These Latinas Are Proudly and Unapologetically Taking 2019

Yalitza Aparicio not only made her film debut in Roma, but the Mexican actress also nabbed an Oscar nomination for best actress. She was only the second Mexican actress ever to receive the nomination (after Salma Hayek for her starring role in Frida), and the fourth-ever Latina.

It may be well over a year since Camila Cabello first released her hit "Havana," but her star-studded performance opening this year's Grammy Awards showed us that she's not going anywhere. The song also became the most-streamed song ever by a solo female artist on Spotify last year.

Since taking office as the youngest woman to ever serve in the US Congress, 29-year-old AOC has taken the country by storm by not being afraid to ask the hard questions both of the president and her political peers. The Puerto Rican-American politician has cited her upbringing in the Bronx and her working-class parents' search for decent schools as a critical factor in shaping her career path.

Would you believe J Lo is turning 50 this year? Yes, it may seem like she's done everything she could possibly do (act, sing, produce, host!), but in between judging World of Dance and planning a Summer tour (and a wedding to Alex Rodriguez), 2019 will be an amazing year as any for her.

Most runners have long been familiar with two-time Olympian Des Linden, but she stormed onto many people's radar last year, when she became the first American woman to win the Boston Marathon in 33 years. All eyes will be on Linden again this April, when she lines up back in Boston to defend her title.

Brazilian model Lais Ribeiro has already been in the spotlight for years, but as a Victoria's Secret Angel, we're excited to see her pop up more and more on ads and TV commercials, as well as Fashion Week runways around the world.

Last year, Mexican fashion designer Alexia Maria (pictured above left) told Forbes that her experiences as an immigrant and her Latinidad have significantly influenced the growth of her career. Her designs have already been worn by the likes of celebs such as America Ferrera and Gwen Stefani, and fashion aficionados are undoubtedly ready to see more.

Cuban-American physicist Sabrina Gonzalez Pasterski built her first single-engine airplane at age 14, which is just one reason why she's been dubbed the "next Einstein." She's currently hard at work on her Ph.D. at Harvard University and already has a job offer waiting at NASA.

All tennis fans know Monica Puig, but the world got to know her at the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics, when she took home the first-ever gold medal for Puerto Rico. She definitely hasn't slowed down since then and is sure to be on our radar leading up to Tokyo 2020.

In 2017, Julissa Arce inspired Latinas everywhere with the release of her book, My (Underground) American Dream: My True Story as an Undocumented Immigrant Who Became a Wall Street Executive. She's currently a contributor to CNBC and the book is being developed into a TV series with actress and producer America Ferrera.