It's no secret that we are big into Latina celebrities. Seeing ourselves represented in Hollywood, and the entertainment industry in general, never gets old. So often their journey to success feels like a win for all of us and helps us feel seen. And speaking of their journey and being seen, wouldn't it be fun to see pictures of some of our favorite Latina celebrities before they were famous? We think so, which is why we've got some great photos to share with you.
More from MamásLatinas: Most controversial moments in Oscar history
We've got pictures of America Ferrera, Christina Aguilera, and Selena Gomez when they were itty bitty little kids. And they aren't the only ones. Get ready to see a pic of Mariah Carey when she was just a girl singing alongside her mom. So many fun pics of Latina celebrities before they hit it big and before they had access to glam squads. You're in for a treat!
A very young America Ferrera was excited about Christmas.
On December 19, 2021, America Ferrera posted this throwback picture of herself to spread some holiday cheer and it's impossible not to feel cheer when looking at that smiling face. Look at how exuberantly happy she is and not for nothing, she still looks a lot like she did when she was a kid.
Her smile is as delightful as ever.
America has one of those smiles that takes over her entire face and makes you want to smile, too. She's had it since she was a little girl and hopefully life will continue to give her many reasons to smile.
Can you believe this is Selena Gomez!
It is! She's wearing a costume that her mom made her. "Honestly my mom really killed it on my costumes growing up," Selena captioned this photo and she is not wrong. That is a KILLER costume!
She's still knows how to rock a black dress.
Nowadays, Selena is all grown up, but she's still as bewitching as ever as you can see from this photo of her at the 2022 Screen Actors Guild Awards. She also still looks wonderful in long black dresses.
It's an itty bitty Jennifer Lopez celebrating her birthday!
Jennifer Lopez was born on July 24, 1969. One day before her birthday in 2015, she shared this throwback photo of herself as a toddler. She is so freakin' adorable! Could she be any happier?
And this is Jennifer celebrating 52!
For her 52nd birthday, Jennifer shared a series of photos of her birthday celebration aboard a yacht. She has definitely come a long way in her lifetime. She is always up to something creatively and it's been amazing to see her career evolve.
Behold a little girl named Stacy Ann Ferguson.
This little girl grew up to be known as the singer Fergie. Fergie actually started her career when she was a little girl, appearing in commercials and the show Kids Incorporated. Later in life she joined the Black Eyed Peas and became Fergie or The Duchess, as many call her.
Behold The Duchess!
In 2006, Fergie released The Duchess, her first solo album. She has continued to pursue her solo career and has also taken on work as a spokesperson, done some handbag designing, and acted in films.
Check out Mariah Carey and her mom.
They look so much alike in this picture of them performing side-by-side that Mariah posted in honor of Mother's Day in 2017. The caption reads: "Happy Mother's Day to my mother and to all the mothers in the land! You are loved and appreciated ❤️"
Mariah went on to have an incredible career.
Mariah's dad is a Venezuelan aeronautical engineer and her mom is a voice coach and opera singer. Mariah started imitating her mom's opera singing when she was just 2 years old. She signed with Columbia Records when she was 18 years old and her first album generated four No. 1 singles. She has generated many, many more top singles.
Take a look a little Christina Aguilera.
Look at how darling she was! "Happy Halloween from this lil witch!" she captioned this throwback photo posted in 2019. She sure looks like a very happy witch and not a mean one at all.
And here she is as Xtina.
Christina started her career as a cast member of The All New Mickey Mouse Club in 1993. In 1999, she released her first album and it has sold over 8 million copies. Christina wanted to change her image and developed an alter ego named Xtina when she came out with the 2002 Stripped album.
This childhood picture of Cardi B has inspired many memes.
The way she's got her hand on her hip and that look on her face makes you wonder what she was thinking. A lot of people have taken it upon themselves to post the image with what they image little Cardi B or Belcalis Marlenis Almánzar, as she was known back then, was about to say.
Cardi is nothing if not outspoken.
Part of what makes the memes so funny is that Cardi B grew up to be a successful entertainer who is known for speaking her mind. Cardi has won many awards for her music and she made history as the first female to win a Grammy in the best rap album category.
Back in the days when Salma Hayek had to audition.
Salma Hayek is at a point in her career where she most likely does not have to audition for parts anymore, but that wasn't always the case. "When you go to an audition and they manage to take a picture worse than the one on your driver’s license," she captioned this throwback photo. Whoever took that picture must have tried really hard to take a bad pic because Salma is incredibly photogenic.
This is a much better picture of her.
Salma already had an acting career in Mexico when she decided to move to Los Angeles to pursue a film career. She got her first "big break" when she was cast in Desperado opposite Antonio Banderas. She continues to act as well as produce.
That's Eva Longoria on the right.
Eva posted this picture on Christmas Eve in 2020. The caption reads: "#ThrowbackThursday to 1979-ish with my sister!" They are both adorable. You can definitely tell that Eva is the one on the right. She's still flashes that mischievous smile from time to time.
And here's Eva enjoying an adult beverage.
Eva started off competing in beauty pageants. Then in 2001, she was cast on the soap opera The Young and the Restless. But what really helped her blow up was when she got the part of Gabrielle Solis on Desperate Housewives. She got to use her mischievous smile a lot in that role.
An adolescent Zoe Saldana with her sisters.
Zoe has two sisters that she's very close to and collaborates with on various projects. Their names are Cisely and Mariel. In this pic you can see the three sisters when they were still kids.
Zoe and her sisters are all grown up.
Zoe trained as a dancer and her first film role was in the movie Center Stage. She played a ballet dancer, which is perfect because although she enjoys all dance. She has described ballet as being her passion.