Puerto Rican playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda has taken the world by storm–and the Pulitzer commitee and Time magazine have recognized it. With him, 11 other Latinos made it on the list of the 100 Most Influential People in the world. Let me tell you who they are.
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Image via Time Magazine
Lin-Manuel Miranda
"Like Alexander Hamilton, Miranda is a powerful reminder that greatness comes from unlikely places. His Puerto Rican parents’ collection of Broadway-musical records was as strong an influence during his New York City upbringing as the hip-hop he would come to love," wrote J.J. Abrahams about the Puerto Rican writer, actor and director.
Gina Rodríguez
"Whenever she talks about herself or about being Hispanic, she's sending the message 'I deserve this, I work very hard, and I’m a good person.' I can say that about myself now, but I'm 84! That she can do that with such confidence and élan at her age imparts an enormous amount of inspiration to young people," wrote Rita Moreno about the Jane the Virgin star.
Christiana Figueres
"I've never met anyone quite like Christiana. She is a force of nature—a fierce and gentle fighter who tells it like it is but never wavers in her unrelenting optimism," wrote Robert Redford about the Costa Rican woman who leads the UN efforts against Climate Change.
Pope Francis
"And he embodies our collective obligation to give meaning to these universal principles, that faith is a gift revealed not just in what we believe but also in what we do together. That’s especially the case in America, where the history of our journey is always in the direction of inclusiveness and acceptance, toward expanding rights and recognizing differences, and where everyone is welcome," wrote Vice President Joe Biden about him.
Oscar Isaac
"While his instincts were great, he was also brave enough to take real risks," wrote director Paul Higgins about the Guatemalan actor.
Gael García Bernal
"…a spider had planted eggs inside his leg (while filming Motorcycle Diaries). Removal was a simple procedure, but this was very telling about Gael’s commitment to his characters and to his causes. They get under his skin, and you need a scalpel to remove them," wrote director Alfonso Cuarón about the Mexican actor.
Mauricio Macri
"Macri still has important tasks ahead of him, including taming inflation. But if he lives up to his promise, Argentina may finally do the same," wrote hedge fund investor Paul Singer, about the Argentinian President.
Sérgio Moro
"Sergio Moro is just a judge, albeit one prosecuting a corruption scandal so huge it could bring down a President—and perhaps change a culture of graft that has long hobbled his country’s progress," wrote Time magazine international editor Peter Walsh, about the Brazilian judge in charge of the biggest corruption investigation in the history of the country.
Ted Cruz
"Voters are hungry for people willing to take on Washington. More than anger, however, they want action. Ted Cruz is unique in politics today as he is actually doing the things in office that he said he would do," wrote his supporter Governor of Wisconsin Scott Walker.
Queen Máxima
"With her firm grasp of the technical issues, political savvy and boundless energy, Queen Máxima has masterfully used her role as the U.N. Secretary-General’s Special Advocate, her empathy and her easy laughter to cajole, encourage and support decisionmakers—from the hallowed halls of the financial-standard-setting bodies in Basel, Switzerland, to the female leaders of savings groups in rural villages," wrote fellow advocate Tilman Ehrbec, about the Argentinian born and raised Queen of the Netherlands.
Alejandro González Iñárritu
"When most of my film friends call my home and I’m not there, they leave a message—all they want to talk about is movies. But Alejandro will spend 30 or 40 minutes talking to my wife Lorenza about family, cooking and children, because he is interested in life in a voracious way. The principles and the deep humanity that animate his filmmaking also animate his day-to-day interactions. For that he has filled my heart with love and admiration, both as a filmmaker and as a friend," wrote fellow Mexican director Guillermo del Toro.
Ronda Rousey
"Imagine if we could teach our daughters to value their bodies for what they can do, not for how others think they look. Could Ronda be the one to finally help us understand that as females, we define the word feminine and that it doesn’t define us? If we don’t listen, can she dislocate our arms at the elbow?," Tina Fey wrote about the boxer, who has Venezuelan ancestry.