20 Latine Pop Culture Icons You Probably Dont Know About (But Absolutely Should)

19 Latine Pop Culture Icons You Probably Don’t Know About (But Absolutely Should)

Don’t miss out on Stephen Sanchez’s incredible music!

Latine culture has long been a rich tapestry of music, art, and storytelling, with new icons emerging every day. These new icons shape their genres and showcase the vibrancy and diversity of Latine heritage to the world.

Their influence goes beyond entertainment; they inspire pride and a sense of identity within the Latine community, proving that culture can transcend borders and resonate universally.

I’ve compiled a list of Latine icons influential in music, film, TV, modeling, and storytelling who amplify diverse voices within the industry and who are making their mark. Here’s who should be on your radar:

1. Stephen Sanchez is an American singer-songwriter. He gained significant attention with his single “Until I Found You,” which was released in September of 2021. The song peaked at No. 23 on the Billboard Hot 100 and went viral on TikTok, inspiring millions of videos. In 2023, the song earned nominations for Billboard Music Awards’s Push Performance of the Year and MTV’s VMA Top Rock Song. Sanchez has also been nominated for iHeartRadio Music Awards and People’s Choice Awards for New Artist of the Year. He has performed on major late-night talk shows, including The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Late Night with Seth Meyers, and The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.

2. Indya Moore is a trans and non-binary actor, model, and activist of Puerto Rican and Dominican descent. Indya gained widespread recognition for her portrayal of Angel Evangelista in the FX television series Pose, which explored the ball culture of New York City in the late 1980s and early 1990s. In 2019, Time magazine honored her as one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

3. Michaela Antonia Jaé Rodriguez is an actor and singer born in Newark, New Jersey. She made history as the first transgender actor to win a Golden Globe. She attended several performing arts schools and gained acclaim for her portrayal of Angel in the theater production of Rent, earning the 2011 Clive Barnes Award. After her role in Rent, Rodriguez took a break to transition. She has appeared on TV shows including Nurse Jackie, The Carrie Diaries, and Luke Cage. She found significant success in Ryan Murphy’s series Pose. She’s a passionate trans activist and was named one of Advocate’s Women of the Year in 2020. She also stars in the Apple TV+ comedy series Loot.

4. Daniela Vega is a Chilean actor and mezzo-soprano singer. She gained widespread recognition for her acclaimed role in the Oscar-winning film A Fantastic Woman. At the 90th Academy Awards in 2018, Vega made history as the first transgender person to present an award at the ceremony. That same year, Time magazine named her one of the 100 most influential people in the world.

5. Carmen Maria Machado is an author known for her work in the science fiction and horror fiction genres, mainly through short stories and essays. She gained widespread attention with her 2017 collection Her Body and Other Parties and her 2019 memoir In the Dream House, the latter of which won the Folio Prize in 2021. Machado’s writing is often featured in publications such as The New Yorker, Granta, and Lightspeed. She has been a finalist for both the National Book Award and the Nebula Award for Best Novelette.

6. Keyla Monterroso Mejia was born in Hawthorne, California, and is of Mexican and Guatemalan descent. She is an actor known for her roles in Freeridge, Launchpad, and The 90 Day Plan, as well as her performances as Maria Sofia Estrada in HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm and as Ashley Garcia in the second season of Abbott Elementary.

7. Anthony Ramos is an actor, singer, and songwriter. He’s most known for originating the roles of John Laurens and Philip Hamilton in the Broadway musical Hamilton. Ramos also played Usnavi in the 2021 film adaptation of In the Heights and appeared as Ramon in the 2018 film A Star Is Born. In 2021, he received a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Actor in a Supporting Role in a Limited Series or Movie for his performance in the Disney+ live stage recording of Hamilton.

8. Valgur is a psychedelic pop and indie pop band from Juchitán de Zaragoza in Oaxaca, Mexico. The band is composed of Elizabeth and Hugo Valdivieso, who are best known for their energetic performances with religious undertones that address contemporary social and political themes through their music. Their lyrics are written in both Spanish and Zapotec, often referencing their hometown.

9. Tessa Thompson is a Los Angeles-born actor. She is the daughter of singer-songwriter Marc Anthony Thompson and the granddaughter of actor-musician Bobby Ramos. She made her television debut in the CBS series Cold Case in 2005. She has produced several songs, including one featured in her 2017 film Dear White People. She has starred in several notable films, including Selma, Creed, Creed II, War on Everyone, Thor: Ragnarok, Annihilation, Avengers: Endgame, and Men in Black: International.

