Selena Gomez, at the promising age of 16, is already being heralded as the next Jennifer Lopez. Quickly establishing herself as a Latina powerhouse, Gomez has already marked her territory in television and music, with her sights set on dominating the film industry next. But how much do we know about the Latina heritage of the Wizards of Waverly Place star?
What always piques our curiosity about American Latino celebrities is whether their cultural heritage is ever important to them. In an industry where cultural roots play a pivotal role, Selena Gomez showcases her Latina heritage as an element of her identity. In our exclusive interview with Gomez, she reveals her deep connection to her Mexican and Italian lineage. Named after the legendary singer Selena, she considers her name a testament to her heritage’s influence on her life and career.
One of the hottest rising Latina stars in TV and music, Gomez spent a rainy weekend in New York City with the rest of the Wizards of Waverly Place cast, signing autographs for fans and for children from the Make-A-Wish Foundation. The heritage of the cast runs through the video, starting with Selena herself.
“My Dad is Mexican and my Mom is Italian, so I’m half Mexican, which is a big part of my life, which is why I was named after the singer Selena, so I think that’s awesome, but yes, I am half Mexican,” Gomez says in the video.
Actor Jake T. Austin, her co star on Wizards of Waverly Place, also talks about where his family comes from. “my dad is Polish English and Irish and which gives me the real last name of sansky and my mom is full Spanish I’m Puerto Rican Argentinian and Spaniard wow so my last name say man my real last name is very misleading but I am Spanish,” he explains.
In the piece Selena is introduced as having one of the hottest shows on cable, a growing singing career, and a new Disney DVD film called Another Cinderella Story. You can catch Selena and the rest of the Wizards of Waverly Place cast on the Disney Channel.
Click on the video below and see what she says in our exclusive interview.
