HAPPY LATINE HERITAGE MONTH!!!!!
Every time this wonderful time of year rolls around, I reflect on how grateful I am to be a Latina. I love my culture, the food, the community, and the fact that my mom is almost 50 but still regularly gets asked if she's my sister. #Blessed
Not to, like, toot the horns of the entire diaspora's genetics, but HONK HONK!!!!! I was looking at old pictures of some of my favorite Latine celebs and was STUNNED by how many of them look the same as they did in the 2000s. Don't believe me? See for yourself! Here's what 33 Latine celebs looked like in 2006, 2016, and now, in 2026:
1. Here is Colombian ICONNNN Sofía Vergara in 2006:
In 2016, during her Modern Family days:
And 2026:
2. Salma Hayek has been the blueprint since the '90s, and will remain a fixture of my Pinterest board until the end of time. Seriously. Here she is in 1996:
Quick aside to shout out her work as Mexican artist Frida Kahlo in Frida in 2002:
2006. Iconic:
2016:
And 2026:
3. Speaking of Pinterest #inspo, here's the queen of my "curly hair" Pinterest board, Shakira, in 2006:
2016:
And 2026. YUUUUP:
4. Rita Moreno has been a paragon of Latina excellence in Hollywood since the '50s. Here she is in 1956:
2006:
2016:
And, finally, here's the 94-year-old Puerto Rican EGOT winner in 2026:
5. Here's a rarely seen picture of the people's prince, Afro-Latino actor Colman Domingo in 2006:
Here he is in 2016:
And, earlier this year, in spring 2026:
6. OK, so Bad Bunny wasn't really making music on a global scale in 2006 due to the fact that he was literally 12. But, here he is in 2016:
And in 2026, when he brought so much pride to our community by playing the Super Bowl Halftime Show:
Bonus photo from 2026. Come on. We have to commemorate his iconic Grammys sweep:
7. Here's Puerto Rican-Irish actor Aubrey Plaza staring a camera down at the Emmy Awards in 2007:
2016:
And 2026:
8. Here's what triple threat queen Rosario Dawson was looking like in 2006:
2016:
And 2026:
9. Despite only being 34, Selena Gomez has been on the scene for a minute! Here she is in 2006:
In 2016, a couple of years after her hit Disney show Wizards of Waverly Place ended:
And now, in 2026:
10. Jenna Ortega is another young Latina on the scene. Here she is, not in 2006, but 2012:
2016:
And 2026:
11. Here's Suits star Gina Torres in 2006:
2016:
And 2026. Stunninggg:
12. Here's 2006 Jessica Alba:
2016:
And, here she is in 2026:
13. Here's a baby-faced Chilean-born actor, Pedro Pascal, in 2006:
Ten years later, in 2016:
And, celebrating the release of Star Wars: The Mandalorian and Grogu this past May 2026:
14. Say Hello to 2006 Oscar Isaac. Helloooo 2006 Oscar Isaac!:
Here he is at the Golden Globes in 2016, celebrating his win for Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series for Show Me a Hero:
And the 2026 Golden Globes, when he was nominated for playing Victor Frankenstein in Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein:
15. While we're on the topic of Frankenstein, here's its writer and director, Mexican filmmaker Guillermo del Toro, in 2006:
2016:
And 2026:
16. This is what Eva Mendes looked like in 2006:
Here she is in 2016:
And 2026:
17. Here's a photo of Zoe Saldaña in 2006:
And 2016:
Finally, here's the Academy Award-winning actor in 2026:
18. Miss Jenny from the block is no secret to breaking the internet. Hell, Google Images was literally invented because so many people wanted to see her in this iconic green Versace look from 2000:
Here's Jennifer Lopez circa 2006:
2016:
Now, in 2026:
19. Here's Mexican actor and Y Tu Mamá También star Gael García Bernal in 2006:
Here he is after winning the Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series for Mozart in the Jungle in 2016:
And 2026:
20. Speaking of Y Tu Mamá También, here's one of its other stars, Diego Luna, in 2006:
2016:
And in 2026, at Cannes Film Festival:
As a bonus, here's Luna and Bernal together in Y Tu Mamá También in 2001:
21. Here's Afro-Puerto Rican TV personality and actor La La Anthony in 2006, during her Total Request Live days:
Ten years later, in 2016:
And now, in 2026:
22. Here is what Honduran actor America Ferrera looked like in 2006, the year her show Ugly Betty (which, #fun #fact, was based on a telenovela called Yo soy Betty, la fea) started airing:
2016:
And, here's the 2024 Academy Award nominee in 2026:
23. Here's Puerto Rican musician and actor Marc Anthony in 2006, playing a concert at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan:
Ten years later, in 2016:
And in 2026, performing at the opening ceremony of the Barack Obama Presidential Center:
24. Afro-Latina musician Cardi B rose to prominence in the mid-2010s, with the release of her song "Bodak Yellow." Here she is in 2016:
And on tour in 2026:
25. Mexican and Puerto Rican actor Alanna Ubach is best known for her scene-stealing roles in Legally Blonde and Euphoria. Here she is in 2003:
And in 2016, the year before she played Mamá Imelda in Coco:
And, finally, in 2026:
26. Here's Ubach's fellow Coco cast member Benjamin Bratt in 2006:
2016:
And in 2026, at D23, where Coco 2 was announced:
27. Real ones still hear the cowbell from the George Lopez theme song in their dreams. Here's the Mexican comedian in 2006:
In 2016 at a Dodgers game:
And 2026:
28. Here's Fast & Furious franchise star Michelle Rodriguez in 2006:
2016:
And here's the Dominican-Puerto Rican actor in 2026:
29. The iconic comedy duo Cheech & Chong formed in the '70s.
Here's Mexican comedian Cheech Marin in 2006:
2016:
And, here's the Chicano art connoisseur in 2026:
30. This is what Puerto Rican musician and heartthrob Ricky Martin looked like in 2006:
Here he is, living la vida loca in 2016:
And in 2026, when the 54-year-old performed as part of Bad Bunny's Super Bowl Halftime Show:
31. Here is Rosie Perez in 2006:
2016:
And 2026:
32. Here is comedian-turned-actor John Leguizamo in 1996, the year he played Tybalt in Baz Luhrmann's Romeo + Juliet:
2006:
2016:
And here's the Colombian actor in 2026, at the New York premiere of The Odyssey, where he portrayed Eumaeus:
And, finally:
33. Here is the Academy Award nominee and winner of the Pulitzer Prize, five Grammys, three Tony Awards, two Emmys, two Olivier Awards, a MacArthur Genius Grant, and Kennedy Center Honors recipient, Lin-Manuel Miranda, in 2007:
Here is the Puerto Rican writer and actor in 2016, the year Hamilton debuted on Broadway and brought home 11 Tony Awards:
And, finally, here's Miranda in 2026:
Thoughts??? Did we include your favorite Latine actor? If not, drop their name in the comments.
Latine Heritage Month is here! Join us from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 as we celebrate la cultura here on BuzzFeed, as well as on our Pero Like Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok.
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