The Charitable Awesome Super Great Latino Celeb Competition, Starring Julieta Venegas

Julieta Venegas has teamed up with UNICEF to become their newest ambassador. The Mexican singer will lend her celebrity to increase awareness for the plight of impoverished children around the world.

We spend a lot of time here making fun of celebrities because, well, a lot of them ore infinitely make-funable, but that doesn’t mean we’re not able to appreciate those who use their star status as a means of changing the world for the better and reaching out to their communities. 

With that in mind, we’d like to take some time to highlight the achievements of high-profile Latino stars:

Christina Aguilera

Her work with the UN highlights the poverty and hunger endured by children and families in Guatemala. Latin America never seems to be a cause célèbre for those in the entertainment industry unless the people involved happen to have Latin American roots. Perhaps Christina’s efforts will draw more attention to the work that needs to be done in this region of the world.

Shakira

Shakira founded her Pies Descalzos organization in 1995 with the goal of providing educational opportunities for underprivileged children in her native Colombia, with an emphasis on those young people touched by violence. The United Nations honored the singer for her work at a ceremony in 2006.

Ricky Martin

Ricky is a Goodwill ambassador as well as the founder of the Ricky Martin Foundation, which is committed to improving the lives of children around the world:

As advocates of this most vulnerable population we defend children’s rights and pursue in alliance with other sectors of society to influence on adequate policy making that will secure them the right to be children.

Much of his recent work has included highlighting the reality of child trafficking and making sure children are not exploited. 

Salma Hayek

The Salma Hayek Foundation was created with goal of providing assistance to battered women as well as to disadvantaged children in Mexico. Salma has also teamed up with Pampers to offer tetanus shots to those in underdeveloped countries.