer working conditions as well as increased salaries. In 1939 she was included in a group of women, who were able to visit then Mexican President, Lázaro Cárdenas. The women went to communicate the goodwill between Mexicans from Mexico and Mexican Americans in the United States. In 1945 "México y Los Cuatro Poderes Que Dirigen al Pueblo" was published. In this essay, she said that domestic sphere founded society. It also stated that mothers were the creators of nations. Close to the time that her essay was published, she was also involved in organizing Club Liberal Pro-Cultura de la Mujer. In 1968 she was a regular guest on San Antonio television, informing the public about education and social progress. In 1969, María Rebecca Latigo de Hernández was appointed the position of Treasurer of the order's board of directors, as well as the President of Circulo Social. In 1970 she grew her political activities by joining the Raza Unida Party. She served as a key-note speaker at the Raza Unida's Statewide Conference, located in Austin, Texas.
Personal life
Hernández was married in 1915 at the age of 19 to Pedro Hernández Barrera. They were married in Hebbronville, Texas. They moved to San Antonio, in 1918, where they settled down, and their family eventually grew to include 10 children. She died of pneumonia on January 8, 1986. She is buried in the plot of the Orden Caballeros de América outside of Elmendorf, Texas.
