As Women’s History Month comes to a close, a New York City Council member is honoring immigrant women who are making a difference beyond the Bronx community.

Council Member Marjorie Velázquez says she wanted to recognize these three women because the contributions of immigrants are often overlooked.

Dr. Camelia Tepelus, Diana Hernandez and Rosemary Ordoñez-Jenkins all received proclamations Tuesday for their work.

Tepelus is the executive director of the Morris Park Business Improvement District; Ordoñez-Jenkins runs the immigration nonprofit Garifuna Coalition; and Hernandez-Cruz is a street vendor who went viral in 2021 when her fruit stand was shut down by city workers.

Other women trailblazers spoke at the event, including Letitia James, the first Black woman to be elected attorney general in the state of New York, and Darcel Clark, who is the first Black woman to serve as the Bronx district attorney.

The honorees say women are often the invisible forces that keep families, households and communities together. Velázquez hopes highlighting the women inspires the next generation of young women.