These Celebrities Are Proud of Being Latina and Want You to Know It

"I am proud to be Latina. I will not accept [anyone] telling me that I’m less or whatever, because to me, that is just hysterical." — Zoe Saldana to Glam Belleza Latina in 2013

"A lot of people don’t assume I’m Puerto Rican because I’m fair-skinned, but I feel very connected to that side of my family. . . . Boricua pa'que lo sepas!" — Aubrey Plaza to Cosmopolitan for Latinas in 2013

"I play her the way I see my mother and my aunt behave as Latin women. And now the writers know more about the Latin culture than when I started doing the show, and they know me better, too. So at this point, I pretty much follow the script." — Sofia Vergara on her Modern Family character, Gloria, to Time in 2014

"My genetics gave me a curvy figure, and I’ve come to understand that in the Latina culture, that is beautiful. I no longer look at my body and think, Oh my gosh, I have such a fat butt. Or, I hate my thighs. On some days I don’t love them. But, you know, that’s one of the things that makes me me." — Demi Lovato in the Winter 2014 issue of Glam Belleza Latina

"I think my great grandma makes me proud to be Latina — she’s 93 years old and the feistiest, most got-it-together woman. She's a strong lady, and she was born in Puerto Rico. . . . She makes me proud to be Latina." — Victoria Justice to Latina in 2014

"I love being rooted in your culture, but not being constrained by it. I love being celebratory, bold, and independent. I embrace it all!" — Eva Longoria to Latina in 2012

"People piss me off so much. I’m half Mexican. I’ve got the fire in me for sure." — Selena Gomez in the October 2015 issue of Elle Magazine

"Being Latina means being me. It's who I am; it's in my blood and how I was raised. To me, it means being fun; it means the obnoxious laughing, the big personalities, the Latin spice. I definitely have a little bit of the Latin attitude." — Bella Thorne in an exclusive interview with POPSUGAR Latina

"Mexicans, like all Latinos, contribute positively to this great nation. We are the force that keeps the country afloat. I was very excited and grateful for the opportunity to serve as co-host of this great event in which many Latinas have shown, but more excited I have loyalty to my people." — Roselyn Sanchez in a written statement backing out of the Miss USA pageant after Donald Trump’s negative comments about Mexican immigrants

"Girl you are as Mexican and Latina as you want to be. You define who you are, not someone's silly alienating opinion." — Gina Rodriguez on Twitter shutting down an Internet hater who said he didn't understand how she could be proud of being Latina when she doesn't speak Spanish

"We lived in a little Cuban community in Los Angeles around a lot of Latinos. It wasn't the best area, but it certainly wasn't the worst. There was a communal feeling. In the Summer everyone kept the door open and made their cafecitos and sat on plastic beach chairs until late at night. Also, my father didn't speak English, still doesn't, and he demanded that we speak Spanish. And so I grew up with a really heavy Cuban influence, yet I was American. I'm super fortunate to have had the best of both worlds." — Eva Mendes to Glam Belleza Latina in 2015

"I'm very proud to be part Mexican. I'm one of a growing number of Hispanics in America, but you wouldn't necessarily know it. This is becoming the norm, and it's the beauty of our melting pot." — Fergie to Glam Belleza Latina in 2015