In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month which is sadly coming to an end, I figured it’d be cool to note all the Latinas whether they are actresses, social activists, athletes, etc. and recognize their noteworthy work and ability to break down barriers not only for Latinas but women all over the world. While writing this article, I became truly inspired by each and every Latina on this list for going above and beyond what was expected of them. Not only is each woman stunningly beautiful but they are also dedicated to make their dreams come true and fight for what they believe in. Having said that, I was disappointed in the fact that I couldn’t really find many Afro-Latinas to add even though I’m sure they’re out there. Hopefully with women like this paving the way for all Latinas, this won’t be an issue in the future.
- Diane Guerrero
You’ve probably seen her first as Maritza in “Orange Is The New Black”, the one with the fierce wing eyeliner, and if you haven’t please go binge watch it now. Aside from her amazing acting skills, effortless beauty and undeniable grace, Guerrero is also a strong activist for immigration reform. After the actress’ parents and older brother were deported to Colombia when she was 14, she hasn’t stopped working to make sure that other young people don’t go through the same experience. In 2015, she joined the inaugural group of Presidential Ambassadors for Citizenship and Naturalization and it’s reported that she will star in a CBS drama based on her memoir, “In The Country We Love: My Family Divided” which tells the story of how her parents were deported. Unafraid to speak about a controversial topic, Guerrero shows that it’s not okay to simply sit still and look pretty but to use the voice we’ve been given and fight for what’s right.
2. Gina Rodriguez
2016 has been Gina’s year and hey, we’re not complaining. The “Jane The Virgin” star has been featured on Women’s Health on their October issue as one of their “game changers”, her new movie Deepwater Horizon was released just a few weeks ago, and she will produce and host Marie Claire Young Women’s Honors an award ceremony that recognizes the accomplishments of diverse women who are making a change in the world. Her mission since the beginning of her career has been to ensure that young women have role models who look like them. “I want to infuse [the media] with heroes that look like them, that are from similar backgrounds or similar cultures, similar communities, that allow them to have a blueprint for a life that they can have themselves”, she said. I mean, how can you not love her?!
3. Laurie Hernandez
If there’s anything that makes me feel worse about the fact that I keep finding excuses to not go to the gym and binge watch Netflix while eating pizza instead, it’s seeing Laurie Hernandez’s jaw-dropping routines. AND SHE’S ONLY 16! This magnificently talented Puerto Rican won a gold and silver medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Not only is she like crazy talented but there isn’t a routine of hers that’s not absolutely captivating. Her contagious, bubbly personality and lively personality shines through every routine. Now, she’s currently killin’ it on Dancing With The Stars.
4. Monica Puig
While she hasn’t received as much fame as others on this list Monica Puig, Puerto Rican professional tennis player and Olympic gold medal winner, very much deserves it. While Puig is Puerto Rico’s first Olympic gold medalist, it’s also her unconditional loyalty and devotion to her country that makes her so admirable. “Puerto Rico has gone through its tough times and it’s my responsibility to give them that bit of good news every once in a while”, she said. Her commitment and love for her country is heartening.
5. Desi Perkins
If you’re looking for helpful but fun videos on how to highlight or slay your eyeliner, look no further. Lifestyle and beauty vlogger on Youtube, Desi Perkins, is incredibly creative, unique, and hilarious. The Spanish and Mexican beauty guru has just over 2 million YouTube followers and her online presence is only growing stronger. Her inventive, original, and outside-the-box way of thinking is breaking barriers in the makeup world. She also collaborated with Quay earlier this year to make some sunglasses and they are so cool. Also if you don’t follow her on Snapchat, please do so because she is absolutely hilarious: @desiperkins. You’re welcome.
6. Selena
It’s absolutely impossible, I repeat impossible, to make a list of noteworthy Latinas and not include Selena. And no we’re not talking about Selena Gomez, although she’s great too, we’re talking about the legendary, one of a kind, amazingly gifted, Selena Quintanilla. Known as the Queen of Tejano Music or The Mexican Madonna, Selena remains one of the most influential Latina artists and was named “top Latin artist in the 90s” and the “best selling Latin artist of the decade” by Billboard. I mean if you don’t know the songs Como La Flor, Bidi Bidi Bom Bom, Dreaming of You or saw or heard of the movie Selena a biopic of her life, then you’re clearly living under the rock. Her legacy still lives on today which is clearly shown given the very quickly sold out #MACSelena collection which shows how much she was loved by her fans everywhere.