10. Nitty Scott is an Afro-Latina artist, advocate, and poet. She gained recognition with a viral freestyle over Kanye West’s “Monster,” leading to her performance at the 2011 BET Hip Hop Awards Cypher. In 2016, she contributed to the score for Zoolander 2. Her collaborations include Kendrick Lamar, Action Bronson, and Cardi B.

11. Xochitl Gomez is a Mexican-American actor who began performing at age 5, participating in local musical theater. By age 10, she began doing commercials and TV roles. She is most known for playing America Chavez in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Dawn Schafer in The Baby-Sitters Club.

12. Julia Alvarez is a Dominican-American poet, novelist, and essayist. Many literary critics regard her as one of the most significant contemporary Latina writers. Some of her famous novels include In the Time of the Butterflies, ¡Yo!, In the Name of Salomé, and Saving the World, Afterlife. Her collections of poems include Homecoming, The Other Side/ El Otro Lado, and The Woman I Kept to Myself. Her nonfiction books include Something to Declare, Once Upon A Quinceañera, and A Wedding in Haiti. She has also written books for young readers. Her new novel, The Cemetery of Untold Stories, was released in April of this year.

13. Ramario Xolo Ramirez, known as Xolo Maridueña, is a Los Angeles-born actor of Mexican, Cuban, and Ecuadorian descent. He is best known for his roles as Victor Graham in the NBC drama Parenthood, Miguel Diaz in the Netflix series Cobra Kai, and Jaime Reyes/Blue Beetle in the DC film Blue Beetle. He has also appeared in Twin Peaks and Major Crimes.

14. Álvaro Díaz is a rapper from San Juan, Puerto Rico, and is emerging as one of the standout talents in the current Urban Latin scene. Drawing inspiration from the early ’90s and 2000s East Coast hip-hop movement, he raps about personal experiences, aspirations, and everyday life on the island. He also received a Latin Grammy nomination for Album of the Year for his work, Dharma.

15. Camila Morrone is an American actor and model from Los Angeles, California. She is the daughter of Argentine actors Maximo Morrone and Lucila Sola. Camila made her acting debut in the James Franco film Bukowski and has appeared in several films, including Death Wish, Never Goin’ Back, and Mickey and the Bear. Her performance as Camila Alvarez-Dunne in the Amazon limited series Daisy Jones & the Six earned her an Emmy Award nomination.

16. Jessie Reyez is a Colombian-Canadian singer-songwriter from Toronto known for her unique blend of pop music infused with R&B and hip-hop influences. She has a raw vocal style with deep passion and theatrical flair. Reyez began singing at a young age and released her debut EP, Kiddo, in April of 2017, featuring the multi-platinum single “Figures,” which peaked at No. 58 on the Canadian Billboard Hot 100. Reyez released her second studio album, Yessie, in September of 2022. She has since collaborated with artists such as Calvin Harris, Eminem, and Dua Lipa. Most recently, she worked with Sam Smith and Koffee on the track “Gimme,” featured on Smith’s album Gloria and opened for them on tour.

17. Aaron Dominguez is a Venezuelan-American actor and film director best known for his role as Oscar Torres in Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building. His performance garnered critical acclaim, earning him a Screen Actors Guild nomination for Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series. He has also appeared in films like Breathe, Codes Abided, and Pink Opaque and made his directorial debut in With Interest. Dominguez has been featured in CBS’s SEAL Team and NCIS: New Orleans, as well as HBO Max’s Gossip Girl.

18. Isabela Merced is an actor, voice actor, singer, and songwriter of Peruvian descent. She rose to prominence playing the lead role in Nickelodeon’s 100 Things to Do Before High School and later appeared in films such as Transformers: The Last Knight, Instant Family, and Sicario: Day of the Soldado. Her recent notable roles include playing Dora in Dora and the Lost City of Gold, Aza Holmes in Turtles All the Way Down, and Kay in Alien: Romulus.

19. Michael Cimino is an actor and singer best known for his role as Victor in the Hulu series Love, Victor, which premiered in June 2020. His film credits include Annabelle Comes Home, Training Day, No Child Left Behind, and Walk the Prank. Additionally, he voices Kevin Grant-Gomez in the Disney Channel animated series Hamster & Gretel. In November 2022, Cimino released his debut EP titled I’m Somewhere Out There.

Have you heard of these Latine icons before? Let me know in the comments!

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