Photo: U.S. Congress / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
What impresses me about Ileana Ros-Lehtinen is sheer staying power. Born in Havana in 1952 and arriving in Miami as a Cuban exile, she studied at the University of Miami and then served in the U.S. House from 1989 to 2019, eventually chairing the Foreign Affairs Committee and becoming Florida's most senior representative. Setting partisan questions aside, the arc of an immigrant's daughter rising to steer American foreign policy is a genuine embodiment of the country's promise. Thirty years in a chamber that chews people up demands real grit, and I find that tenacity, recognized with honors like the Order of Propitious Clouds, quietly remarkable.
Overview
Ileana Ros-Lehtinen ( Il-ee-AH-nə ross LAY-tən-ən; née Ileana Carmen Ros y Adato; born July 15, 1952) is an American politician and lobbyist from Miami who represented Florida's 27th congressional district from 1989 to 2019. At the end of her tenure, she was the most senior U.S. Representative from Florida. She was chairwoman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee from 2011–2013.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Ileana Ros-Lehtinen
- Name (Japanese)
- イリアナ・ロス＝レイティネン
- Reading
- いりあな・ろす＝れいてぃねん
- Born
- July 15, 1952 (age 73)
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Cancer / Dragon
- Origin
- Havana, Havana Province, Cuba
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- Private
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- politician
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Southwest Miami High School
- University
- University of Miami
Awards & achievements
- 2008 Florida Women's Hall of Fame
- 2018 Order of Propitious Clouds
- 2006 Great Immigrants Award
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Politician — see all → · More people from Cuba →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.