7. Jennifer Lopez
What is there not to say about JLo? She’s an actress, singer, author, dancer, performer, fashion designer, producer, songwriter, mother of twins, discoverer of the youth fountain (I mean, let’s be real, she doesn’t look a day past 25 and we need to get our hands on whatever she’s using to keep her timeless beauty). She’s known as the most influential Hispanic performer in the US, also the highest paid Latin entertainer, responsible for the introduction of Hispanic presence in the film industry, and was the main reason in the allowing of curvy women to be accepted (she basically started the whole booty craze!). On top of all of these superhuman qualities, she has also contributed to many public service and charity cases and also created her own nonprofit organization, Lopez Family Foundation, whose goal it is to improve and provide more medical care to underserved women and children. In 2015, JLo was also chosen as the first ever Global Advocate for Girls and Women at the UN Foundation. She really does it all and she’s still Jenny from the block.
8. Frida Kahlo
Every time I’m asked the “if you could meet a historical figure, who would it be?” question, I always answer without hesitation the one and only, Frida Kahlo. There are very few people I know who are just as badass as she is. The revolutionary tequila drinking, cigarette smoking Mexican painter is the best-selling Latin American painter of all time. Every painting of hers is filled with raw emotion, many with unimaginable pain or profound self-reflection. Her life story including polio, a debilitating trolley accident, her tumultuous love story with Diego Rivera among other things, is moving and at times unbelievable. However, what’s even more inspiring is her resilience, bravery, and ability to remain firm and passionate through it all. This summary does not do Kahlo any justice in proving her inextinguishable strength so I highly recommend looking at her paintings, reading about her life story, or even watching the movie Frida. There’s no way you won’t be in awe.
9. Shakira
Not only can she belly dance like a mother, speak six languages, and maintain her global superstar status, but she is also completely devoted to philanthropy. Shakira founded the Pies Descalzos Foundation when she was 18 (yeah, you heard that right, 18). This foundation aims to help poor and impoverished children in Colombia by providing them with quality education and meals. She also helped create, along with other Latin American artists, ALAS which is a non-profit organization that strives to generate the integration of early childhood public policies for children in Latin America. And yeah, there’s more. In 2011, President Obama appointed Shakira to the President’s Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics AND she is currently one of UNICEF’s Goodwill Ambassadors that advocates for establishing political initiatives to stop the increase of children without access to education. YAS Shakira!
10. Sonia Sotomayor
Sonia Sotomayor is making history as the first Latina Justice of the Supreme Court and it’s third female. She was born in The Bronx with parents both from Puerto Rico and didn’t become fluent in English until she was nine years old. Since age 10, Sotomayor knew she wanted to be a judge and now she fights for defendants’ rights, reform of the criminal justice system, and she speaks out on issues of race, gender, and ethnic identity. Yet while achieving all these successes and making progress in our world, Sotomayor does not forget where she comes from, “the Latina in me is an ember that blazes forever” she says. #Preach
11. Celia Cruz
Celia Cruz was a Cuban singer, known as the “Queen of Salsa” and she was the most popular Latin artist of the 20th century. There isn’t a single Latino/a who hasn’t heard of her songs “La vida es un carnaval” or “La negra tine tumbao” or doesn’t know of her catchphrase “Azucar!”. Her soulful vocals, glamorous wardrobe and everlasting smile contributed in her success with 75 records, 23 of which went gold, and many Grammys and Latin Grammys. Telemundo, a American Spanish-language television network, created an 80 part novela depicting her life and this year Cruz has been honored with a Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award. Her legacy lives on every day in every salsa song we hear or every spoonful of azucar we add to our coffee, because, let’s be real, life is boring without some azucar.
12. Julia Alvarez
Known for her short story, poems, and novels, Julia Alvarez is regarded as the most successful Latina writers on an international scale. Although Alvarez was born in New York, her family moved to Dominican Republic but unfortunately had to flee the country due to her dad’s involvement against Trujillo, a brutal dictator. She began writing at this time and her work is heavily influenced with her experience and focuses on identity, assimilation, politics, and multiculturalism. Alvarez has received many grants and honors for her seamless ability to capture authentic experiences of Hispanic immigrants and to retell political history.
