On her upbringing: “My grandparents have always made it a priority for us to be aware of our culture, our morals, our traditions. In our family we are so united; we are so supportive — where one person eats, 20 can eat. Where one person can sleep, 20 can sleep. And as funny as it sounds, it’s actually very beautiful because when I was 9 years old we lost our home, and we went from house to house, from family member to family member to live there. Sharing is a big part of our culture.”
On supporting her family from a young age: “Honestly, not many people would say they experienced a midlife crisis at 9 years old. But I’ve always been different, and it wasn’t something that I felt I had to do to help my family — it was something that I wanted to do. They always made it very clear to me that if I ever wanted to quit, I don’t have to keep going. They’ll always have my back; they’ll support me.”
On her love Sebastian Lletget: “More than just a boyfriend, he’s my best friend, and I feel there’s nothing that I can’t talk to him about. He has helped me to be more independent. I think that as a woman in this industry that’s very important —to have a partner that lets you be who you want, in your own way; who won’t try to change you. He has helped me to feel a lot surer of myself.”
On working with different artists including J Balvin and Maluma: “Everyone that I’ve had the opportunity to work with has been a lovely experience. And more times than not, I walk away with a really cool friendship…. For me, the most humbling part is that they are so humble after experiencing so much success. And I think that has to do with our culture. When one’s winning, we’re all winning.”
On the anti-immigrant political climate: “Some people think there’s only so much we can do. But we have to keep pushing, keep raising awareness, and keep talking about it. If not, it’s going to become normalized that there are children dying while basically being held captive, mistreated, not being taken care of properly — separated from their families. Separating families, children taking care of children, babies not having their diapers changed, people without proper food or places to sleep… to me that’s so dehumanizing.”
Additional stories for consideration:
Emilio Estefan, guest edits and interviews two of his great friends: singers Thalia and Natalia Jiménez.
Daniela López Osorio, the new face of fashion, poses for the HOLA! USA lens!
Talita von Furstenberg talks about how she is making her own mark in the fashion world.
Crown Princess Mary of Denmark shares the importance of sustainable fashion.
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