Slowly but surely Latinos are flexing their muscles and increasing their presence in the entertainment world. We've decided to take a closer look at American-born Latinos and see how they are using their power. The list of American passport holders includes Zoe Saldana, Rosario Dawson, Wilmer Valderrama, Jencarlos Canela and Pitbull, among many others. What they're doing off the screen or outside the recording studio is certainly impressive.
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These stars are using their leverage to celebrate American culture and defend the pillars of our democracy. Some of them have taken to advocating for the rights of the children separated from their parents at the border, others have chosen to focus on women's issues, gun control, DACA or other important topics. But one thing's for sure: These Latino stars are committed to making the country better.
Keep reading and click through our list of proud celebs who are Americans by birth. You might be surprised at some of the causes a certain celeb has chosen to embrace but we promise you'll absolutely be inspired by their work. Who knows? They might even encourage you to join them in the fight.
Leslie Grace has made a career as 'La reina de la bachata'.
But she was born in the Bronx and has lived in the country her whole life. Here she is after giving a free concert with Yandel to the troops in Texas, on September 2015.
Jencarlos Canela was born in Miami.
The Cuban-American singer always takes time to appreciate the troops. "Gracias I have deep respect for our women and men in uniform.
I appreciate and value the risks taken by you and your families and I see it as a disservice to you and myself if I ever take for granted this life I’m living. You are part of the reason why I think twice before complaining about things that are minor compared to the sacrifices and conditions y’all go through.Thank you!!," [he wrote on Memorial Day 2018](<blockquote%20class="instagram-media"%20data-instgrm-captioned%20data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/BjVX7ReFVHo/"%20data-instgrm-version="8"%20style="%20background:#FFF;%20border:0;%20border-radius:3px;%20box-shadow:0%200%201px%200%20rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0%201px%2010px%200%20rgba(0,0,0,0.15);%20margin:%201px;%20max-width:658px;%20padding:0;%20width:99.375%;%20width:-webkit-calc(100%%20-%202px);%20width:calc(100%%20-%202px);"><div%20style="padding:8px;">%20<div%20style="%20background:#F8F8F8;%20line-height:0;%20margin-top:40px;%20padding:58.63636363636363%%200;%20text-align:center;%20width:100%;">%20<div%20style="%20background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAA).
Elizabeth Gutiérrez was born in Los Angeles.
The actress and entrepreneur spent some of her childhood in Jalisco, Mexico. However, she is fully bilingual and makes sure that her kids, both born in Miami, celebrate the American holidays.
Prince Royce considers himself lucky to be born in America.
“I definitely think I’ve achieved my American Dream,” he said in an interview. Royce's parents are immigrants from the Dominican Republic and raised their four kids in the Bronx, New York.
Becky G. has used her voice to defend children and immigrants.
The singer was born in Los Angeles to Mexican-American parents and considers herself bicultural. She says her calling is to help girls and young women like her in the U.S. She grew up in poverty and suffers from anxiety.
Jorge Bernal believes in paying it forward.
The Cuban-American Telemundo star often participates in philantropic and community activities around Miami, the city that welcomed his parents and his birthplace. He finds it a way to honor the country.
Angélica Celaya was born in North Carolina and grew up in Tucson, Arizona.
While she often honors her Mexican heritage, the actress also celebrates American traditions and is teaching them to her son. This was her photo on Independence Day 2018, which she published with the caption "Red… White … & Blue. Mommy, Alessandro & Daddy."
Romeo Santos is a Bronx boy born to a Puerto Rican mom and a Dominican dad.
While he always highlights his New York City roots, Romeo avoids topics of patriotism or politics. The exception was this photo on Instagram when the Obamas left the White House. "It's been an honor to sing for this President," he wrote.
Jennifer Lopez is a model citizen.
In March 2018, she and her boyfriend, Alex Rodríguez, gave their support to a program to help inner-city kids in New York to launch a career in real estate. She believes in giving back as much as possible.
Eva Longoria is one of the voices educating the rest of the country about Latinos.
She believes it will make us stronger. Eva works hard to ensure Latinos exercise their right to vote. Voting is truly one of the most patriotic things you can do for our country.
Pitbull believes that the way to honor the U.S. is by educating the next generation.
That's why among other philantropic activities, the rapper has opened two charter schools for inner-city kids in Miami and Las Vegas.
Rosario Dawson considers herself an activist for the American people.
"I champion people. I really care about people. Not everybody gets how I grew up in my household, where you’re told you’re loved every day and hugged and how important this is. And that you can be anything you want to be. I’ve learned that you can do it all. It doesn’t take away from my acting or art to be an activist, and it doesn’t hurt my activism to be an artist. For me, it’s part of a well-rounded life."
America Ferrera is the proud daughter of Honduran immigrants.
“I have always felt wholly American, and yet, my identity is inextricably linked to my parents’ homeland and Honduran culture,” America said in a statement. “I have yearned my whole life to see my complex cultural identity reflected in the larger American narrative. I am proud to share these personal stories that honor and reflect the experiences of so many Americans,” she said when presenting the book American Like Me: Reflections on Life Between Cultures. Other contributors to the publication are Lin-Manuel Miranda, Roxane Gay, Issa Rae, Kumail Nanjiani, Congressman Joaquin Castro, Kal Penn, Uzo Aduba, Jenny Zhang, Michelle Kwan, Padma Lakshmi, among others. The book will be released on September 25th.
Wilmer Valderrama was born in Miami but grew up in Colombia and Venezuela, his parents' homeland.
His whole family moved back to the U.S. when he was 14. He is committed to playing a role in creating an America where everybody feels included. His dream crystallized during a visit in 2016 to a border town in Texas.
"I felt like I was seeing the future," he said about it. "With Brownsville, you can see how both cultures—American and Mexican—influence each other, and how they've created this hybrid culture that's infused with both flavors. That is what the future of our national community culture is going to be like—influences coming together to create one common vision."
Zoe Saldana's America looks Latinx and she is proud to be part of it.
She is using her power as a blockbuster star (Guardians of the Galaxy, Avengers, Avatar and Star Trek) to highlight today's America with her media company BESE.
"The mission of BESE is to reshape the cultural narrative by shining light on the untold story that reflects today’s America, that also meant creating opportunities for content creators in the tech and digital world that haven’t been given the opportunity that they deserve…We hired a lot of Latinx video content creators because we want to manifest our mission from the inside out,” she explained at the launch of her project.
Gerardo Ortíz is famous for singing Mexican music.
But the singer, born in Pasadena, California, always commemorates American holidays.
Génesis Rodríguez was born in Miami to a Venezuelan dad and a Cuban mother.
She's a proud Latina who isn't afraid to show off her American pride.
Marc Anthony is committed to be a voice in our political system.
Born and raised in New York, he has visited troops and even organized events for Presidential campaigns. He is a proud American working to make the country stronger and better for everyone.
Mario López has talked often about belonging to two cultures at the same time.
"I think you should be proud of your heritage and celebrate it and at the same, if you’re first generation like I am, you embrace American culture as well,” he said in an interview promoting his book Just Between Us, that came out in 2014.
Jimmy Smits' mom was from Puerto Rico and his dad hailed from Surinam.
However, he describes himself as a proud "American Latino." He often speaks to educate Americans about mental health, cancer and other conditions. He has also been a strong advocate for Latinos.
