This is a list of notable Colombian Americans, including both original immigrants who obtained American citizenship and their American descendants.
To be included in this list, the person must have a Wikipedia article showing they are Colombian American or must have references showing they are Colombian American and are notable.
List
editArtists and designers
edit- Esteban Cortázar (1984–) – fashion designer
- Miguel Gómez (1974–) – photographer
- Guilloume – Colombian minimalist artist, self-described master of "Bolismo"
- Greg Giraldo – comedian[1]
- René Moncada – Colombian-born American artist
- Lari Pittman – painter
- Gala Porras-Kim – conceptual artist
- R. J. Palacio – author and graphic designer
- Diego Suarez (1888–1974) – garden designer known for his work at James Deering's Villa Vizcaya in Miami, Florida[2]
Anchors and TV personalities
edit- Julie Banderas – Fox News anchor[3]
- Monica Fonseca (1982–) – television presenter, journalist and blogger
- Ingrid Hoffmann – Colombian-American television personality and restaurateur
Actors
edit- Thom Adcox-Hernandez – American voice and television actor of Colombian descent (Falcon Crest, The Twisted Tales of Felix the Cat, Gargoyles)
- Odette Annable – American actress of Colombian, French, and Cuban descent[4][5]
- Moisés Arias – American actor[6]
- Yancey Arias – American actor of Colombian and Puerto Rican descent
- Stephanie Beatriz – American actress of Colombian father
- Lillo Brancato – Colombian-born American actor (A Bronx Tale, The Sopranos).
- Héctor Luis Bustamante – Colombian American actor
- Sasha Calle – Colombian American actress
- Sofia Carson – Colombian American actress known for the movie Descendants
- Adriana Cataño – American actress and television host
- Alyssa Diaz – American actress of Colombian and Mexican-American descent
- Paula Garcés – actress
- Isabella Gomez – Colombian-born American actress
- Diane Guerrero – American actress of Colombian descent
- Nico Greetham – actor and dancer of Colombian descent best known for participating in So You Think You Can Dance and Power Rangers Ninja Steel.
- Zulay Henao – film and television actress
- Andrew Keegan – actor, mother is Colombian.[7]
- John Leguizamo (1964–) – Colombian-born American actor and comedian
- Melissa Navia – actress, known for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
- Kika Perez – born Ilva Margarita Perez, Colombian-American actress and TV host
- Danny Ramirez (1992–) – American actor of Colombian and Mexican descent
- Carolina Ravassa (1985–) – Colombian-born American actress
- Sonya Smith – American actress best known for her roles in telenovelas. Her mother is Venezuelan and her father is of Colombian partially descent.[8]
- Allison Strong, singer/actress known for Bye Bye Birdie, Mamma Mia!, and The Week Of.[9]
- Diego Tinoco (1997–) – actor, his father is Mexican and his mother Ecuadorian from Colombian descent.
- Paola Turbay (1970–) – actress, TV host and beauty queen
- Brittany Underwood – American actress to Colombian mother[10]
- Wilmer Valderrama – actor, of Colombian and Venezuelan descent.[11]
- Carlos Valdes – Colombian-born American actor, Cisco Ramon on the TV series The Flash
- Alexa Vega – American actress from Colombian father[12]
- Makenzie Vega – American actress, young sister of Alexa Vega[13]
- Sofía Vergara (1972–) – Colombian actress, known for the series Modern Family
- Rachel Zegler – of Colombian and Polish descent
Musicians
edit- Kali Uchis (1994–) – Colombian-American singer and songwriter
- Lil Pump – Florida rapper born to Colombian parents (as stated in an interview with J. Cole)
- Psycho Les – hip hop emcee of the group The Beatnuts
- Adassa – American reggaetón singer-songwriter also known as the "Reggaetón Princess". She was born to Afro-Colombians parents.
- Ryan Cabrera – American singer born to a Colombian father and an American mother
- Jason Castro – singer-songwriter
- Freddy Cricien – American emcee and vocalist for the hardcore band Madball[14]
- Robo (1955–) – drummer (Black Flag, Misfits)
- Kike Santander – Colombian songwriter and producer naturalized in the United States in 2004[15]
- Yasmin Deliz – American singer-songwriter, model and actress of Dominican and Colombian and Venezuelan parentage.
- Carlos Dengler (1974–) – former bassist of the band Interpol
- Santiago Durango – guitarist (Big Black, Naked Raygun)[16]
- Alex González (musician) (1969–) – American-born musician of Cuban and Colombian origin.
- Danny Mercer – Colombian American recording artist, songwriter, and producer
- Ericson Alexander Molano – Gospel Christian singer
- Erick Morillo – Colombian-American DJ, music producer and record label owner
- Billy Murcia – drummer (New York Dolls).[17]
- Marty Stuart – American country music singer-songwriter. He is of French, English, Choctaw, and Colombian descent.
- Tonedeff – American rapper, producer, and singer-songwriter. He was born to a Cuban mother and a Colombian father.
- Andrés Useche – Colombian American writer, film director, graphic artist, singer-songwriter and activist.
