Latin@s Celebrities

Latinos are definitively influencing the American culture and becoming part of the big U.S. society in many aspects. One of them: Hollywood! Have you noticed that in many movies or TV shows a latino character is always included in the story?

Movie and shows producers know how important it is to represent every ethnicity group living in the United States to make their productions successful. 

I bet you didn't know that a lot of Celebrities are full blooded Latinos or have Latin roots! 

Here's 10 Celebrities you probably didn't know are Latinos!

Jordana Brewster, 30

This beautiful brunette first role was as all-American teen queen, Delilah Profitt in Robert Rodriguez’s cult film, The Faculty (1998). Jordana was born in Panama City, Panama and her mother, Maria João, is a former Sports Illustrated swimsuit model from Brazil. Jordana lived in Brazil for several years and speaks fluent Portuguese.
 

 

Andrew Keegan, 32
Andrew Keegan usually plays all-American pretty boy in films. He has participates in movies like Camp Nowhere (1994), 10 Things I Hate About You (1999), O (2001), and the TV shows 7th Heaven and Party of Five. Keegan—born Andrew Keegan Ocampo— is the son of a Colombian woman named Lana! Holaaaa Keegan!  

Frankie Muniz, 24 Yep! "Malcom" is half Latino! He is the son of a Puerto Rican father and an Italian mother.Who would have thought of that! Right?

Nicole Richie,28                                                                                                                    When you think of Nicole Richie, Latina is the last thing that comes to you? isn't it? Well, this Socialite, reality star and sometimes actress, is known as Lionel Richie’s adopted daughter. Richie was actually born Nicole Camille Escovedo to a Mexican mother.

Joanna Garcia, 30

You might remember her as Cheyenne Hart-Montgomery, a white cheerleader on Reba, and as Megan Smith, a white journalist on the CW’sPrivileged, but did you know that she is Cuban? Born in Tampa, Florida to a Spanish-American mother and a Cuban father.

Alexis Bledel, 28

Alexis played Rory Gilmore for seven seasons on the show Gilmore Girls. Few people knew she is Latina. Bledel was born in Houston, Texas to a Mexican mother named Nanette Dozier and an Argentinean dad named Martin. Her first language is Spanish!

Michael Trevino, 25

He is known as Ozzy, the bad boy on the show 90210, and in his current role as Tyler Lockwood on the hit series, The Vampire Diaries, but did you know that Trevino is Mexican? He is full-blooded Mexican. His mother was born in Zacatecas, Mexico, and his father (son of Mexican immigrants) was born near Fresno, California.

 

Harry Shum Jr., 28

You know as that kid on Glee who is always dancing around in the background which is referred to as “the other Asian” on the show. His name is Harry Shum Jr. and he’s actually a Tico! Born in Costa Rica to Chinese parents. He speaks Chinese and Spanish!

 

Alex Meraz,26                                                                                                                         

Best known for his role as Paul who is best friends with Jacob (Taylor Lautner) in Twilight: New Moon (2009) and Twilight: Eclipse (2010), Alex Meraz is half-Mexican.

 

Joan Smalls, 22 I know she is not an actress, but she is a big deal!
Joan Smalls is a model for Estée Lauder who is from the Puerto Rican town of Hatillo. She became famous when she was chosen to walk exclusively for Givenchy’s Fall 2010 couture show in Paris.  

If you want to find out what other celebrities are Latin@, visit the Latina magazine website: http://www.latina.com/entertainment/buzz/100-stars-you-never-knew-were-latino?slide=38

All images from Google Images

Trip to South America (Part II)

Do you like to travel? Do you want to experience a new culture and visit an amazing place? Well, for those who love to travel, visit new places and experience nature first hand. You will love to know about the other five destinations I'm going to tell you about!

Here they are:

6. San Pedro de Atacama-Chile

This destination once was a destination where they transported cattle and today has flourished into a major tourist destination.
The best area is the "Valle de Luna" (Moon valley), travelers think is a great setting for star gazing. This place not only is amazing for star gazing but also offers beautiful craters, canyons, caves, valleys and salt mines.

7. The Galapagos Islands - Ecuador

This is the ultimate animal lover's paradise. The Galapagos are perhaps the last unspoiled place on earth where man  continues to respect the boundaries of mother nature and wild creatures prosper without fear of man.

