When history is made, no matter the field, something magical happens. What was once deemed impossible, or something that seemed so out of reach, was accomplished, it’s a wonderful thing to see. It wouldn’t be a proper Hispanic Heritage Month if we didn’t celebrate all of the momentous accomplishments Latinx stars have made over the years.
We’ll say it once, and we’ll say it forever: representation matters! When these Latinx stars accomplished the unfathomable, it shone a light on a community, showing that anyone can accomplish anything that wants from their dreams.
Oscar-winning actress Ariana DeBose said it perfectly in her speech when she won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role in West Side Story,“You see a queer, openly queer woman of color, an Afro Latina who found her strength in life through art…to anybody who has ever questioned your identity ever, ever, ever, or you find yourself living in the gray spaces, I promise you this: There is indeed a place for us.”
From record-breaking means and first-time nominations, these stars all did what was once thought to be impossible. From proud Puerto Ricans to Afro-Latinx ladies, these members of the Latinx community proudly accomplished something incredible.
Check out all of the Latinx stars who’ve made history and broken barriers in the entertainment industry below!
Rita Moreno
Rita Moreno became the first Latina, Hispanic and first Puerto Rican actress to take home an Oscar for her iconic role in West Side Story. Along with that, she was first Hispanic star to earn the coveted EGOT status, and in 2019, Moreno won a Peabody Award, being the first Latina PEGOT recipient.
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez is a groundbreaking artist for a bunch of different reasons. The first groundbreaking action was when she was the first Latina actress to be paid $1 million for a film for Selena. She’s also the first Latina to top the box office and the Billboard album charts simultaneously in 2001.
Lin-Manuel Miranda
Lin-Manuel Miranda made history with his ground-breaking Broadway show Hamilton, the legendary one he wrote about the life of founding father Alexander Hamilton. He’s one of the most decorated figures in entertainment with three Tony Awards, three Grammy Awards, two Primetime Emmy Awards, a MacArthur Fellowship Award, and a Pulitzer Prize, to name a few.
Jharrel Jerome
Jharrel Jerome became the first Afro-Latino to win an acting Emmy, and the youngest person to win the award for Outstanding Lead Actor, for his groundbreaking role in Ava DuVernay’s When They See Us.
José Ferrer
To this day, José Ferrer is the Hispanic Best Actor Oscar winner. Back in 1951, he won the Oscar for his leading role in Cyrano de Bergerac, making history that day.
George Lopez
Beloved TV actor George Lopez broke barriers by both creating and starring in the first primetime series led by a Mexican-American. Who didn’t love the show George Lopez?! He broke history again by being the first Mexican-American to host an English-language late-night show.
Salma Hayek
Not only does Salma Hayek have an insanely impressive career, but she was also the first Latina and first Mexican actress to be nominated for a Best Actress Oscar for her iconic role in Frida.
Desi Arnaz
Lucille Ball’s legendary husband Desi Arnaz made history just like his wife. He became the first Latino actor to star in a national English-language primetime TV show (you guessed right if you guessed in I Love Lucy!) and later the first Latino host of Saturday Night Live
Adrienne Bailon
Former Cheetah Girls member Adrienne Bailon made history by being the first Latina to co-host an English-language daytime talk show. She was one of the beloved hosts on the hit show The Real.
Ariana DeBose
Afro-Latinx star Ariana DeBose made history with her 2022 Oscars win for the role of Anita in West Side Story. DeBose is the first openly queer woman of color to take home an Oscar.
America Ferrera
As of 2022, America Ferrera is the first and only Latina actress to win a Best Actress Emmy for starring in a TV series for her role in Ugly Betty.
Shakira
Simply put, Shakira is the best-selling Latin female artist of all time, making her a legend. She was also part of the history-making Super Bowl half-time performance with Jennifer Lopez. Why was it history-making? Because it was the first show with two Latina women performing alongside one another!
Maria Elena Salinas
Maria Elena Salinas is the longest-running female news anchor on U.S. television and is the first Latina to receive a Lifetime Achievement Emmy.
Selena Quintanilla
Even past her untimely murder, Selena Quintanilla is still one of the most influential Latin artists of all time. In 1993, she won a Grammy award and became the first Latin artist to chart a Latin album at the top of the Billboard chart.
Melissa Villaseñor
You may or may not know that SNL‘s Melissa Villaseñor is a barrier breaker herself. Back in 2016, she became the first Latina SNLcast member!
Zoe Saldaña
Zoe Saldaña has done something no other actor has ever done: appear in three of the five highest-grossing films of all time like Avatar, Infinity War, and Endgame.
Katy Jurado
Katy Jurado became the first Mexican actress ever to be nominated for an Oscar, earning a nod for Supporting Actress for her role in Broken Lance. She was also the first to win a Golden Globe Award for her performance in High Noon back in 1952.
Aimee Carrero
Aimee Carrero became the first Latina to voice a Disney princess when she won the role of voicing Elena on Disney Channel’s Elena of Avalor.
Sofía Vergara
For five years straight, Latina superstar Sofía Vergara has been the highest-paid actress on TV.
Gloria Estefan
Cuban-American singer Gloria Estefan is a living legend, becoming the second best-selling female Latin artist in history and one of the best-selling female singers of all time.
Alejandro González Iñárritu
Alejandro González Iñárritu made history when he was the first Latin filmmaker to take home the Best Picture Oscar for his movie Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance). And he’s also the most nominated Latin American producer in this category!
Alfonso Cuarón
Alfonso Cuarón made history when he was the first Mexican director to take home a Best Director Oscar for directing the hit 2013 film Gravity.
Irene Cara
Irene Cara was the first U.S. Latina musician to win the Best Original Song Oscar for her song “Flashdance… What a Feeling” for the 1983 classic Flashdance.
Bad Bunny
Bad Bunny was the first non-English language act to be Spotify’s most streamed artist of the year, and later in 2022, he became the first non-English-language performer to win VMA Artist of the Year.
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