La Isla Bonita: Stars With Cuban Roots

We celebrate Cuba Libre with these Latin celebs.

Pitbull - On May 20, Cuba celebrates its 111th Independence Day. To pay tribute to the tiny island nation's emancipation from Spanish rule, we're going to throw back some mojitos and give a shout-out to our favorite Cuban celebs. Born Armando Christian Perez in Miami, rapper Pitbull brought a little island flavor to hip hop. The hit maker even named two of his albums, El Mariel and The Boatlift, after the 90-mile journey risked by many Cubans for a better life in Miami. (Photo:  C.M. Wiggins/WENN.com)

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Pitbull - On May 20, Cuba celebrates its 111th Independence Day. To pay tribute to the tiny island nation's emancipation from Spanish rule, we're going to throw back some mojitos and give a shout-out to our favorite Cuban celebs. Born Armando Christian Perez in Miami, rapper Pitbull brought a little island flavor to hip hop. The hit maker even named two of his albums, El Mariel and The Boatlift, after the 90-mile journey risked by many Cubans for a better life in Miami. (Photo:  C.M. Wiggins/WENN.com)

Laz Alonso - The Jumping the Broom star is Afro-Cuban by blood, but doesn't let labels identify him. “I always like to say that whether you’re African-American, Afro-Jamaican, Afro-Haitian, Afro-British, Afro-Cuban, Afro-Panamanian, whatever — Black is Black,” says Alonso. "I have a Cuban influence from my ethnicity, so I feel 100 percent Cuban and 100 percent Black and nobody can take that away from me." (Photo: John Ricard/BET)

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Laz Alonso - The Jumping the Broom star is Afro-Cuban by blood, but doesn't let labels identify him. “I always like to say that whether you’re African-American, Afro-Jamaican, Afro-Haitian, Afro-British, Afro-Cuban, Afro-Panamanian, whatever — Black is Black,” says Alonso. "I have a Cuban influence from my ethnicity, so I feel 100 percent Cuban and 100 percent Black and nobody can take that away from me." (Photo: John Ricard/BET)

Pedro Zamora - In 1993, The Real World: San Francisco star brought HIV awareness to the MTV generation. Zamora shared his story on the show: at the age of 17 he tested positive for HIV and immediately dedicated his life to raise awareness in the community. Sadly, while the show was airing, Zamora became very ill and was hospitalized for months. He lost his battle with the disease hours after the last episode of the show aired. He was only 22 years old.(Photo: MTV)

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Pedro Zamora - Born in Havana, this former Real World cast member was one of the first openly gay men with AIDS on television. Zamora used reality TV as a platform to educate the masses about living with AIDS and was recognized by Bill Clinton for his activism. Sadly, he died in 1994 at the age of 22. (Photo: MTV)

Faizon Love - Big Worm has been a busy bee since Players Club released. The actor has worked steadily for the past two decades, popping up in films like Elf and The Fighting Temptations and on TV shows like The Parent 'Hood and BET's Real Husbands of Hollywood. He was also a spokesperson for Boost Mobile. (Photo: Robert Mora/Getty Images)

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Faizon Love - The Real Husbands of Hollywood star was born Langston Faizon Santisima to Cuban parents and even lived in Santiago de Cuba before moving to San Diego.  (Photo: Robert Mora/Getty Images)

Christina Milian - This singer and actress was born to Afro-Cuban parents in New Jersey. She moved with her mother and two sisters to Los Angeles as a teenager to realize her dream of becoming an actress. Milian has often spoken of the discrimination she faced in Hollywood by casting agents who believed her to be too light-skinned to be considered Black, and too dark for a Latina.   (Photo: Paul A. Hebert/Getty Images)

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Christina Milian - This singer and actress was born to Afro-Cuban parents in New Jersey. She moved with her mother and two sisters to Los Angeles as a teenager to realize her dream of becoming an actress. Milian has often spoken of the discrimination she faced in Hollywood by casting agents who believed her to be too light-skinned to be considered Black, and too dark for a Latina.   (Photo: Paul A. Hebert/Getty Images)

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Gina Torres: April 25 - The statuesque Suits star, who is married to Laurence Fishburne, turns 44. (Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

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Gina Torres - Laurence Fishburne's wife was born to multiracial Cuban parents and raised in Washington Heights and the Bronx, New York. The actress and classically-trained opera singer pursued a career in Hollywood after she couldn't afford to go to college. Looks like it all worked out for her! (Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

Rita Marley - The wife of Jamaica's most famous son was actually born in Santiago de Cuba. Rita Marley moved to Kingston as a child. She met her future husband Bob Marley while singing for the group the Soulettes.  (Photo: Bruno Vincent/Getty Images)

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Rita Marley - The wife of Jamaica's most famous son was actually born in Santiago de Cuba. Rita Marley moved to Kingston as a child. She met her future husband Bob Marley while singing for the group the Soulettes.  (Photo: Bruno Vincent/Getty Images)

Photo By Photo: Bruno Vincent/Getty Images

Andy Garcia - The Cuban-born actor was a smooth and cunning Lucky Luciano. The immensely private Garcia consistantly stays on the big screen, doing everything from comedies like The Pink Panther 2 (2009) to crime thrillers (Ocean's Eleven). (Photo: Alberto E. Roriguez/Getty Images)

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Andy Garcia - The Ocean's Eleven star was born in Cuba to a teacher and an avocado farmer before his family found stability and fortune in Miami. After two decades of success in Hollywood, Garcia began recording music in Miami with a number of famous Cuban musicians.  (Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

Gloria Estefan: September 1 - The Cuban-born pop icon celebrates her 55th birthday. (Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

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Gloria Estefan - Would we be doing the Conga without Gloria? Hard to say. But it's indisputable that Estefan brought the beat of the island into mainstream American pop music. The singer, who left Cuba as a child, has said many times that she dreams of returning one day. Unfortunately, her open opposition to the Castro government may not make that possible. (Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Photo By Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Celia Cruz - Widely regarded as Cuba's greatest export, this legendary musician and Queen of Salsa spent her childhood on the island before achieving fame and moving to New Jersey. Her career spanned more than 50 years and influenced everyone from Gloria Estefan to Pitbull. Cruz died in 2003 of brain cancer. (Photo: REUTERS/Fred Prouser)

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Celia Cruz - Widely regarded as Cuba's greatest export, this legendary musician and Queen of Salsa spent her childhood on the island before achieving fame and moving to New Jersey. Her career spanned more than 50 years and influenced everyone from Gloria Estefan to Pitbull. Cruz died in 2003 of brain cancer. (Photo: REUTERS/Fred Prouser)

Photo By Photo: REUTERS/Fred Prouser