Ralph D. Acosta (born September 28, 1934) is an American politician. He is a former Democratic member of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. He was the first Latino to be elected to the state House.
Background Born in Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico on September 28, 1934, Acosta was professionally involved in long-haul trucking."Ralph Acosta" (biography). Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania House of Representatives, retrieved online July 12, 2019.
Political career A Democrat, he was elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for the 1985 term. The first Latino to be elected to the state House, he served a total of five consecutive terms. In 1995, he ran an unsuccessful campaign for reelection."Ralph Acosta, Pennsylvania House of Representatives.Arnau, Ariel. "The Evolution of Leadership within the Puerto Rican Community of Philadelphia, 1950s-1970s," in The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 136, No. 1. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania Press, January 2012.Mahon, Grant. "Hispanics miffed by board trip." Reading, Pennsylvania: Reading Eagle, February 28, 1990. During his tenure, Acosta was appointed as one of two vice chairs of the Pennsylvania Governor's Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs, serving under Governor Robert P. Casey. One of the concerns on which he focused was safe, affordable housing for senior citizens."Latinos in Pennsylvania: Summary Report & Recommendations." Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Governor's Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs, April 1991.
Acosta was succeeded by Benjamin Ramos.Whalen, Carmen Teresa. From Puerto Rico to Philadelphia: Puerto Rican Workers and Post-War Economy, p. 237. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Temple University Press, 2001.
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