List of Cuban Americans

This is a list of famous Cuban Americans. This list contains both naturalized Cuban-born Americans and naturally-born Americans of Cuban-descent.

Business

Alex Aguila, co-founder of Alienware
Raul Alarcon, president and CEO of the Spanish Broadcasting System
Ralph Alvarez, president and COO of McDonald's
Don Bacardi, rum distiller,originally Cuba now in PR
Bared&sons,, Jeweler. 20 stores in PR. Had store at Rockefeller Center.
Jeff Bezos, Amazon.com founder
Paul L. Cejas, CEO of PLC Investments, Inc.
Armando Codina, CEO of the Codina Group
George Feldenkreis, CEO of Perry Ellis International
Jorge Figueredo, Senior Vice President of Dow Jones
Robert C. Goizueta, former CEO of the Coca-Cola Company
Efram Grinberg, CEO of Movado watches
Gedalio Grinberg, founder and former CEO of Movado watches
Nelson Gonzalez, co-founder of Alienware
Carlos Gutierrez, former CEO of Kellogg Company
Alvaro de Molina, Chief Financial Officer of Bank of America Corporation
Antonio Luis Navarro, former vice president of W. R. Grace and Company
Joe Quesada, editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics
George Reyes, Chief Financial Officer of Google
Gregorio Reyes, co-founded Sunward Technologies; Silicon Valley legend
Felix Sabates, entrepreneur, philanthropist, holds ownership in NASCAR, Charlotte Bobcats and New Orleans Hornets
Alberto Vilar, philanthropist, former CEO of Amerindo Investment Advisers

Education

George J. Borjas, noted economist, Harvard University
Dr. Modesto A. Maidique, president of Florida International University
Dr. Elsa A. Murano, Vice Chancellor and Dean for Agriculture and Life Sciences, Texas A&M University
Dr. Eduardo Padron, president of Miami Dade College
Alejandro Portes, prominent sociologist, Princeton University

Entertainment

Actors

Laz Alonso, actor
Desi Arnaz, actor (I Love Lucy)
Desi Arnaz Jr., actor
Lucie Arnaz, actress
Nelson Ascencio, comedian (Madtv)
Steven Bauer, actor (Scarface)
Bobby Cannavale, actor (Third Watch, Will & Grace)
Nestor Carbonell, actor (Suddenly Susan)
Matt Cedeño, actor and model
Eddie Cibrian, actor (Vanished, Invasion)
Valerie Cruz, actress (Nip/Tuck)
Rosario Dawson, actress(Rent, Kids)
Kamar de los Reyes, soap opera actor (One Life to Live)
Cameron Diaz, actress (There's Something About Mary, Charlie's Angels), host of MTV's Trippin'
Guillermo Díaz, actor (films Half Baked, Party Girl)
Marieh Delfino, actress
Majandra Delfino, actress (Roswell)
Mel Ferrer, actor
Daisy Fuentes, model and television personality (MTV's House of Style, Miss Universe co-host)
David Fumero, soap opera actor (One Life to Live)
Gene Gabriel, actor (Numb3rs, Law & Order: Criminal Intent)
David Gallagher actor, 7th Heaven ^[1]
Melissa Gallo (1982 - ) television actress, One Life to Live ^[2]
Andy Garcia, Academy Award-nominated actor (The Godfather), (Ocean's Eleven, Oceans Twelve)
Jennelle Garcia, actress (2 Fast 2 Furious), model
Joanna García (1979 - ) film and television actress (Reba) ^[3]
Jorge Garcia, actor (Lost)
Jsu Garcia, actor
Nona Gaye, singer and actress (Ali)
Carlos Gómez (actor), actor
Eva Mendes, actress (Hitch, 2 Fast 2 Furious)
Christina Milian, singer and actress (Be Cool)
Enrique Murciano, actor (Without a Trace)
Oscar Nuñez, actor (The Office)
Elizabeth Peña, actress (Rush Hour)
Danny Pino, actor (Cold Case)
Mercedes Renard, actress
Armando Riesco, actor (film Garden State)
Adam Rodriguez, actor (CSI: Miami)
Cesar Romero, actor (The Joker on Batman)
Mercedes Ruehl, Academy Award-winning (The Fisher King) and Tony Award-winning actress
Saundra Santiago, actress (Miami Vice, The Sopranos)
Tessie Santiago, actress (Good Morning, Miami)
Jamie-Lynn Sigler, actress (The Sopranos)
Georg Stanford Brown, actor (Roots)
Gina Torres, actress (The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions)
Jordi Vilasuso, actor (Guiding Light)
Gabriella Rodriguez, actress (Disney Channel)