No where else can you find animals frolicking, unafraid of their onlookers. Here you can play amongst sea lions,penguins and swim alongside turtles.

8. Lake Titicaca - Bolivia

This is South America's largest lake and the home to several indigenous communities make the area both agriculturally strong and full of cultural significance.Copacabana is the heart and largest town on the shore.  Due to its rich history, Copacabana's religious festivities, often celebrating Pachamama (Mother Earth), are frequent and well known. 

9. Easter Island - Chile

The Easter Island, also known as Isla de Pascua or Rapa Nui by the Spanish and Polynesian, is known to be one of the most sacred sites on Earth. Famous for its enigmatic giant stone figures, the "Moai" were built centuries ago, but continue to remain a mystery.            Easter Island also hosts two white sand beaches making it the idyllic location to take in a bit of ancient culture while basking in the tropical sun. Visitors can enjoy bodysurfing, surfing, scuba diving and snorkeling.


10. The Pantanal - Brazil

Perhaps the wildest region in the world, the Pantanal has the greatest density of animal life in South America. Created by seasonal flooding of the river Paraguai, these wetlands are considered one of the world's largest and most diverse freshwater wetland ecosystems. A lot of colorful birds, hummingbirds, macaws and parrots inhabit this area.

I hope you enjoyed knowing about this great destinations in South America.If you decide to travel to Latin America you know which are some of the most popular places to go!

Yes! Latin America is beautiful! 

All images from Google Images

Trip to South America (Part I)

Have you ever visited any of the countries in Latin America? What about South America?

Latin America is full of beautiful places that must people would enjoy to see and spend a few days at. Today I will tell you about 10 popular destinations in Latin American and why are they such a great places to visit! 

Here are the first five:

1- Machu Pichu-Peru

Peru is one of the most popular places to visit in South America, specially due to the Incan kingdom of Machu Pichu. This place is hidden within the lush Peruvian mountains, considered a mystical city which remained a secret for ages and now is the continent's best known archeological site.

2-Angel Falls-Venezuela

The Angel Falls are the highest waterfalls in the world. They are impressive and not the only reward. There is also a beautiful jungle trek that has grasslands, rivers and mountains.

Travelers who tour deep into the jungle are treated to tropical wildlife in the are including monkeys, poison arrow frogs and orchids.

4-Torres del Paine-Chile

Torres del Paine is a National Park located in the Southern region of Chile. It offers amazing hiking opportunities among glaciers, lakes and mountains. 

5-Salar de Uyuni-Bolivia

This is the world's largest salt flat, salt and other abundant minerals are sought in this area. Usually photographers go there to capture the unique landscape. The salt flats are often part of a 3-4 day tour in Bolivia.

Now you know some of the most amazing destinations you can go to in Latin America!

Check out my next blog where I will tell you about five more destinations that will amaze you!! 

All images from Google Images

Culture and Language Influence

For fact Latinos are becoming a great part of the United States population and very predominant in  the American society. The Latino population has had an impact not only on the demography of the U.S. population, but also on other aspects of U.S. society. Since the beginning of the immigration waves in the 20's until now, Latin-Americans have shown to have influenced the American culture.

Have you noticed that there is more Hispanic food restaurants? A hispanic food isle in super markets? More Americans learning Spanish? 

How are Latin-americans and Hispanics influencing the American culture?

There are a few different things that come to my mind: Language, business and lifestyle.

Language:
For the longest time America has claimed that English is their language and even though it is a great language and a world-wide spiked language, is not the only one that is spoke in the United States anymore. Spanish has become almost a second language, due to the amount of Spanish-speaking population living in the U.S.

Business:
Latin-Americans have influenced the business aspect of the U.S. because as the Hispanic population grows each year, so do the Latin-american type businesses. The business community will eventually rely on Latinos as business owners, employees, investors, and consumers. The fact that they are bilingual and bicultural also makes Latinos a valuable resource as the U.S. business community expands its consumer markets and business operations into Latin America. 

Lifestyle:
Why do I think that Latinos are influencing the lifestyle of Americans?
Now the American population find themselves talking to, sharing the bus with, selling products to and working with Latin-americans on their daily bases, which influences the way Americans live because they have to relate to them and understand their culture. 
Latinos came to the U.S. and they brought their culture with them, this can be seen, for example, in the increasing popularity of Latin American food and music and in the prevalence of Spanish-language, advertisements, and media.  

