“I almost felt like a unicorn”: Jennifer Lopez Reflects On Her Latin-American Heritage, Says Her Parents Made Her Feel Worthy Alongside Ben Affleck’s Constant Support
Jennifer Lopez is known worldwide for being an actress and a singer. The talented artist has passionately embraced her Puerto Rican heritage since the start of her career. She has established herself as one of the most prosperous Latina artists and businesswomen with her multiple fashion, beauty, and producing ventures. The singer recently admitted to feeling alienated when she initially started acting in an interview.
The fact that her marriages are talked about more than her success as an entrepreneur is a shame. Her career began as a Fly Girl dancer on the sketch comedy television series In Living Color. Since then, the actress has ventured into singing, acting, and entrepreneurship. Needless to mention that her journey in the professional sense is nothing short of an inspiration.
Jennifer Lopez is more than just an artist
The singer made things possible and has become an inspiration for the industry. She never forgot her roots and she decided to empower Latina women who lack representation in the business industry for this. The entrepreneur has built up her experience and has earned her recognition as an icon that has faced alienation and rose above it.
“For me even in my own business, I was an artist who has making billions of dollars for other people and not really realizing it, just happy to be in the room. And then I started to realize, like, ‘Wait a minute, I can make my own perfume, I can do this in my own way. I can own a part of this business.’ “
Jennifer Lopez has climbed up the ladder of the entertainment industry from being a dancer in a comedy sketch series to acting alongside A-list actors such as Ben Affleck. The fact that she did not just stop climbing after achieving such impressive growth is a statement of how ambitious and talented the entrepreneur truly is.
Jennifer Lopez’s family and husband are a constant source of support
The actress also admitted to constantly receiving support from her parents. She revealed that their support was greatly appreciated when she initially joined Hollywood. Her family has been with her through her best and her worst considering that Jennifer Lopez may be an inspiration in her professional life, however, her personal life has seen many grey days.
“I think my mother and my family raised me to be proud of who I was and so when I went into these worlds like Hollywood where we were not represented at all, I almost felt like a unicorn.”
Ben Affleck, her newly-wed husband, has also offered encouragement. He was affectionately watching from the sidelines of their interview, according to Today’s Morgan Radford. “[He was] watching her adoringly, cheering her on, wishing her well.” said the interviewer. Her support system seems to be consisting of the most trusted people in her life. With Ben Affleck supporting her along with her parents, it seems that Jennifer Lopez is truly an indestructible treasure.
The singer aims to help 600,000 Latina-owned small businesses
The Grammy Award contender stated in June that she would work with the microloan NGO Grameen America. Which aims to provide $14 billion in loan capital to 600,000 Latina-owned small companies by 2030. She also promised to provide mentorship to Latina women who were living in poverty.
“We’re changing lives. We want to take the Latino entrepreneur and empower them, give them opportunity where there wasn’t. That opportunity can change your life.”
Jennifer Lopez has influenced and paved the way for Latinas. Her choice to partner with a microfinance company to provide funds to these small companies will aid the community in the long run. As it will give the Latino community a chance of growing into something larger with the support she brings. Being a woman and on top of that being a Latina, it’s well observed that her representation faces more obstacles in comparison to others.
“Being Latino in this country has always been a matter of pride for me. I am humbled and beyond grateful to partner with Grameen America. We’re building pathways to employment and leadership opportunities.There’s so much strength in this community and we’re harnessing that. This partnership will create equality, inclusivity and opportunity for Latina women in business. This will change the fabric of America!”
The program will also offer 6 million hours of financial training and education through her own charitable endeavor, Limitless Labs.
During the red carpet premiere of her Netflix documentary Halftime, Jennifer Lopez made her official debut as Grameen’s national ambassador at the Tribeca Film Festival. She was joined by a few of the program’s Latina entrepreneurs.
Source: People
