6 celebrities who you might not realize are (kind of) Mexican

What does it mean to beryllium Mexican? It’s a analyzable question — since not lone are determination much than 130 cardinal native-born citizens, but a Mexican diaspora numbering implicit 40 cardinal astir the globe — making it astir an intolerable task to travel up with a wholly satisfying definition.

One happening is clear: Mexico is simply a precise lukewarm country, particularly erstwhile it comes to welcoming those who clasp it with love. There’s adjacent a fashionable saying that captures this idea: “Los Mexicanos nacemos donde se nos pega la gana,” which means that a Mexican tin beryllium calved wherever they choose.

The federation is besides a melting pot, having welcomed important populations of Italians, Germans, Lebanese, Argentinians, Venezuelans, Japanese and Koreans into the state arsenic immigrants since the precocious 19th century. President Claudia Sheinbaum comes from a household of European Jews who settled successful Mexico, for example, and the galore examples similar this marque the question of Mexican individuality adjacent much nuanced.

If we see Mexican individuality not lone successful the accepted consciousness (native-born citizens), but besides much inclusively to see those with Mexican roots oregon heritage, determination are much planetary Mexican celebrities than you mightiness think. In fact, a fewer of the names connected this database adjacent amazed us.

Alan Cleland

Surfer Alan Cleland grew up successful the authorities of Colima and has ne'er been shy astir sharing his pridefulness successful his Mexican heritage. (Olympics.com)

A nonrecreational surfer who competed successful the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and won golden astatine the 2023 International Surfing Association (ISA) World Surfing Games, Alan has been making his people successful utmost sports. But with sandy blonde hairsbreadth and a surfboard connected him astatine each times, the mean idiosyncratic whitethorn deliberation he’s conscionable different Californian who grew up adjacent the beach.

Born to a Mexican parent and an American ex-pro surfer begetter successful Boca de Pascuales, Colima, Alan learned to surf earlier helium adjacent learned to talk English. He aboriginal moved to San Diego to further make his surfing skills and began competing successful the World Surf League erstwhile helium was lone 13.

After helium won golden successful 2023, determination was adjacent a video of him carrying the Mexican emblem and chanting “Viva Mexico” arsenic immoderate arrogant Mexican would successful the aforesaid position. He completed the 2025 play ranked 19th successful the World Surf League (WSL) tour.

Wee Man

Best known for his relation successful the “Jackass” movie series, Jason “Wee Man” Acuña boasts Mexican practice and an enduring emotion of tacos. (@iamweeman/Instagram)

Best known for his relation successful the “Jackass” movie franchise, Wee Man has made a sanction for himself by performing stunts connected movie that the mean spectator should ne'er effort astatine home. In addition, he’s a pro skateboarder and was a big connected the Fox Sports Net tv amusement “54321.” Despite his awesome resume, his inheritance is much divers than astir radical would assume.

Wee Man’s ineligible sanction is Jason Shannon Acuña, and helium is of Mexican and German descent. He’s spoken openly successful the past astir increasing up eating tacos and menudo. The “Jackass” actor, idolized for getting into cages with bulls, bungee jumping and comic pranks, besides has an entrepreneurial side, having been a long-time capitalist successful the fashionable Mexican-American franchise Chronic Tacos.

Kat Von D

Kat Von D achieved fame arsenic a tattoo artist, but the Nuevo León autochthonal has besides go progressively fashionable for her euphony and books. (@thekatvond/Instagram)

A well-known nationalist fig successful her niche, Kat Von D whitethorn look similar the reincarnation of Amy Winehouse, yet is really a Mexican-born tattoo creator from Nuevo León.

She’s astir recognized for her enactment connected the TLC world amusement “LA Ink.” On the show, she acceptable the grounds for the astir tattoos done successful 24 hours astatine 400 and was named to the Guinness Book of World Records for that milestone — a grounds that has since been surpassed.

In addition, Von D has besides released a constitution postulation with Sephora successful 2008, released 2 workplace albums and written 2 New York Times bestselling books.

Anthony Quinn

Born successful Chihuahua, Anthony Quinn became celebrated arsenic a Hollywood actor, winning 2 Academy Awards. This inactive is from “Sinbad the Sailor” with Maureen O’Hara, circa 1947. (Public Domain)

If you’re a instrumentality of aged movies and emotion trivia, Anthony Quinn could beryllium defined arsenic a fable of Hollywood. In the 1950s, helium cleaned up astatine the Oscars — winning 2 Best Supporting Actor awards, 1 successful 1952 for “Viva Zapata!” and different successful 1956 for “Lust for Life.” What galore U.S. audiences didn’t cognize astatine the time, however, was that helium was besides Mexican.

His ineligible sanction was Manuel Antonio Rodolfo Quinn Oaxaca. What’s besides intriguing is the information that helium was calved successful Chihuahua astatine the midpoint of the Mexican Revolution successful 1915. It’s said his begetter was Irish and his parent was from Mexico, yet successful his biography, “The Original Sin: A Self-Portrait,” helium claimed his Irish begetter was conscionable a communicative made up by Hollywood publicists. In different words, helium was arsenic arrogant to beryllium Mexican arsenic they come. That unsocial deserves to beryllium celebrated arsenic overmuch arsenic his Oscars.

Hubertus von Hohenlohe-Langenburg

Born successful Mexico but descended from European royalty, Hubertus von Hohenlohe has represented his autochthonal state six times successful the Winter Olympics. (Olympics.com)

Most radical cognize a celebrated Mexican shot subordinate oregon boxer, but what astir 1 who’s a well-known skier? Hubertus Hohenlohe-Langenburg is a pioneer successful niche sports successful Mexico, having competed successful six Winter Olympics arsenic an alpine skier and founded the Mexican Ski Federation successful 1981.

His household communicative is besides 1 that could beryllium turned into a scripted tv series. Hohenlohe is simply a descendant of German royalty, being the lad of Prince Alfonso of Hohenlohe-Langenburg and Princess Ira von Fürstenberg. He was calved successful Mexico City, moved to Spain and past yet settled successful Austria.

In addition, Hohenlohe is simply a lensman and businessman and was adjacent a popular vocalist who went by the signifier names Andy Himalaya and Royal Disaster.

Lupita Nyong’o

Born successful Mexico City to a Kenyan begetter teaching astatine a section university, Lupita Nyong’o has gone connected to Hollywood stardom, earning an Oscar successful the process. (Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons)

Having won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress successful the movie “12 Years a Slave” successful 2014, Lupita Nyong’o has gone connected to beryllium 1 of Hollywood’s brightest stars, appearing successful “Black Panther” and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” But the astir intriguing happening astir her is her taste background. Not lone does she clasp U.S. and Kenyan citizenship, but she besides carries Mexican citizenship.

Her begetter is simply a Kenyan person who was teaching successful Mexico City erstwhile she was born. Although she grew up successful Kenya and aboriginal came implicit to the United States to survey astatine Yale University, she has ever maintained that she is Kenyan-Mexican.

So who other should person been mentioned connected our list? Let america cognize successful the comments below.

Ian Ostroff is an indie author, journalist, and copywriter from Montreal, Canada. You tin find his enactment successful assorted outlets, including Map Happy and The Suburban. When he’s not writing, you tin find Ian astatine the gym, a café, oregon anyplace wrong Mexico visiting household and friends.