In keeping with the mission of the Mexican Heritage Center & Gallery, the ADELITA AWARD has been named Adelita in memory of the courageous women warriors in Mexico during the Mexican Revolution. Adelita was a soldadera, or woman soldier, who not only cooked and cared for the sick, but also actually fought in battles against Mexican government forces. In time the word ADELITA was used for all the soldaderas who became a vital force in the revolutionary war efforts. The term ADELITA has since come to signify a woman of Strength, Courage and Perseverance.
The ADELITA AWARD is presented each year to three (3) Latino women in the community who have succeeded in life, in spite of the many obstacles they may have encountered throughout their lives, and like the ADELITAS, have shown strength, courage and perseverance to get to where they are today.