For this last Passion Blog, I did not know what to write about in order to make it memorable. I decided to inform you about some famous Puerto Ricans that are recognized in American pop culture.
In the television/film industry there are many Puerto Rican celebrities. Jennifer López is one of the most famous women in the world. The actress, singer, producer, and philanthropist never forgets where her roots are from. Roselyn Sánchez, the Puerto Rican star of movies and shows such as The Game Plan, Rush Hour 2, and Devious Maids, has a house in the island where she manages many charities. I had the pleasure of working with her in one of her charities and can say she is one of the nicest people I have ever met. Benicio Del Toro, my neighbor, is an award winning actor and producer. He appeared in movies such as Traffic, Savages, Guardians of the Galaxy, and Thor.
There are hundreds of Puerto Rican authors that are notorious in Latin America and the world. These writers have their work traduced into other languages for many to enjoy. Some of these are Julia de Burgos (one of my favorite authors), René Marqués, Alejandro Tapia y Rivera, and Evaristo Ribera Chevremont. Another writer that is more known for her profession is U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor.
Puerto Ricans are said to be very beautiful people. Many supermodels have branched out from the island and became famous world wide. Joan Smalls is a Victoria’s Secret angel, but also models for different clothing and cosmetic companies. Puerto Rico is the third country with most crowns in the Miss Universe Pageant with five Miss Universe: Marisol Malaret Contreras, Deborah Carthy-Deu, Dayanara Torres Delgado, Denise Quiñones, and Zuleyka Rivera.
In the music industry, Puerto Rican artists (like most Latin American artists) make music that brings out the dancer out of everyone. Ricky Martin is one of the most famous. His music is known globally, especially his song “Living La Vida Loca”. Daddy Yankee had a famous hit in the United States called “Gasolina”. Renowned salsa singers emerged from Puerto Rico like Gilberto Santa Rosa, Andy Montañez, and Hector Lavoe.
The major sport in Puerto Rico is baseball. Some of the best players have made it to the big leagues. Carlos Beltran is major league baseball player who has played for teams such as New York Yankees and the St. Louis Cardinals. Roberto Clemente is a 3,000-hit baseball player who was the first Puerto Rican member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. He played for the Pittsburgh Pirates and there is a statue honoring him at PNC Park. In basketball, Jose Juan Barea has played for Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves; and Carlos Arroyo has played for Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, and Denver Nuggets.
There are many celebrities that are from Puerto Rican decent such as Jake T. Austin, Victoria Justice, Oscar de la Renta, Bruno Mars, and more. Signing off, I hope you enjoyed my passion blog and think of Puerto Rico (and me) when you come across these celebrities.
I did not know that some of the people you talked about are from Puerto Rico, especially that it has the third most crowns in the Miss Universe pageant. Its really cool that your neighbor is Benicio Del Toro!
There are many well known people, interesting blog due to the nature of people. Sonia Sotomayor, she is probably the most known person to me, because during the AP Government class, I did a project/ presentation on her. Interesting fact she has the distinction of being the first hispanic heritage justice, and 111th appointment to the court.
I really enjoyed reading all of your blogs. I learned so much about Puerto Rican culture. I did not know that all of those celebrities were Puerto Rican, I knew about a couple, such as the ones who played sports. Good job
Before I read your blog I had no idea that many of these celebrities were from Puerto Rico. Its very interesting to learn the vast amount of celebrities that come out of Puerto Rico. After reading your blogs this semester I now really want to visit Puerto Rico at some point in my life. I am looking forward to learning more about the culture when I do take a trip there in the future.