On the occasion of the 133rd annual meeting, the American Psychological Association recognizes Oliva M. Espín, PhD, for her outstanding lifetime contributions to psychology as a trail-blazing feminist and lesbian scholar, educator, mentor, and advocate. For 50 years, her research and theory have interwoven themes of culture, ethnicity, migration, language, sexuality, power, privilege, and oppression, laying the groundwork for the development of intersectional and transnational psychologies. Espín’s unique contributions to psychology have always been ahead of their time, shining a light on marginalized groups and advocating for social justice. Her writings were the first to illuminate issues being ignored or overtly demeaned, such as the impact of migration on women’s lives, the coercion of immigrant women to serve as culture bearers even when not in their best interests, or the role of spirituality in the lives of lesbian and feminist women.
A citizen and scholar of the world, Espín speaks four languages fluently and is a renowned speaker and educator globally. She was born in Cuba, leaving after the revolution and making her way to the United States after living in Spain, Panama, and Costa Rica. She graduated with a BA from the Universidad de Costa Rica in 1969, received a PhD from the University of Florida in 1974, and completed a 3-year NIMH fellowship at Harvard University in 1983. She is the first Latina Professor Emerita from San Diego State University, where she taught in the Women’s Studies Department from 1990 to 2007, and is Professor Emerita from Alliant International University. The recipient of Fulbright awards, including Distinguished Fulbright Chair, Espín has been invited to lecture at universities and conferences in every continent other than Antarctica. Her compelling memoir, My Native Land is Memory: Stories of a Cuban Childhood, intwines a personal narrative of migration, loss, and perseverance with a vivid depiction of Cuba amid decades of political turmoil.
Espín was the first Latina to win the APA Award for Distinguished Professional Contributions to Public Service. She received an APA Presidential Citation and the Distinguished Elder Award from the National Multicultural Conference and Summit for her contributions to multicultural psychology. She is the recipient of Division 52’s (Society for Global Psychology) Award for Outstanding International Psychologist and of the Florence L. Denmark and Mary E. Reuder Award for Outstanding International Contributions to the Psychology of Women and Gender, and Division 35’s (Society for the Psychology of Women) Heritage Award. She was honored by the Association of Women in Psychology with both the Distinguished Career Award and the Christine Ladd Franklin Award, by the American Psychological Foundation with the Rosalee G. Weiss Award for Outstanding Leaders in Psychology, and the Distinguished Psychologist Award of the National Latinx Psychological Association.
Espín was at the forefront of a profound epistemological shift in psychology. Her compelling narratives gave voice to the voiceless using qualitative methodologies when the dominant culture of psychology valued only quantitative research approaches. Her work has always been interdisciplinary, involving psychology, sociology, politics, law, and religion. At the forefront of transnational psychology, her writings have confronted the impact of colonization, imperialism, and globalization on women of the Global South.
Espín has authored 10 books and more than 40 journal articles and book chapters, served on the editorial boards of four psychology journals, and mentored journal editors and authors.
Espín is a fellow of seven APA Divisions and the British Psychological Association. She was the president of Division 44 (Society for the Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity), an APA Council representative, and a member of numerous APA boards and committees. She has served on the board of the Center for Women Policy Studies in Washington DC, the LGBTQ Center of San Diego, and St. Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Indiana, as well as held leadership positions in other prominent psychological associations.
Espín is not only a captivating teacher whose courses on immigration, the psychology of women, migration, LGBTQ issues, and theories of power and oppression have been sought out across the world, she is an inspired and inspiring mentor to students. She is recognized as an empowering and generous catalyst for the transformation of students globally. She inspires her students to fulfill their own dreams, attain their intellectual promise, and advocate on behalf of themselves and others. Espín continues to teach and inspire women of all ages.
Both a seeker and a disrupter, Espín’s courage and honesty have guided her work. She is a deeply spiritual person who writes about religion despite the prevailing secular discourses of psychologists and feminists. As a feminist and lesbian, she confronts the homophobia and sexism of prevailing religious discourses. She was one of the first feminist psychologists to challenge racism in the work of feminists, while also questioning the negative impact of cultural relativity on women’s lives, when cultural norms and practices violate human rights or discriminate against women. She risked her own career in her promotion of qualitative and narrative methodologies.
Espín’s spirituality is the wellspring of her courage and resolve. The heroic actions of women saints, as portrayed in her book, Women, Sainthood, Power: A Feminist Psychology of Cultural Constructions, lies at the core of her feminist activism. As a child, she enacted the story of Joan of Arc, waving a cloth-covered broom as a banner and brandishing a ruler as a sword, jumping over tables and chairs to triumphantly conquer castle walls. Like Joan of Arc, Espín sought to be a brave warrior pursuing her beliefs.
Psychology has benefited immensely from your deeply held values and your exceptional ability to transform these values into action on behalf of invisible, marginalized, and oppressed groups across the globe. We are truly grateful for your extraordinary and pioneering contributions to psychology. The American Psychological Association is privileged to present you with the 2025 Award for Outstanding Lifetime Contributions to Psychology.