13. Sofia Vergara
Mostly known for her absolutely hilarious role as Gloria Pritchett on “Modern Family”, Sofia Vergara has become a huge household name. Her beauty, accent (which is real), and charm is all easily recognizable, but she isn’t just looks. Forbes reported that Vergara was the highest paid actress in television and not just because of her acting, but also because of all her endorsements. While some deem her character as a horrible stereotype, she relates easily to Gloria, “the character has a lot of similarities with my real life. I am an immigrant in this country, I have an accent, I’m Colombian, I have a child from a previous marriage. So it was created around me… It might be a stereotype, but I think the character is fantastic. She’s colorful, she’s honest, she’s out there, she cares about people. She’s loud, but I am loud. She’s crazy, but I am crazy. It’s not a problem” she says in an interview.
14. Carolina Herrera
Carolina Herrera is a very well known and highly esteemed Venezuelan fashion designer. Some of her clients include icons from Estee Lauder to Jacqueline Kennedy to Michelle Obama and she even designed the dress Bella wore to her wedding with Edward in Twilight: Breaking Dawn 1 (surprising, yes, but that dress is to die for). She is probably the most acclaimed Latina in the fashion industry.
15. Dascha Polanco
Dascha Polanco is an actress on OITNB, who is unafraid to speak her mind about topics from underrepresentation of Latinos on the big screen to body positivity. She’s not the typical size 0 actress, nor does she desire to be. “I always doubted auditioning because of my weight. I’ve always acted and pursued theater – it was something I had always wanted to do when I was young. But I felt I would be rejected because of my physical appearance. [“OINTB”] has given me the opportunity to show that I have curves and I have talent too. It’s been a battle, you know, because I’ve never been skinny. But I’ve embraced it. Now I have the opportunity to show everyone that this is sexy” she told NBC Latino. There’s no doubt that we can’t wait to see what other barriers this star will break!
16. Eva Longoria
Although she slips under the radar sometimes, we shouldn’t forget Eva Longoria as a remarkable actress, producer, directer, activist, and businesswoman. She is most commonly known for playing Gabrielle Solis on Desperate Housewives and she’s also appeared in a bunch of advertising campaigns and magazines. On top of this, the ninth-generation Mexican actress has been heavily involved with politics and philanthropy. She supports a numerous amount of charities and also created two of her own: Eva’s Heroes with helps developmentally disabled children and the Eva Longoria Foundation whose goal it is to close the education gap harming Latinas and confront Latino poverty. She also speaks out against anti-immigration policies (or even calling Mike Pence out on his “Mexican thing” comment) and has recently been working to encourage Latino voters during this election year.
17. Salma Hayek
Her role as Frida Kahlo in the movie Frida was Salma Hayek’s breakthrough role and probably because she relates so well to Frida. Similarly to how bold and independent Frida was, Hayek, who is also Mexican, embodies these characteristics as well. During an interview, she’s said, “I keep waiting to meet a man who has more balls than I do” (she’s married now, so maybe she finally met that man). She’s been in several movies such as Desperado (with Antonio Banderas), Grown Ups, and Tale of Tales to name a few. Hayek has also done a lot of charitable work whether it be raising awareness on violence against women and discrimination against immigrations or launching a campaign, “Chime for Change”, which aims to spread female empowerment.
18. Rigoberta Menchú
All the women in this list are brave in different ways but Rigoberta Menchú still strikes me as one of the bravest and boldest women in history. If you haven’t heard of her, Mechú is a political activist from Guatemala and has devoted her life to defend indigenous rights and publicize the right of indigenous feminists during the Guatemalan Civil War. She even ran for President of Guatemala, is a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, and won a Nobel Peace Prize. Totally casual, am I right?
19. Eva Perón
Eva Perón, or known to the Argentines as Evita, was a beloved Argentine First Lady from 1946 until 1952, when she passed away. As a teenager, Perón moved to Buenos Aires to become an actress but instead she ran the Ministries of Health and Labor as a First Lady, founded the Female Peronist Party which was a political party comprised of female voters, created the Eva Perón Foundation to fight poverty in Argentina, and fought for women’s suffrage in Argentina. No she didn’t become a world famous actress but she became an extremely loved icon in the Argentine government and rightfully so.
20. Melissa Villaseñor
If you’ve watched the first episodes of SNL’s latest season, you’ve probably seen one of SNL’s newest cast members and SNL’s first Latina cast member, Melissa Villaseñor. Villaseñor has been doing stand up for ten years now and her impressions are unbelievable. She can do impeccable impressions of Christina Aguilera, Wanda Sykes and Owen Wilson just to name a few. We’re eager to see more of her on SNL and more of her perfect impressions on her snapchat!