On cinco de mayo, let’s recognize achievements by Mexican Americans. No, wait. Let’s look at how many famous Latinos in American culture are not Mexican.

Keep in mind that Mexicans are the largest demographic of U.S. Latinos. It breaks down like this (over 62 million U.S. Latinos):

In 2021, Mexicans were a bit over 59% of the U.S. Latino population (which is over 62 million Latinos, with the total number of Americans being 333 million in 2022). The next biggest group is Puerto Ricans at a bit over 9%. That’s a difference of thousands and thousands of people! Please keep that in mind as you consider some of the most famous Latinos today.

FAMOUS HISPANIC/LATINO AMERICANS:

Julia Alvarez author – Dominican

Marc Anthony, musician – Puerto Rican

Bad Bunny, musician – Puerto Rican

Roberto Clemente baseball player – Puerto Rican

Penelope Cruz, actress – Spanish

Ted Cruz, U.S. senator – Cuban

Junot Díaz, author – Dominican

Raúl Esparza, actor – Cuban

Gloria Estéfan, musician – Cuban

America Ferrera, actress – Honduran

Luis Guzmán, actor – Puerto Rican

Carolina Herrera, designer – Venezuelan

John Leguizamo, actor – Colombian

Jennifer Lopez, actress and musician – Puerto Rican

Ricky Martin, musician – Puerto Rican

Rita Moreno, actress – Puerto Rican

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, U.S. senator – Puerto Rican

Pitbull, musician – Cuban

Sylvia Rivera, drag queen – Puerto Rican and Venezuelan

Alex Rodriguez, baseball player – Dominican

Gina Rodriguez, actress – Puerto Rican

Michelle Rodriguez, actress – Puerto Rican and Dominican

Marco Rubio, U.S. senator – Cuban

Shakira, musician – Colombian

Zoe Saldaña, actress – Dominican and Puerto Rican

Sammy Sosa, baseball player – Dominican

Sonia Sotomayor, United States Supreme Court justice – Puerto Rican

Sofia Vergara – Colombian

Yes, legions of Mexican Americans have achieved all kinds of success, but most Americans haven’t heard of them. I’m pointing out that the biggest Latino demographic in the country is Mexican, but the highest-profile Latinos are not Mexican. There’s a huge difference between how many Americans of Mexican descent there are, and how many of us have reached the status of household names.

The biggest Latino demographic in the country is Mexican, but the highest-profile Latinos are not Mexican.

A similar achievement pattern happens with Black people. A friend points out that in higher education, the Black PhD candidates who finish are often first or second generation immigrants from Africa or the Caribbean. Those who start graduate school, but leave without the degree are often from families who have been in the U.S. for hundreds of years.

I think Latinos fit this pattern, too. I’m third generation Mexican American on my mother’s side and fourth generation on my dad’s side. I started the Cornell PhD program in 1988, but left with a master’s degree.

It’s as if immigrants arrive with the momentum of determination and belief in themselves, but after a few generations it slows. Mexicans are both the oldest inhabitants of the U.S, having lived in parts of the southwest since before the Americans came, and the most recent arrivals. Immigrant groups undergo destructive conditioning in the U.S. Some families achieve, while others go through generations of American brainwashing that teaches them, for instance, that Mexicans are either criminals or laborers or dropouts.

Mexican Americans who make it to college are treated as if we’re not as smart, and those who take our place in white collar jobs are told that we’re more successful because we’re not like the other Mexicans. American stereotypes teach whites, and all of us, that Mexicans aren’t the best hires, probably won’t finish school, don’t speak English well and can’t be relied on. And — big surprise — the population of Latinos most stereotyped in the U.S. is the one that doesn’t achieve at the same rate as other Latinos.

So, if you hear someone suggest Mexicans are everywhere, you can point out that it might seem like famous Hispanics are taking over the arts, politics, and sports, but so far, most of them aren’t Mexican.

Updated 4/30/24

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