Eva Longoria Parker at a press conference by Rally for Kids With Cancer Scavenger Cup. (Shutterstock)
Eva Longoria has long been an inspiration for Latina women. The actress turned philanthropist has used her initial “Desperate Housewives” fame as a building step to pursue her desire to give back to the community.
The Eva Longoria Foundation focuses on helping Latinas reach their potential whether it be through education or entrepreneurial opportunities. Longoria only wishes other Latinos were as intent on encouraging each other.
SEE ALSO: 9 of Eva Longoria’s best quotes on being Latina
Throughout her endeavors, she found that, as a whole, the Latino community could do a lot more for each other.
Longoria celebrated her 40th birthday this past weekend, her wisdom and beauty growing more every year. I know, I don’t believe it either. She was the cover star of Glam Belleza Latina’s Spring issue, who she spoke to about her philanthropic work and the factions or divides that exist within the Latino community.
Longoria graced the cover of this month’s Glam Magazine. (Courtesy of Glam Magazine)
Longoria focuses especially on education because it is something of incredible importance to her. She graduated last May with a master’s degree in Chicano Studies from California State University and knows firsthand how mind opening and empowering an education can be.
“I believe that education offers the fastest route to economic mobility,” Longoria told Glam Belleza. “I grew up with a family of strong, accomplished, and educated women. I believe, as they say, that you can’t be what you don’t see, and since I saw a lot of smart women in my life, education being at the center, I just mimicked that behavior. There was never a question that I’d go to college. In fact, I was the last person in my family to get a master’s degree, so that tells you I’m actually the underachiever!”
Latinas are especially important because the Hispanic demographic is ever-growing and the women in the community are the ones that make the world go round, according to Longoria, who strongly believes in the need to support the members of her community.
Longoria talked to the magazine about her philanthropist pursuits, among other topics. (Courtesy of Glam Magazine)
“We have to support and lift each other up. Latinos have not historically been a culture that unites easily. We’re very factioned—you have your Mexican Americans, your Puerto Ricans, your Cuban Americans, your Central Americans—and sometimes we focus on the differences more than the commonalities.”
SEE ALSO: Eva Longoria is Harvard University’s Artist of the Year
Longoria will return to the small screen in NBC’s upcoming series “Telenovela.” It will be her first show since the end of “Desperate Housewives” in 2012.
“What I want to do is create great content on television and movies.” Longoria told Glam Belleza. “It is not my role to program only for Latinos, and you can’t really assume that Hispanics only want Hispanic content. They’re watching Scandal and they’re watching Cristela. But I do think that we are severely underrepresented in television and film. And instead of complaining about not seeing ourselves, we should become film producers, directors, and writers, and tell our story.”
