2016 was no doubt a contentious year for many. Among its more redeemable qualities, this past year saw some of the best Latinx artists, thinkers, and activists. In one way or another, these well-knowns all brought nuance to what it means to be Latinx in a Eurocentric world and brought awareness to the importance of representation in the media.
1. Lin-Manuel Miranda
One could not ignore the ubiquity of Hamilton, a musical penned by the multi-talented Puerto Rican-American, Lin-Manuel Miranda. The actor/writer/composer took on the lead role and picked up two Tony Awards and was also hired to compose the music for Disney’s Moana.
In a profile for The New Yorker, he said, “When I get called in for stuff for Hollywood, I get to be the best friend of the Caucasian lead. If I want to play the main guy, I have found, I have to write it.” Sounds like Miranda’s not about to throw away his shot.
2. Gina Rodriguez
In 2016, Gina Rodriguez continued enchanting audiences in Jane the Virgin and using her platform to bring awareness to the issue of minority representation. This last year, the Puerto Rican-American actress established the We Will Foundation, designed to focus on arts education, scholarship funding, and empowering young women.
She also won the Young Humanitarian Award. In her acceptance speech, she recognized her parents, saying, “They taught me that being good was a standard that doesn’t need praise or recognition— that the more you help others succeed, you, too, will succeed.”
3. Selena Gomez
Despite her lupus diagnosis and subsequent three-month social media hiatus, Gomez (of Italian and Mexican descent) managed to have the #1 most followed Instagram account. In 2016, she also won an American Music Award for Best Female Artist and took advantage of the spotlight to talk about the importance of self-love.
She said, “I don’t want to see your bodies on Instagram; I want to see what’s in [your heart]. I’m not trying to get validation, nor do I need it anymore.” As a final note to her fans, she added, “If you are broken, you do not have to stay broken.”
4. Diego Luna
Diego Luna, a Mexican-born actor/producer/director, played a lead role in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. When it came to figuring out his character’s accent for the film, he told the director, “This is my accent.” Since the film’s release, Luna was met with praise from Latinx audiences for being a champion of authentic minority representation.
Of Rogue One, he said, “It’s a great chance for new audiences to approach this world, with the diversities there— the accents, the skin tones, the main role is a woman. It’s a modern film.”
5. Gael García Bernal
In 2016, Mexican actor/producer/director Gael García Bernal was named in Time’s 100 Most Influential People list and won the Golden Globe for Best Actor for Mozart in the Jungle. His own projects largely depict “the journey of the migrant.”
When asked why he ‘goes back’ to work on films in Latin America, he replied, “Hollywood is not the ceiling. It is not the maximum. The maximum should be the ability to make movies that speak to your nature.”
6. America Ferrera
Honduran-American America Ferrera plays the lead on the NBC sitcom Superstore. She’s politically active, having worked with the Voto Latino organization, which encourages Latinx Americans to vote in elections.
She also addressed a letter to then-presidential candidate Donald Trump for The Huffington Post. She wrote, “Remarks like yours will serve brilliantly to energize Latino voters and increase turnout on election day against you and any other candidate who runs on a platform of hateful rhetoric.”
7. Jorge Ramos
Univision anchor and journalist Jorge Ramos made headlines in 2016 by being kicked out of a Donald Trump-directed press conference. Trump had refused to let him ask his question, saying, “Go back to Univision.” The Mexican-born reporter continued to challenge Trump’s immigration policies and urged Latinos to vote.
When asked by CNN why he spoke out of turn at the press conference, he responded, “The one who is out of line is Donald Trump.” He also said that it was his right “as a U.S. citizen, as an immigrant and as a reporter” to ask a question.
8. Eva Longoria
Mexican-American actress Eva Longoria continued her activism, having spoken at the 2016 Democratic National Convention and working with her own Eva Longoria Foundation, which empowers Latinas through education and entrepreneurship.
In her DNC speech, she made Trump’s comments toward Mexican immigrants personal: “I’m from a small town in South Texas and if you know your history, Texas used to be part of Mexico… I’m ninth-generation American. My family never crossed a border, the border crossed us.”
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