Pantoja was born in Puerta de Tierra, in San Juan, Puerto Rico where she received her primary and secondary education.

She subsequently won a scholarship to Hunter College in Manhattan, where she graduated with a bachelor's degree in sociology in 1952.

[4] In 1957, Pantoja founded the Puerto Rican Forum (originally the Hispanic American Youth Association or HAYA), which served as an incubator for organizations and programs promoting economic self-sufficiency.

Although Dr. Pantoja is credited with bringing this landmark lawsuit, she was actually no longer with ASPIRA at the time and was not directly involved.

[1][2][3] Among Pantoja's numerous awards and recognitions are the following:[1] In 1996, President Bill Clinton presented her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the first Puerto Rican woman to receive such this honor.

[6] After 1984, Pantoja moved to Puerto Rico for health reasons, where she established Producir, an organization which provides economic assistance to small businesses, and Provivienda, which works to develop housing for the needy.

Filmmaker Lillian Jimenez of the Latino Educational Media Center in New York City worked on a documentary on the life of Dr.