Directors, Screenwriters & Producers

Desi Arnaz, producer (I Love Lucy, Star Trek, The Andy Griffith Show, Mission: Impossible, The Untouchables), creator of Desilu studios
Migdia Chinea Varela, screenwriter, writer (Incredible Hulk, The Facts of Life, Superboy)
Manny Coto, executive producer (24), writer (24, Star Trek: Enterprise)
René Echevarria, writer (Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Medium) co-creator of The 4400
Silvio Horta, creator (Ugly Betty), writer (Urban Legends, Jake 2.0, Ugly Betty)
Leon Ichaso, director/screenwriter (El Cantante)
Brett Ratner, American-born director (Rush Hour, Red Dragon, X-Men 3)
George Romero, producer/director (Night Of The Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead) creator of the Night Of The Living Dead series of movies

Fashion

Lazaro Hernandez, fashion designer, co-founder of Proenza Schouler
Narciso Rodriguez, fashion designer

Musicians

Francisco Aguabella, Afro-Cuban master percussionist
Abel Aguilera, international deejay/dance music producer (one half of duo Rosabel)
Albita, Grammy-winning singer
B Real, member of rap group Cypress Hill
Jorge Bolet, classical concert pianist specializing in Lizst (numerous recordings on London label)
Irene Cara, Oscar and Grammy-winning singer (Flashdance), actress (Fame)
Willy Chirino, singer
Ana Cristina, singer
Johnny Goudie, rock musician
Celia Cruz, multiple Grammy-winning singer
Xavier Cugat, celebrated bandleader
Addys D'Mercedes, singer
DJ Infamous, first Cuban-American world champion DJ and is now producing hip-hop music
Don Dinero, rapper
Jose Echaniz, classical concert pianist, recorded for Westminster records in the 50's
Emilio Estefan, five-time Grammy-winning producer
Gloria Estefan, Grammy-winning and Academy Award-nominated singer
Lola Falana, singer, actress and dancer
Nona Gaye, singer and actress (Ali)
Horacio Gutierrez, prize-winning classical concert pianist
Fat Joe, American-born rapper
Al Jourgensen, musician
La Lupe, singer and gay icon
Nil Lara, rock musician
Dave Lombardo, drummer
Raul Malo, lead singer of American country music band, The Mavericks
Martika, Grammy-nominated singer
Paul Masvidal, guitarist for metal band Cynic
JD Natasha, Latin pop musician
Olivia Longott, rapper
Pitbull, American-born rapper
Carlos Ponce, singer and actor
Chano Pozo, Afro-Cuban, Latin Jazz percussionist, conga player
Santiago Rodriguez, award-winning classical concert pianist and founder of the Elan CD recording label
Rudy Sarzo, rock bassist (Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, Manic Eden, Dio)
Jon Secada, two-time Grammy-winning singer
Sen Dog, Cuban rapper member of (Cypress Hill)
Tico Torres, drummer for Bon Jovi

Reality Television Contestants

Katrina Campins, contestant on season 1 of The Apprentice
Rachel Campos, featured on The Real World: San Francisco
Ivette Corredero, runner-up on Big Brother 6
Jose "Pepi" Diaz, contestant on season 5 of The Apprentice
Marlon Fernández, winner of Objetivo Fama (third season)
Nathan Gonzalez, Survivor: Cook Islands contestant
Danny Jimenez, Amazing Race all-star contestant
Lisi Linares, Survivor: Fiji contestant
Oscar Mendez, Amazing Race all-star contestant
Chris Nuñez, artist and reality television personality (Miami Ink)
Melissa Padron, featured on The Real World: Miami
Veronica Portillo, Playboy model and reality show contestant
Janu Tornell, Las Vegas dancer and reality show contestant (Survivor)
Dana Varela, reality show contestant (Big Brother 4)
Pedro Zamora, AIDS activist, featured on The Real World: San Francisco