- DJ Yonny – American DJ, producer and remixer.
- Rob Swift – (born Robert Aguilar) American hip hop DJ and turntablist group The X-Ecutioners as of late 2005 and as of 2006; with Mike Patton's project Peeping Tom. Rob Swift is on the faculty of Scratch DJ Academy in New York City.
- Soraya (1969–2006) – Colombian-American songwriter, guitarist, arranger and record producer.
Sports
edit- Jorge Acosta – soccer player, U.S. national team (early 1990s)
- Roberto Guerrero (1958–) – Formula One racecar driver
- Juan Pablo Montoya (1975–) – Formula One, Indy and Cart racecar driver
- Juan Agudelo – soccer player[18]
- Kiko Alonso – NFL player
- Alejandro Bedoya – American soccer player[19]
- Daniel Barrera – American professional soccer player[20]
- Lou Castro – first Latin American born player to play in Major League Baseball in the United States, and the first Latin American since player Esteban Bellán in 1873 as a professional baseball player.[2]
- Diego Corrales (1977–2007) – world champion boxer, father is Colombian and mother is Mexican
- Scott Gomez – retired NHL player. Half Colombian and half Mexican.
- Melissa Gonzalez – hurdler and sprinter. Parents are Colombian; she holds American citizenship by birthright.[21]
- Diego Gutiérrez – retired Colombian American footballer
- Eliot Halverson – American figure skater
- George Hincapie – cyclist[22]
- Carlos Llamosa – soccer player[23]
- Oscar Mercado – MLB player
- Travis Pastrana – American motorsports competitor and stunt performer who has won championships and X Games gold medals in several events
- Fuad Reveiz (1963–) – former NFL player
- Johnny Torres – Colombian-American soccer midfielder and coach
- Fernando Velasco – former NFL player
Models
edit- Manuela Arbeláez – model (The Price Is Right).[24]
- Maria Checa – Colombian-American model and actress.
Journalists
edit- Nina García (1965–) – fashion journalist and critic (Project Runway, Elle, Marie Claire).[25]
- Omar Jimenez – journalist and correspondent for CNN
- Adrian Lamo – hacker and journalist.
- Manuel Teodoro (1960–) – journalist (CBS News, Univision) (also has Filipino descent).
Politicians
edit- Diana Farrell – member and one of two deputy directors of the United States National Economic Council (NEC) in the administration of President Barack Obama.
- Jeff Frederick – former member of the General Assembly of Virginia.[26]
- Ruben Gallego – U.S. Representative for Arizona's 7th congressional district and 2024 Democratic U.S. Senate candidate
- Lina Hidalgo – county judge for Harris County, Texas
- Bernie Moreno - Businessman and 2024 Republican U.S. Senate nominee from Ohio
- Scott Perry (politician) – U.S. Representative for Pennsylvania's 10th congressional district
- José Sarria – first openly gay candidate for public office in the United States
Writers
edit- James Cañón – Colombian author
- Mo Rocca – American writer, journalist, comedian and political satirist to Colombian (mother) and Italian (father) descent.
- Andrés Useche – Colombian American naturalized writer, film director, graphic artist and singer/songwriter
- Jaime Manrique – Colombian American novelist, poet, essayist, educator, and translator.
- R. J. Palacio – Mexican-born American author to Colombian parents.
Scientists
edit- Jaime Imitola – neuroimmunologist
- Juan B. Gutierrez – mathematician and author
- Rodolfo Llinás (1934–) – neuroscientist
- Guillermo Owen – mathematician
- Ana María Rey – physicist
Others
edit- Medaria Arradondo – Minneapolis police chief
- José Luis Castillo (activist) – Colombian-American activist,[27] politician, and non-profit community liaison in south Florida. He was born to a Dutch mother and a Colombian father in Netherlands. He lives in Florida.
- Arturo Escobar – Colombian-American anthropologist primarily known for his contribution to postdevelopment theory and political ecology
- Carlos Goez (1939–1990) – founder of the original Pomander Book Shop in New York
- Will Jimeno – police officer, 9/11 survivor, portrayed in World Trade Center
- Andre Melendez (1971–1996) – better known as Angel Melendez, was a Club Kid and drug dealer who lived and worked in New York City
- Beto Pérez – Colombian born American dancer and choreographer who created the fitness program Zumba in the 1990s
- Cristina Pérez – judge[28]
- Julio Mario Santo Domingo (1923–2011) – Colombian billionaire
- Alejandro Santo Domingo (1977–) – Colombian American financier
- Al Williamson (1931–2010) – American cartoonist, comic book artist and illustrator specializing in adventure, Western and science-fiction/fantasy.[29]
- George Zamka – NASA astronaut[30]
- Laura DePuy (1971–) – Colombian-American colorist who has produced work for several of the major comics companies, including DC Comics, Marvel Comics and CrossGen.[31]
References
edit- ^ "Stand up Latino & political comedian Greg Giraldo". Archived from the original on May 14, 2008.
- ^ a b He was a grandson of the Colombian revolutionist and caudillo Francisco de Miranda. Biographical details are taken from an interview with Suarez reported in James T. Maher, Twilight of Splendor: Chronicles of the Age of American Palaces (Boston: Little, Brown) 1975:190-91.
