Comedian Louis C.K. says his observations about American culture are because he spent several years as a young child living in his father’s native country of Mexico.
Born to a Puerto Rican/Jewish father and Filipino mother, pop sensation Bruno Mars’ real name is Peter Hernandez. He told GQ Magazine that when music producers heard his last name, they suggested he try Latin music instead.
“Jersey Shore” star Nicole “Snooki” Polizzi made a name for herself as the (very tan) face of New Jersey’s Italian-Americans. She was actually born in Chile and adopted by an Italian-American family when she was 6 months old.
Cameron Diaz’s father is of Cuban descent, born and raised in Tampa, Florida’s Ybor City. The bubbly blonde actress told Vogue magazine she spent part of her summers as a child in Tampa with her over-protective grandmother, “playing cards, eating steak and rice and beans and drinking RC Cola and watching soap operas.”
Magician David Blaine was born in Brooklyn, New York, and is of Puerto Rican and Russian descent.
Actress Jessica Alba’s father is Mexican-American, and she says she takes pride in being Latina, despite rumors to the contrary.
The biological father of “Wheel of Fortune” star Vanna White was Puerto Rican.
R&B singer Maxwell is the son of a Haitian mother and a Puerto Rican father.
For his starring role in the Latino-centric action film “Machete Kills,” Charlie Sheen dropped his stage name for his birth name, Carlos Estevez. His father, actor Martin Sheen, had also changed his name from Ramon Estevez (Martin Sheen’s mother was from Ireland, and his father was from Spain). Charlie Sheen’s brother, Emilio Estevez, kept his Latino surname throughout his successful acting career.
American actress Rita Hayworth started her Hollywood career as Rita Cansino. Her father, Eduardo Cansino, was from Spain.
She’s the adopted daughter of singer Lionel Richie, but Nicole Richie’s biological father is of Mexican descent.
Entertainer Sammy Davis Jr. always said his mother, Elvera Sanchez, was from Puerto Rico, but she was actually of Cuban descent. Davis lied because he didn’t want any anti-Cuban sentiment to affect his record sales, author Wil Haygood wrote in “In Black and White: The Life of Sammy Davis, Jr.”
About a decade ago, actress Raquel Welch announced her Latina roots, saying, “It’s long overdue.” Her father was from Bolivia.
Once named as one of the country’s most influential Hispanics by Hispanic Business Magazine, basketball star Carmelo Anthony says many of his fans don’t realize that he’s of Puerto Rican descent.
Olympic swimmer Ryan Lochte’s mother was born in Cuba. She moved to Miami as a child.
Hall of Fame baseball player Reggie Jackson, born Reginald Martinez Jackson, is of Puerto Rican descent.
Singer Kelis is the daughter of an African-American father and a Puerto Rican and Chinese mother.
Legendary actor Anthony Quinn was born in Chihuahua, Mexico, in the midst of the Mexican Revolution in the early 20th century. His father was half-Irish and his mother was Mexican-Indian. At 8 months old, Quinn came to Texas with his mother, who hid him in a coal wagon to escape the war.
Baseball legend Ted Williams didn’t talk much about his upbringing, so not many people knew his mother was from Mexico.
-CNN
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