 Is Latin America a country? Are Latinos and Hispanics the same? Can you be Latino and white? People are pretty confused about Latin America. For example, there's this headline. Trump cuts aid to three Mexican countries. You know, last time I checked, there was only one Mexico, and then we got New Mexico, but that's the state. Sometimes people have a hard time telling the difference between Mexico and Latin America. Show me Mexico on this map. Oh, it's not entirely your guy's fault. It's just that in your movies, shows, and media, you usually don't see the most diverse depictions of Latinos, even if you see us at all. I don't know what you're talking about. There are tons of roles for Latinos in Hollywood. I mean, what about Tony Montana? Shut up, my little friend! He's Cuban. No. Played by an Italian. That's what they call in the biz. Close enough. Like, how can you learn about all the varieties of Latinos when we're usually played by non-Latinos? This lack of representation hides just how diverse we are. Due to immigration and colonization, different kinds of Latinos exist everywhere. In the 19th and 20th century, Peru welcomed a large number of Chinese and Japanese immigrants to their shores. And today, Asian-Latinos play a major role in the country's food, culture, and politics. And of course, I need to mention the communities of Afro-Latinos all across Latin America. From Colombia to Venezuela, Mexico to Brazil, Cuba to the Dominican Republic, and everywhere in between, Afro-Latinos make up a large portion of our population and play a huge role in defining our way of life. Despite the huge number of Afro-Latinos, they're rarely represented in the media due to the bias against darker-skinned performers. But somebody who was too extravagant to be held back by any barrier was Celia Cruz. Born in Havana in 1925 with a natural gift for singing and dancing, it was obvious from a very young age that she was destined for startling while she was touring in Mexico. Hidel Castro rose to power and his government blocked her from returning to the country. But she wasn't discouraged. La Reina de Cuba became a U.S. citizen and conquered the hearts of Latinos all over the world. From the rhythm and drums in her music to the titles themselves, like La Negra tiene tumbao, she wasn't afraid to tell the world exactly who she was. Even her unique iconic fashion was a love letter to her Afro-Caribbean roots. She mixed the colors and elements of Cuban and African patterns and styled to make a stage presence that married both of the worlds. While something as simple as a dress or extravagant wigs doesn't seem that impactful at first glance, her career was being closely watched by young Afro-Latinas around the world. Such as the Afro-Latina pop singer, Amarala Negra, who said this about Celia Cruz, growing up, I never saw anyone who looked like me besides Celia Cruz. She was such a strong, powerful woman. She was a very inspirational person. Fortunately, we're seeing more and more representation in media. Afro-Latinas like Soez Aldana are starring in the biggest box office hits of the year. Galicia Paricio was the first indigenous Latina woman to be nominated for an Academy Award. Representation of all types of Latinos makes a huge difference. The world is starting to see more and more examples of who we are as a whole. From our indigenous people to Afro-Latinos to our blonde-haired and blue-eyed siblings all over the planet. We have so many flavors of Latinos everywhere. We've been out here the whole time. So just come and get to know us. I just feel like what makes you a Latino is not the way you look, it's the way that you grew up. It's the way that you behave, it's the values that you have, and the way that you express and digest the world and your perspective on it. Speed. West Side Story. Natalie Wood. Russian. What? Avida. Madonna. Nobody told them Leyla Bonita isn't a real place. How about Dora the Explorer Dora? Uh? Yeah. Yeah? That's one. Oh.