Influencers
Fernanda Cortes
Using social media to teach kids about Hispanic culture so they feel a deeper connection to their roots
Fernanda Cortes is helping keep Latin culture and traditions alive for new generations of Latinos. This 23-year-old Mexican is making sure young people learn about important facts in entertainment and Latin history, using her large social media platform to create informational videos, which include influential women throughout history.
Growing up in Phoenix after coming with her family from Guadalajara, Fernanda has previously explained that she was taught about Mexican and Latin American history, including fun facts and cultural icons, kept alive through oral traditions.
“I think my culture is so beautiful, and it’s so deep and so rich, and my country is so much more than the negative stereotypes and the negative ideals that the media oftentimes puts.”
Fernanda started creating these informational videos on TikTok during the coronavirus pandemic, causing major impact and building a big following on the popular platform, with many online users excited to learn more about these historical facts.
@fernandacortesx Once again, not mad at her 💅🏻 #tiktoklatino#colombia#colombian#urbanlegend#latina#latino#hispanic♬ Suspense, horror, piano and music box - takaya
From telling traditional stories such as ‘The Legend of La Pata Sola,’ to talking about ‘Badass Latinas in History’ and informing her viewers on Mexican film locations and giving background information on Latin actors, Fernanda is sharing necessary details about our culture.
“I just decided to start talking about these women that inspired me,” She explained. “I felt like they weren’t being recognized or acknowledged... I wanted to put their names out there, their stories out there and hopefully connect with someone and have another young Latina find someone that they can see themselves in.”
Among her most successful videos on TikTok, Fernanda has “talked about Rita Moreno, how she was the first Latina to win an Oscar,” or Sylvia Mendez and “how her mom helped end segregation in California, which set a precedent to end segregation in the entire country.”
“I would love to be able to have a more diverse education about different cultures, because I feel like these kids need to learn about their cultures, and they need to connect with their culture. I fully believe that this country is a melting pot. So I think we need to diversify the history in school.” she declared.