Here are some interesting facts about Latinos in the U.S. and their contribution to the American economy.

In addition to opening new businesses and creating new jobs, Latinos are also spending big bucks. Latinos contributed more than $1 trillion to the U.S. economy in 2010. 

Latinos own nearly one in every 10 businesses across the U.S. Latino-owned businesses grew 47 percent to 2.3 million in comparison to the non-Latino increase of 14.5 percent between 2002 and 2007. They generated over $400 billion dollars in 2007.





All images from Google Images 

Nice to meet you!

Mannerism in the Latin culture

Have you ever seen Latin American friends greeting each other with a kiss or a hug?

Did you think that was a little different than what you normally do when greeting a friend? Maybe you have been to a Latin American country and you did not know how to greet people. I’ll explain how this whole kissing, hugging greetings work. When is ok to do it, with who and where!

Hispanics like to be polite and a firm handshake is a common practice between them, as well as, a light kiss on the cheek and a hug are also common forms of greeting family members and friends. When Hispanics are greeting someone informally they are very fast and they use body language to convey their points.

Relatives and Friends

In general, friends and relatives greet each other in Latin America with a kiss or a hug. When a male greets a female or a female greets another female here is what happens. They put their cheeks together, and make a light kissing sound. Their lips don't ever touch, just their checks. This entire ritual will only take one or maybe 2 seconds. When a male greets another male, who is his relative or friend, it is customary for them just to approach each other and give each other a light hug.

Casual Parties

When you are invited to someone's home you should expect to be treated as a friend or relative. Be prepared for a kiss or a hug! If you are unsure at all on what to do when you are in someone's home, the best thing to do is just follow the lead of your host. In some countries and regions you may also be kissed twice once on one cheek and once on the other cheek. If you are prepared to follow the lead of your host, you'll do just fine! Just so you know, these are hugs and kisses that they have absolutely no romantic meaning in the Latin American culture.

Business

In most business situations and greetings, you can generally plan on shaking hands, unless they have known each other for a long time or is relative. 

Now you know what to expect and what to do if you visit a Latin American country! Shaking hands, hugging and kissing is allowed!

All images from Google images

Let's Celebrate!

Thanksgiving is coming up and it made me think of the different holidays that Latin American countries celebrate. Thanksgiving is not one of them. But we celebrate many others that have a special meaning to us.

The first one that comes to my mind is  Nov 1 Día de los Muertos or Day of the Dead which is celebrated in Mexico. Traditionally, it is a day to celebrate and honor one’s ancestors. Many celebrate setting up ofrendas (altars) in their homes to honor the memory of deceased loved ones.Others visit their loved one’s cemetery plot and decorate it with flowers, candles and food. The holiday is celebrated with family and community gatherings, music, and feasting, and the festivity of its observance acknowledges death as an integral part or life.

Another very popular holiday celbrated in Latin America is La Semana Santa or Easter and the Holy Week which is usually clebrated the first week of April. Easter is one of the highest holy days of the year. The week leading up to Easter involves solemn processions, prayer, masses and other preparation for Jesus’ rebirth.

May 5 is the famous Cinco de Mayo celebration in Mexico which commemorates the victory of Mexican forces over the French army at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. It is primarily a regional holiday celebrated in the Mexican state capital city of Puebla, and in other parts of Mexico. It is also celebrated in U.S. cities with a significant Mexican population. It is not, as many people think, Mexico’s Independece Day, which is actually September 16.

Aug 1-6 Feast of the Savior of the World or El Salvador del Mundo, patron saint of El Salvador. San Salvadoreans celebrate with street fairs and a “bajada”, a procession honoring the saints.

Sep 15 is the Independence Day for Central American nations (El Salvador, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua). Commemorates the declaration of independence from Spain in 1821.

Oct 12 is the Spanish National Day, also known as Día de la HIspanidad (Spain). In most of the Spanish-speaking countries celebrated as Dia de la Raza, Columbus Day, or Panamerican Day. This holiday commemorates the arrival of Christopher Columbus in America. A holiday with complex and changing meanings. Hispanics in the U.S. are split on their political feelings about the holiday.

These are only a few of the many holidays that are celebrated in Latin America. Each celebration will surely have a lot of food, music and family gatherings.



All images from google images.