# Ralph Acosta

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ralph_Acosta
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Ralph_Acosta.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Acosta
> Source revision: 1349711715
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

{{Short description|American politician}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| image        =
| name         = Ralph D. Acosta
| state_house  = Pennsylvania
| district     = [180th](/source/Pennsylvania_House_of_Representatives%2C_District_180)
| term_start   = January 1, 1985
| term_end     = November 30, 1994
| predecessor  = [James McIntyre](/source/James_M._McIntyre)
| successor    = [Benjamin Ramos](/source/Benjamin_Ramos)
| constituency = 
| birth_date   = {{birth date and age|1934|9|28}}<ref name="google">{{cite book|title=Who's who Among Hispanic Americans|author1=Unterburger, A.L.|author2=Gale Research Inc|author3=Delgado, J.L.|date=1994|publisher=Gale Research|isbn=9780810385504|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Yd91AAAAMAAJ|accessdate=2014-11-18}}</ref>
| birth_place  = [Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico](/source/Sabana_Grande%2C_Puerto_Rico)
| death_date   = 
| death_place  = 
| party        = [Democratic](/source/Democratic_Party_(United_States))
| alma_mater   = 
| occupation   = 
| spouse       = 
| children     = 
| website      =  
}}
'''Ralph D. Acosta''' (born September 28, 1934) is an American politician. He is a former [Democratic](/source/Democratic_Party_(United_States)) member of the [Pennsylvania House of Representatives](/source/Pennsylvania_House_of_Representatives).<ref>{{cite web | last = Cox | first = Harold | title = House Members A | publisher = Wilkes University | work = [Wilkes University Election Statistics Project](/source/Wilkes_University_Election_Statistics_Project)| date = | url =http://staffweb.wilkes.edu/harold.cox/legis/A.html}}</ref> He was the first [Latino](/source/Hispanic_and_Latino_Americans) to be elected to the state House.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gamboa |first1=Ana |title=Rep. Acosta recognizes National Hispanic Heritage Month at state Capitol |url=http://aldianews.com/articles/politics/rep-acosta-recognizes-national-hispanic-heritage-month-state-capitol/40846 |accessdate=14 July 2018 |work=AL DÍA News |date=8 October 2015 |language=en}}</ref>

==Background==
Born in [Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico](/source/Sabana_Grande%2C_Puerto_Rico) on September 28, 1934, Acosta was professionally involved in long-haul trucking.<ref>"[https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/legis/BiosHistory/MemBio.cfm?ID=345&body=H Ralph Acosta]" (biography). Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania House of Representatives, retrieved online July 12, 2019.</ref>

==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.<ref>"Ralph Acosta, Pennsylvania House of Representatives.</ref><ref>Arnau, Ariel. "[https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5215/pennmaghistbio.136.1.0053?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents 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.</ref><ref>Mahon, Grant. "[https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1955&dat=19900228&id=jzkyAAAAIBAJ&sjid=CqIFAAAAIBAJ&pg=996,5703222 Hispanics miffed by board trip]." Reading, Pennsylvania: ''Reading Eagle'', February 28, 1990.</ref> 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](/source/Robert_P._Casey). One of the concerns on which he focused was safe, affordable housing for senior citizens.<ref>"Latinos in Pennsylvania: Summary Report & Recommendations." Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Pennsylvania Governor's Advisory Commission on Latino Affairs, April 1991.</ref>

Acosta was succeeded by [Benjamin Ramos](/source/Benjamin_Ramos).<ref>Whalen, Carmen Teresa. ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=A3ETfFIGG6kC&dq=%22Ralph+Acosta%22+and+%22Puerto+Rico%22+and+Philadelphia&pg=PA237 From Puerto Rico to Philadelphia: Puerto Rican Workers and Post-War Economy]'', p. 237. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Temple University Press, 2001.</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Acosta, Ralph}}
Category:American politicians of Puerto Rican descent
Category:Hispanic and Latino American people in Pennsylvania politics
Category:Hispanic and Latino American state legislators in Pennsylvania
Category:Democratic Party members of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives
Category:People from Sabana Grande, Puerto Rico
Category:Living people
Category:1934 births
Category:20th-century members of the Pennsylvania General Assembly

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Ralph Acosta](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Acosta) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Acosta?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.