- ^ "Julie Banderas: 5 Fast facts you need to know". www.heavy.com. Retrieved January 29, 2019.
- ^ Ángela González (January 6, 2008). "Odette Yustman, in the company of monsters in 'Cloverfield'". New York: NY Daily News. Archived from the original on 2011-06-29. Retrieved 2012-06-29.
- ^ "Moreno Valley|PE.com|Southern California News|News for Inland Southern California". Archived from the original on March 26, 2009.
- ^ Colombia Passport: Economics, Culture and Society: "[1] 27 May 2009 archived version of Moisés Arias of Colombia", 23 March 2009. Link retrieved 25 March 2009. Cite: "If some Colombians dream with an American passport, there are cases of Americans who are proud of say they are Colombians. It is the case of New York-born actor Moises Arias, a teen heart throb and an American US television actor who is proud of the origin of his parents: Colombia."
- ^ "Andrew Keegan - Yahoo! TV". yahoo.com.
- ^ [2][permanent dead link]
- ^ "National Endowment for the Arts Presents Sixth Annual Poetry Pavilion at the National Book Festival: Biographies of Participants". National Endowment for the Arts. Archived from the original on September 21, 2012. Retrieved June 3, 2012.
- ^ "Brittany Underwood Fan Page". Archived from the original on 2012-03-17. Retrieved 2015-02-25.
- ^ "Wilmer more than Lindsay's ex". heraldsun.com.au. 13 December 2006.
- ^ "Alexa Forever Forums :: View topic - Questions for Miss Alexa Vega". Archived from the original on 2008-01-17. Retrieved 2008-07-23.
- ^ Alexa Vega (2005-05-11). "Alexa Forever Forums". RE: Questions for Miss Alexa Vega. Archived from the original on 2007-12-15. Retrieved 2006-08-20.
My father's side is Colombian (bogota)... and I don't know why they said my mom was Italian. She's not. My family and I were trying to figure out what my mom was, but we can only go back to 5 generations and they were all from Florida. haha. so .. Floridian? ahhah... my moms last name is French though
- ^ "FREDDY MADBALL: I give respect to religion". t-musicvault-en.blogspot.com. 12 November 2009.
- ^ Lena Hansen (27 February 2008). "Las lecciones de vida de Kike Santander" [The life lessons of Kike Santander] (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 2010-12-07. Retrieved May 26, 2010.
- ^ Azerrad, Michael. Our Band Could Be Your Life: Scenes from the American Indie Underground, 1981-1991. Little, Brown and Company, 2001. ISBN 0-316-78753-1
- ^ Jacobson, Mark. "The Icon: Doll Face", New York (magazine), September 23, 2002. Accessed May 28, 2009. "Then came the sad pictures: Johnny and Jerry, RIP, and Billy Murcia too, their first drummer, a Colombian from Jackson Heights, dead in a London bathtub."
- ^ "Gold Cup 2011" [Gold Cup 2011: Juan Agudelo]. NJ.com. June 5, 2011. Retrieved July 21, 2011.
- ^ Bondy, Stefan. "Englewood native Alejandro Bedoya vies for U.S. spot", The Record (Bergen County), May 25, 2010. Accessed February 16, 2011.
- ^ Barrera aiming high at Spartak[usurped] at yanks-abroad.com, 16-12-2011
- ^ Brugler, Dane. "The Beast: 2022 NFL Draft Guide" (PDF). The Athletic. p. 247. Retrieved April 10, 2022.
Melissa holds dual citizenship in the United States and Colombia
- ^ "Daily Peloton - Pro Cycling News". Dailypeloton.com. Archived from the original on 2009-06-14. Retrieved 2008-07-23.
- ^ "Profile: Carlos Llamosa". Soccer Times. Archived from the original on 2013-05-09. Retrieved 2009-04-13.
- ^ "Price is Right model Manuela Arbelaez dishes on blunder, says it's the biggest mistake in game show history". www.nydailynews.com. Retrieved February 8, 2019.
- ^ Tkacik, Maureen (2008-08-17), "America's Next Top Fashion Editor", New York Magazine, retrieved 2010-07-14
- ^ Jost, Lauren (2011-07-20). "Muñoz, Frederick Speak of Platforms in Forum". Woodbridge Patch. Retrieved 2011-09-13.
- ^ “County Commission Candidates Line Up Endorsements” Miami Herald, August 24, 2000
- ^ "New York Daily News". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on November 15, 2009.
- ^ "Interview with Al Williamson," The Jack Kirby Collector #15 (April 1997), p. 16. Reprinted in The Collected Jack Kirby Collector Volume Three (TwoMorrows Publishing, 1999), p. 142. ISBN 978-1-893905-02-3
- ^ "Astronaut Bio: George D. Zamka (03/2013)". Jsc.nasa.gov. Archived from the original on 2007-02-13. Retrieved 2008-07-23.
- ^ Laura DePuy at the Comic Book DB (archived from the original). Accessed July 19, 2008