Magazine, The Immigrant Experience
Sports and entertainment in the US could never be so exciting and colorful without Hispanic-Latino Americans. They have been leaving their prints in the sports and entertainment world for decades. The Immigrant Magazine is celebrating National Hispanic-Latino Heritage Month 2022 by honoring 10 famous Hispanic-Latino Americans who not only achieved big for themselves but also brought glory home.
Oscar De La Hoya
Oscar De La Hoya was a former professional boxer (1992-2002) and a boxing promoter of Mexican ancestry. He is known as one of the greatest boxers in the history of sports. He won 11 world titles in six weight classes, including the lineal championship in three weight classes. BoxRec.com has ranked him as the 29th greatest pound-for-pound fighter of all time. He was also dubbed “Golden Boy” due to his dominant performance in the 1992 Olympics.
Tony Gonzalez
Tony Gonzalez is a former tight-end player of American football who played in the National Football League for 17 seasons. He is known as one of the greatest tight ends of all time. He is a 14-time Pro-Bowler and also bears the record for most career receiving yards and touchdowns by a tight end.
Carmelo Anthony
Half African-American and half Puerto Rican Carmelo Anthony, is known as the greatest Latino basketball player of all time. He is a remarkable 10-time NBA All-Star, has four Olympic medals (including three gold and one bronze), and was named the most outstanding player of the NCAA national championship. In 2022, he was declared to be one of the 75 greatest players in NBA History.
Roberto Clemente
Roberto Clemente was a famous baseball right fielder who led his team to two World Series (1960 and 1971). He had played 18 seasons in Major Baseball League and was one of the 31 players to get 3,000 hits. He was also involved in charity work and unfortunately died in 1972 in a plane crash while delivering relief goods to the earthquake victims of Nicaragua. He was also included in the 1973 National Baseball Hall of Fame and became the very 1st Latin-American player who was awarded this honor.
Ted Williams
Williams – the famous Hispanic baseball player who won 19-time All-Star and two-time Triple Crown – was a famous baseball player and field manager who played 19 years in the Major Baseball League.
Cain Velasquez
Cain Velasquez is a professional wrestler and Ex-MMA fighter and two times UFC Heavyweight Champion. He is also known for his participation in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Anthony Munoz
Anthony Munoz is a famous former football player (11-time Pro Bowler) who is known as one of the greatest offensive tackles of all time. In 1998, his name was placed in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Rebecca Loebe
Rebecca Loebe is a former women’s basketball player in WNBA and a current basketball analyst, who won a National Championship (1995) and a gold medal in Olympics in 1996. She was endorsed into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame in 2010 and later announced a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.
Dara Torres
Dara Torres is a former swimmer who is known as one of the most successful female Olympians for holding 12 medals (four gold, four silver, four bronze) and former world record holder. She is also declared as one of the three women with the most Olympic women’s swimming medals.
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Affleck (J.Lo) is an American singer, actress, dancer, and philanthropist of Puerto Rican descent. She is regarded as the most influential Latin performer in the US, credited with breaking ethnic barriers in the entertainment industry. As of 2022, she has sold more than 80 million records worldwide.
Conclusion
Hispanic-Latino Americans belong to one of the most populous and most-talented ethnic and lingual groups in the United States who have made big hits in all fields and sectors of life. However, nativism, racism, and xenophobia that have been prevailing in the US, especially during and after the Trump era have taken the forms of “latinophobia” and “hispanophobia”. During this National Hispanic-Latino Heritage Month, we should resolve to learn more about the achievements and contributions of the Hispanic-Latino Americans, and play an active role in making people understand that it was in our favor that these people put down roots in the US and the American society has benefited a lot from their presence.