Television Personalities

Laz Alonso, actor and BET personality
Reynaldo Arenas,.. poet, author
Lily Estefan, co-host of Univision's El Gordo y la Flaca
Alex Ferrer, television judge (Judge Alex)
Daisy Fuentes, frm. MTV VJ and host of America's Funniest Home Videos
Alex Garcia, Food Network personality
Odalys Garcia, singer, model and television personality
Vida Guerra, television presenter and model
Raul De Molina, co-host of Univision's El Gordo y la Flaca
Maria Lopez, television judge (Judge Maria Lopez)
Ana Maria Polo, television arbitrator
Marilyn Milian, television judge (The People's Court)
Rick Sanchez, CNN anchorman and reporter
Cristina Saralegui, magazine editor, talk show host (Cristina) and actress
Bob Vila, television host (This Old House), author and actor (Home Improvement)
Christina Perez, televion Judge, Judge Christina
Hilda Santo Tomas, designer, host Trading Space(TLC)

Writers

Mercedes de Acosta, poet, playwright
Nilo Cruz, playwright, the first Latino to win the Pulitzer Prize for Drama
Carmen Agra Deedy, children's books author
Paula Fox, author, winner of Hans Christian Andersen Medal, biological grandmother of musician Courtney Love
Oscar Hijuelos, first Latino to win the Pulitzer Prize for fiction.
Ricardo Pau-Llosa, poet, pioneer art critic of Latin American art in the US and Europe, and author of short fiction.
Jorge Reyes, memoirist, short-story writer, poet, children's books
Jaime Suchlicki, author From Columbus To Castro And Beyond[1]
Piri Thomas, author (memoir Down These Mean Streets)
Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez, writer (The Dirty Girls Social Club)
Cristina García, author - Dreaming in Cuban, nominated for the National Book Award, 1992
Gertrudis Gomez De Avellaneda, famous playwriight and poet
Juan Gerardo Hernandez, author - Cuban, That's All and More Cuban, That's All, 2003, 2005
Frank Fernandez, author - Cuban Anarchism: The History of a Movement (2001)

Journalists

Manny Alvarez, medical correspondent Fox News Channel
Cathy Areu, founder of Catalina magazine
Liz Balmaseda, columnist Miami Herald
Barbara Bermudo, anchor Primer Impacto
Beatriz Canals, anchor WFOR, CBS in Miami
Myrka Dellanos, former anchor Primer Impacto
Jose Diaz-Balart, anchor/reporter
Max Gomez, medical correspondent WNBC, NBC in New York City
Ambrose E. Gonzales, founder of the The State newspaper in South Carolina
Dan Le Batard, sportswriter for The Miami Herald
Antonio Mora, anchor WBBM, CBS in Chicago
Belkys Nerey, anchor WSVN, Fox in Miami
Jackie Nespral, anchor WTVJ, NBC in Miami
Soledad O'Brien, anchor CNN's American Morning
Mariane Pearl, author, journalist A Mighty Heart
Maggie Rodriguez [2], anchor Saturday edition of CBS's The Early Show]
Rick Sanchez, anchor, CNN Newsroom
Enrique Teutelo, anchor/reporter WLTV, Univision Miami

Politics and the Judiciary

State Government

Jose O. Arango, former state assemblyman of New Jersey
Zulima Farber, former Attorney General of New Jersey
Luis A. Ferré, former governor of Puerto Rico
Bob Martinez, former governor of Florida, first Hispanic governor in United States history
Alex X. Mooney, member of the Maryland state senate representing District 3
Vincent Prieto, NJ state assemblyman 32nd District
Marco Rubio, Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives
John H. Sununu, former governor of New Hampshire

World leaders

Éamon de Valera, 3rd president of Ireland

Judiciary

Cecilia Altonaga, United States District Court Judge
Danny Boggs, Chief judge of United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in Cincinnati, Ohio
Raoul G. Cantero, III, Florida Supreme Court justice
Mauricio J. Tamargo, Chairman of the Foreign Claims Settlement Commission
Adalberto Jordan, United States District Court Judge

