Angel Taveras was the first Hispanic/Latino (Dominican) who ran for for the US Congress Rhode Island in the Citizens Party (1986). Affigne also ran for City Council Ward 3 (1982).
Miguel Luna was the second Latino Councilman in Providence's history and the first Dominican American ever elected to the Council in 2003. He served as Ward 9 councilman until his death in 2011.
Victor Mendoza was co-founder of the Coalition of Hispanic Organizations (Coalición Hispana) in Rhode Island in 1984 and the first Latin-American festival in Rhode Island in 1979 called the Latin American Festival of Music.
