I got this idea after scrolling through Twitter yesterday. Saw folks arguing about Mexican celebrities and realized most people only picture certain faces when they think “Mexican.” Like… ain’t nobody talking about Black Mexicans? Felt weird. Decided to dig into it myself. Needed names, real people with impact.
The Annoying Start
Phase one: Grabbed my laptop cold. Coffee wasn’t even ready yet. Googled “famous black mexicans.” Big mistake. Got flooded with tourist articles about places, maybe one name if lucky. Mostly junk. Felt frustrated fast. Like hitting a brick wall.
Changed tactics: Tapped into history instead. Searched “Afro-Mexican history.” Ding ding! Slightly better. Found some academic stuff mentioning a hero from independence times. Name: Vicente Guerrero. Second president of Mexico? And he was Afro-Mexican? How did I not know that?! Textbook example of history getting whitewashed. Saved that name immediately.
Digging Deeper, Getting Distracted
Hit another wall: Needed modern names, not just history. Searched “black Mexican artists.” This is where it got messy. Fell into a music YouTube hole. Started watching random Mexican music videos, squinting at band members. Not efficient. My fridge kept distracting me too.
Breakthrough: Remembered I followed this one Mexican history page on Instagram months ago. Scrolled forever through their feed. Found an old post! Highlighted Johnny Laboriel. Rock and roll pioneer in Mexico? Son of a famous Haitian actor? Boom. Second name. Felt a surge of relief.
Modern Faces & Culture Shakers
Switched gears: Okay, found some arts folks. What about sports? Googled “Mexican soccer players black heritage.” This worked surprisingly well. First up: Gio dos Santos. That dude played for Barcelona? Lots of news links about his heritage. Added him to my list. Three!
Social media save: Still needed more. Hopped on Twitter, searched “AfroMexican activist.” Scrolled past arguments, finally landed on someone retweeted by a legit NGO. Her name: Maria Celeste. Comedian, actress, super vocal about Afro-Mexican rights right now? Exactly the contemporary voice I needed. Fourth name locked in.
Last push: Wanted someone maybe unexpected. Stumbled upon an interview snippet while looking for Maria Celeste stuff. Actress Tenoch Huerta. This guy blew up internationally! Played a major Marvel superhero and is openly Afro-Mexican?! Couldn’t believe I hadn’t made the connection. Fifth name. Jackpot.
Wrapping It Up
So after coffee, distractions, social media deep dives, and feeling kinda dumb about my initial search skills, I finally had my five solid names. Scribbled them down:
- Vicente Guerrero (History – Former President)
- Johnny Laboriel (Music – Rock & Roll Pioneer)
- Gio dos Santos (Sports – Soccer Star)
- Maria Celeste (Activism – Comedian/Activist)
- Tenoch Huerta (Film – International Actor)
Not just names, but proof of deep influence across politics, music, sports, activism, and global cinema. Mission accomplished. Took way longer and was way messier than I thought it would be, but dang, I learned a lot just trying to find five names. Now I know.