Athletes

Gilbert Arenas, American professional basketball player (whose great grandparents are Cuban) currently with the NBA's Washington Wizards
Steve Bellán, also known as Esteban, nicknamed "The Cuban Sylph", the first Cuban and the first Latin American to play professional baseball in the USA from 1869 to 1873
José Canseco, former MLB player, author (Juiced) and reality show contestant (The Surreal Life)
Ozzie Canseco, former MLB player
José Contreras, baseball player with Chicago White Sox, won World Series in 2005
Eric Eichmann, former US National Team and American professional soccer player (mother is Cuban)
Mary Joe Fernandez, tennis player
Raul Ibanez, a player on the Seattle Mariners
Henry Gutierrez, former US National Team and American professional soccer player
Livan Hernandez, starting pitcher for Arizona Diamondbacks, won World Series in 1997 with Florida Marlins
Orlando Hernandez, half-brother of Livan, starting pitcher for New York Mets, was on the World Series team with New York Yankees (1998, 1999, 2000) and Chicago White Sox (2005)
Minnie Miñoso, former MLB player,
Pablo Morales, who won a relay gold and two silver medals for the USA swimming Butterfly at the 1984 Summer Olympics
Orlando Palmeiro, Major League Baseball player
Rafael Palmeiro, Major League Baseball player<br
Julio Herrera, Famous Wrestler
Tony Perez, Hall of Fame Major League Baseball player
Jorge Posada, current catcher NY Yankees, Winning team for MLB World Series. Father and grandfather are Cuban. (2007)
Jennifer Rodriguez, inline speed skating world champion (1993) and USA speedskater in the 1998, 2002, and 2006 Winter Olympics, winning two bronze medals in Salt Lake City in 2002
Alberto Salazar, winner of three consecutive New York City Marathons (1980 - 1982), the Boston Marathon (1982), and a member of the United States' Olympic marathon team (1984)
Rafael Soriano, baseball player
Danny Tartabull, MLB player
Ryan Freel, Cincinnati Reds Outfielder, His mother and maternal grandparents are Cuban.
Luis Tiant, former MLB player
Yunel Escobar, current shortstop for the Atlanta Braves

Science and Technology

Aida de Acosta, first female to fly a powered aircraft
Aristides Agramonte, physician, pathologist and bacteriologist
Luis Walter Alvarez, famed Nobel Prize-winning physicist
Arturo Dulzaides, influential architect and structural engineer
Nils J. Diaz, former Chairman of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Carlos Finlay, physician and scientist

Visual Arts

José Bernal, painter and sculptor
Frank Varela, graphic artist [1]

Misc.

Mercedes de Acosta, socialite, author, best known for her affairs with Greta Garbo, Marlene Dietrich
Fernando Bujones, ballet dancer
Alina Fernández, radio personality, daughter and critic of Fidel Castro
Maria Elena Milagro de Hoyos, woman at the center of the Carl Tanzler case
Vanessa Del Rio, American-born porn star
Inez Garcia, charged with murdering her rapist
Ambrosio José Gonzales, Colonel in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War.
Ana Mendieta, performance artist, noted feminist
Erik Menendez, convicted murderer
Lyle Menendez, convicted murderer
Perez Hilton, celebrity gossip blogger
Henry Pollack, radio host of "Havana Rock"
Charles Rebozo, close friend and confidant of President Richard Nixon; key Watergate figure

Footnotes

^ Gallagher - "All-Starz on David Gallagher". This half Irish, half Cuban actor can dance for six hours straight! "I'm proud to have the Latin hips," he says!
^ Gallo - "Melissa Gallo Fan". (MELISSA GALLO) comes from "a big Cuban family, a lot of whom reside in the New York area"
^ Garcia - "Aah Celeb Profile". Cuban descent actress JOANNA GARCIA

Agustín Fernandez, painter Enrique Gay García, sculptor Carmen Herrera, painter José Mijares, painter Emilio Sanchez, painter Daniel Serra-Badue, painter

None of the above have any history whatsoever, so they have been deleted until more information is available. And Rafael Sriano is a baseball player. Rafael Soriano, painter Mig 05:02, 4 November 2007 (UTC)

[David_Gallagher-1] Gallagher - "All-Starz on David Gallagher". This half Irish, half Cuban actor can dance for six hours straight! "I'm proud to have the Latin hips," he says!

[Melissa_Gallo-2] Gallo - "Melissa Gallo Fan". (MELISSA GALLO) comes from "a big Cuban family, a lot of whom reside in the New York area"

[Joanna_Garcia-3] Garcia - "Aah Celeb Profile". Cuban descent actress JOANNA GARCIA

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