America Ferrera
Fearless Actress, Activist, Changemaker
“My identity is a superpower, not a superproblem. It’s taken me a long time to be able to say that, to see the ways in which my multiple identities: Latina, woman, immigrant’s daughter, are not obstacles to be overcome, but sources of strength.”
America Ferrera
While largely recognized as an award-winning actress, America Ferrera is also a fearless and vocal social activist, supporting equality and opportunity for immigrants, women and those of Latin descent. She is a tireless and courageous trailblazer, author, speaker, actress, director and producer.
Born in Los Angeles, CA., to a family of six, America Georgina Ferrera was the youngest child of Honduran immigrants who came to the US in the 1970’s. A hard working woman who rose from housekeeper to director of housekeeping for Hilton, Ms. Ferrera’s mother, América Griselda Ayes, instilled in America a deep appreciation for education. She modeled resilience and fortitude while facing financial struggles, and she taught America to study hard and excel. America Ferrera’s identity is a full reflection of both American and Honduran culture. Growing up, she loved Saturday morning salsa-dance parties in the kitchen, speaking Spanish and eating tamales while also loving apple pie.
At age 7, her parents divorced, and partly as a way of coping, Ms. Ferrera began acting in school plays, losing herself in roles rarely played by Latinas. At the University of Southern California, she double majored in theater and international relations, which laid the groundwork for her social activism throughout her career. This is evidenced in her profound 2019 TED Talk, “My Identity is a Superpower—Not a Superproblem,” where she shared how she had tried to change herself to fit into “Hollywood,” finally realizing that her authentic self is more than enough. She believes that the systems are broken for people of color and that all people should be represented authentically. Commenting on Hollywood, she said “I want to see women, especially women of color, in every part of the process: writing, directing, producing, starring. We deserve to tell our own stories, not just be props in someone else’s.“
America Ferrera juggled acting and college life at USC. She kicked off her acting career in two films in 2002: Gotta Kick It Up! and Real Women Have Curves. The latter gained critical acclaim for demonstrating the expectations of first-generation Latinas about their body image and their roles in the family. Learning that this film had inspired one of her professor’s students, she began volunteering with Joint Educational Project. She helped tutor under-served youth and joined the Teaching International Relations Program while she was in college.
In 2006, she founded Take Fountain Productions to create more authentic stories and films for underrepresented populations. As she has said, “Growing up, I didn’t see many faces like mine on screen. Being Honduran American meant I had to carve out my own space, to show that our stories are American stories too.”
Portraying Ugly Betty on ABC for four years had a big impact on her career. On the show, she portrayed an intelligent, “imperfect” Mexican American woman working in the world of fashion who had a great sense of self. Betty did not typify traditional standards of beauty; she wore braces, glasses and everyday clothes, and inspired millions of women to just be themselves. Earning kudos for playing that role, she was the first and youngest Latina to win a Prime time Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series, a Golden Globe, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. The attention not only accelerated her career, but also gave her a platform to address the under-representation of Latinas.
The role as Ugly Betty garnered her even more media attention when at age 23, America Ferrera was celebrated in TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People. The series drew 14 million viewers per episode. Time described her as “spunky, driven and real.” In a world of glossy polished fashionistas, she dared to be something different…she was authentic.
Her social activism grew stronger during this time as she teamed up with Voto Latino to launch America4America, a multimedia campaign urging young Latinos to vote. She also became involved with Voto Latino’s “I’m Ready for Immigration Reform” movement.
America Ferrera’s keen business acumen and substantial creativity played out as she grew her career into being a producer and a director. She produced and starred in NBC’s Superstore for six years, where she oversaw authentic depictions of working-class Latinas. This kind of work is so important to marginalized populations – to see accurate and respectful reflections of their real lives. She then went on to become a director, directing episodes of the Netflix series Gentefied, spotlighting the impact of gentrification on Latino communities. Her belief is that “Storytelling is one of the most powerful tools we have to connect, to humanize, to make people feel seen and heard. That’s why I use my platform to tell stories that matter to my community.”
