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Hispanic Heritage Month: Famous hispanic people and celebrities with Latin roots
Hispanic heritage month is all about embracing Latin heritage as people in this list have been keen to do.
More and more celebrities are raising the profile of Latin America in the United States and globally. However, there are some that have been highly successful in the industry for several years and that you probably didn’t know had Latin roots.
In the framework of Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 - October 15), below, here are twn US celebrities with Latin roots.
10 Celebrities you didn’t know had Latin roots
Mariah Carey
One of the most recognized artists globally and the self-proclaimed Queen of Christmas has Latin roots. Although his mother is of Irish origin, her paternal grandfather, Francisco Roberto Núñez, emigrated from Venezuela to the United States, changing his name to Frank Robert Carey.
Frankie Muniz
Frankie Muniz became one of the most beloved teenagers on the small screen thanks to his leading role in Malcolm in the Middle. The actor, now 37 years old, was born and raised in the United States. However, Latin blood runs through his veins thanks to his father, Francisco III, who is native of Puerto Rico.
Aubrey Plaza
Famously played April Ludgate in the NBC sitcom Parks and Recreation. She is half Puerto Rican thanks to her father. In fact, a large part of her family resides in Puerto Rico and she has always been proud of her Latin roots, although not many people know it...
“My uncles and aunts used to teach my friends how to dance salsa at all my birthday parties when I was in high school. It was… It was a little uncomfortable,” the actress revealed, laughing, a couple of years ago.
Bella Thorne
It’s no secret that Bella Thorne achieved international fame thanks to her performances as a child star on Disney Channel. Later, she made the leap to the big screen and ventured into the world of music. What not many know about the actress are her Latin roots, since Thorne’s father is from Cuba. In fact, Bella confessed that her native language was Spanish, but she stopped speaking it once she entered school.
“People ask me all the time: ‘How come you had a XV birthday party if you’re not Latina?’ It’s a little annoying that people don’t realize that I am Latina, but it’s okay because I’m there to tell them that I am. I love hearing people speak Spanish,” the former Disney girl revealed.
Alexis Bledel
Alexis Bledel’s made her name playing Rory Gilmore in Gilmore Girls. However, her roots are very different from those of her screen mom Lorelai. In an interview with Latina, Bledel revealed that while most people assume she is Irish, her mother was actually raised in Mexico, while her father is Argentinean.
Morena Baccarin
The actress who starred in Homeland and Deadpool is originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. “I have this internal cultural struggle where there is a side of me that is very Brazilian who misses the food and the culture; and an American side that really loves structure. I feel like my drive and ambition are more American, while my passionate and relaxed side is completely Brazilian,” Morena recalled in an interview.
Cameron Diaz
The Charlie’s Angels actress has Cuban roots thanks to her father, Emilio Díaz, who emigrated from Cuba to Florida to work as a cigar maker; This was revealed by the actress during an interview in 2011.
Uma Thurman
The mix of roots of Quentin Tarantino's muse is truly surprising. The renowned actress is the daughter of Nena von Schlebrugge, a famous model who was born and raised in Mexico City, completely immersed in Mexican culture.
Nena, in turn, is the daughter of the German baron Friedrich Karl Johannes von Schlebrügge and the Swedish baroness Birgit Holmquist. In contrast, Thurman was born and raised in Amherst, Massachusetts, but has always been proud of its rich culture.
Bruno Mars
Bruno Mars, whose real name is Peter Gene Hernández, has Puerto Rican roots thanks to his father. Mars remembers his beginnings in music as a rather complicated process, since record label executives and producers They saw their Latin and Filipino roots - on their mother’s side - as defining traits. Nevertheless, Bruno managed to make a name for himself in the industry and now speaks with pride about his roots.
Victoria Justice
Like Bella Thorne, Victoria Justice rose to fame thanks to her starring roles in Nickelodeon children’s series. The popular Tori Vega from Victorious is of Puerto Rican descent through her mother, Serene Justice-Reed’s, side of the family.