In 2016, Ms. Ferrera partnered with her husband Ryan Piers Williams and Wilmer Valderrama to found Harness, which “brings together changemakers in curated environments designed for deep reflection, collaboration, and shared learning so they take meaningful action with aligned purpose and collective strength.” The organization creates documentaries, workshops and ongoing dialogues to drive social change and promote human rights. That same year, Ms. Ferrera was a delegate at the Democratic National Convention, rallying for Latino issues.
As the opening speaker at the Women’s March on Washington, her statement “We will not go quietly!” resonated with the crowd of half a million people. In early 2018, she was a founding member of TIME’S UP Legal Defense Fund. America Ferrera also wrote her first book: American Like Me in which she collected stories from thirty-one friends and sheros to reflect on what it’s like to live between two cultures, in her case, Honduran and American.
Her famous Ted Talk in 2019 “My Identity is a Superpower – Not an Obstacle” has had over 4 million views. In 2020, she co-founded She Se Puede (which later became Ponderistas) with Eva Longoria for Latina voters, saying, “When Latinas show up to vote, we change the conversation. We have the power to demand policies that reflect our realities, our families, our communities.”
In 2023, American Ferrera played one of her most significant roles in the smash hit movie Barbie. Her character Gloria gave the incredibly powerful monologue about how difficult it is to be a woman in American society. An excerpt demonstrates how powerful her words were “It’s impossible to be a woman. You’re supposed to be warm, but not too warm. Ambitious, but not too ambitious. It’s exhausting to live up to everyone else’s idea of who you’re supposed to be.”
This monologue touched a deep chord in women of all backgrounds and positioned America Ferrera as a powerful influencer. Once again, she was featured in the TIME 100 as a Pioneer. This recognition amplified her voice as an activist, and she was named the International Organization for Migration’s (IOM) Global Goodwill Ambassador or migrant rights. In May 2024, while speaking at the United Nations General Assembly, she promoted migrant rights, and throughout the year, continued to combat dehumanizing policies.
A mother of two, America Ferrera is also a proponent of gender equity in sports, investing in the National Women’s Soccer League’s Angel City FC since 2020. Through creating documentaries like Half the Sky and directing the film I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter in 2025, America Ferrera continues her ongoing work for social justice, working hard as a catalyst for change. In one of her speeches as IOM Global Goodwill Ambassador, she said: “As the daughter of immigrants, I know what it means to fight for a place at the table. Activism for me is about making sure no one else has to feel invisible or silenced.”
Throughout her life, America Ferrera has advocated for:
- Latin populations
- Equality for all marginalized people
- Immigrant populations
- Women’s rights
- Gender equity in sports
Lessons from America Ferrera’s Life:
Use Your Visibility to Support Others : America Ferrera’s career illustrates the power of using visibility to advocate for those who are unseen. Her historic Emmy win as the first Latina as Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series for Ugly Betty captured her saying, “We are still just fighting to be visible.” Her activism in co-founding Harness, launching Poderistas, and directing Gentefied all point to her commitment to uplifting marginalized populations.
Your Identity is Your Superpower As the daughter of Honduran immigrants, she knew the fear and struggles of growing up in a working-class, undocumented household in Los Angeles. Her 2019 TED Talk focused on how her Latina heritage and immigrant roots provided the foundation for her resilience and career. Her example shows us all to embrace our unique backgrounds as tools for pride and societal change.
Work Together to Bring About Change Throughout her career, America Ferrera has collaborated with others to bring about social change. From co-leading the 2008 Hillblazers initiative to ignite young voters, to the 2017 Women’s March, to co-founding the Time’s Up Legal Defense Fund, she has consistently advocated for change with others. Uniting diverse voices in the pursuit of equity has far greater impact than anything that one person could do alone.
Action Steps You Can Take:
- Who could you collaborate with to bring about improvements in your community? Seek out people with similar values and concerns.
- Consider how you could use your personal or professional platform to make change about an issue that concerns you. Do you shoot reels or videos? Do you write blogs or create content? Do you speak at events?
- Think about how you could do more to help others locally, nationally, internationally. There are so many people who in need of assistance. What causes could you donate to? Where could you volunteer?
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