Salma Hayek: I Was An Illegal Immigrant

Salma Hayek discussed her Mexican background with V Magazine Spain (via E! Online), revealing that, for a brief time, she was in the United States without legal papers.

After unknowingly have her visa expire, Hayek said that, "I was an illegal immigrant in the United States. It was for a small period of time, but I still did it."

Hayek's reps clarified that she soon returned to her native country to renew the visa, but she still faced plenty of difficulties in Hollywood.

"I had to endure the worst time of all in terms of racial discrimination in Hollywood when i first started out," she said. "It was inconcievable to American directors and producers that a Mexican woman could have a lead role."

Still, the now full American citizen is pleased with how things have changed.

"Hollywood has definitely grown, in embracing the inclusion of Latinos in the world, because, for some time, we didn't exist. We were not part of any stories."

Comments

[MikeyJaii]

11:35 PM on 12/20/2010

Slap her with a big fined, doesn't matter how famous she is.

[elcid66]

06:26 AM on 12/16/2010

I am sure we have unanimous consent to give this lady a visa.

[heroine addict]

12:41 PM on 12/12/2010

Good for her.

Actions like these by celebrities show their true colors. Obviously Salma Hayek has a great deal of integrity.

[BigBrickHouse]

07:53 AM on 12/11/2010

Do you know how hard it is to get into Japan and how easy it is to get kicked out? America has nothing on Japan when it comes to immigration and being allowed to stay in a country with border laws. A friend of mine was an English teacher in Japan, until she revealed to her boss that she had tattoos. She was consequently fired from her teaching job, because Japan frowns on female teachers with tattoos, and then kicked out of the country for losing her sponsorship. And in Japan, they will come find you and make sure you leave.

[zyxwvutsrqpo]

09:53 AM on 12/11/2010

Wow. I've lived in japan for almost 6 years now. Never heard a story like that...

[Samantha Monteleone]

11:27 AM on 12/11/2010

I like that. America needs to toughen up when it comes to immigration.

[dhinds]

12:57 PM on 12/11/2010

Perhaps that should have occurred before your ancestors invaded the nation.

[Puzzlr]

07:46 AM on 12/16/2010

Agreed. But we need to do it in a common sense manner. If we only concentrate on the illegals, (as it happens now), nothing will change.

[CorkiDeCat]

05:56 PM on 12/10/2010

That's why Ugly Betty tanked. Many stopped watching after it became clear there was an immigration agenda fused into the plot.

[GravitonX]

08:22 PM on 12/10/2010

Huh? What are you babbling about?

[Samantha Monteleone]

11:27 AM on 12/11/2010

Probably just wasting breath to make a comment.

[sepia830]

12:13 PM on 12/11/2010

I am inclined to agree with Corki. "Desperate Housewives" seems to be headed in that direction (a pro-immigration agenda) as well. Ridiculous.

[JUVENTUSER]

04:28 PM on 12/10/2010

when is the time for hollywood to grow to embrace Asian actors and actress, HARD!!

[GravitonX]

08:23 PM on 12/10/2010

We don't hear much protest.

[erl92]

12:26 PM on 12/11/2010

That is true but if there is any minority group that deserves to be represented in a positive light and visable it is Native Americans.

[dhinds]

01:41 PM on 12/11/2010

Perhaps Americans don't want to be reminded of what they did to the nation's original residents (having already forgotten that over half of Mexico's land now forms part of the USA).

[stupidpeopleshutup]

01:46 PM on 12/10/2010

Good for Salma for saying that!!! Being illegal is not a prize and she is brave for admitting that. However , her situation I imagine was completely different from numerous illegal ,or undocumented people in USA. First of all she is from a very wealthy background, second she was already established star in Mexico, and that she overstayed her visa here was just a mere paperwork misshap. It's not like she was a starving actress who cannot go home because she had kids to feed and lived on 5 dollars .
Speaking just about estimated 12 million illegals living in Usa . I propose very wonderful solution. Let these people legalize themselves, they are here already. They lived here for years worked hard. Therefore, if they do not have criminal record, been here for certain amount of years , let's say 5 or more, paid taxes or can pay back taxes. And pay 10,000 fine , let them gain a legal status! How much longer can we torture these poor people who want a better life? Think about it 10,000x12,000,000=120000000000 what is that 120 billion? I don't even know... That's plenty of money to build a border and strengthen US security... Works out for both sides... It is all about money anyways... If this would be a possibility , people would work even harder to get to that possibility .

[GravitonX]

08:25 PM on 12/10/2010

As just about every Western nation knows, immigrants provide a rich source of growth. Of course, those at the bottom who have a tough time competing without certain advantages, disagree.

[dhinds]

01:43 PM on 12/11/2010

You would sell legal residence at $10,000 a head?

[elcid66]

06:24 AM on 12/16/2010

It's called a fine and it's perfectly legitimate. It's a form of penalty that enables you to get right with the law.

[April22]

01:29 PM on 12/10/2010

Thank you for sharing! So glad you made out so well. Unfortunately, there are many citizens in America who are not so lucky and fear as to what the future will bring for them. I for one am not wealthy, young, or beautiful and my chances of making millions of dollars for months or weeks of work are not in my future. Nor will I be able to afford plastic surgery to keep the illusion going.

[bwaldronxoxo]

05:51 PM on 12/10/2010

Best comment soo far! Don`t be soo hard on yourself, I`m sure your beautiful! By the way, Hollywood is a illusion. I`ve been working in the business for 5 years,and celebs look NOTHING like their photograph's, trust me!
http://www.britneywaldron.com

[Cutiepieblue]

01:27 PM on 12/10/2010

I really don't see why it matters. I think people should be able to move about the earth at free will.

[JUVENTUSER]

04:29 PM on 12/10/2010

Dah, sure if you are American Citizen !!!

[dhinds]

01:44 PM on 12/11/2010

Only within the USA.

[frixx]

06:28 PM on 12/10/2010

Including into your home too?

I take it you don't have locks on your doors and windows, right?

After all, people should be able to move about the earth at free will. Genius.

[Samantha Monteleone]

11:28 AM on 12/11/2010

Word, frixx.

Word.

[valeskas]

12:50 PM on 12/10/2010

I guess our government lets all these actors in from England, Germany, Canada, as long as they have money, no one will send them back home, for being not an American citizen, so why should it be differend for a Mexican actress.

[Dean Ash]

01:03 PM on 12/10/2010

No offence mate but there are plenty of american actors/actresses and particularly comedians working here in england, therefore; i find your derogatory comments aimed at specific countries to be unnecessarily insulting. I dont wish to get embroiled in any racial type argument because whether selma was mexican or russian or african - immigration has nothing to with race, it has to do with nationality

[GravitonX]

08:27 PM on 12/10/2010

Oh, the classic "there's no racism" argument, coming for a white guy, no less.

[Dean Ash]

01:13 PM on 12/10/2010

One final thought, did you know that it is far easier for an imigrant to come to england than it is for an imigrant to come to america. teh reason you have more is based on person to land mass ratios

[valeskas]

01:19 PM on 12/10/2010

I was an immigrant once, but the legal way. I was just pointing out other countries who come here and no one talks about them. Only always about Mexico and other South American nations, they have hardworking people there too. So, I have no problems with other people to come here, only that they are pointing out the illegal immigrants from South America. So, when you got all uppity because England was one of the countries I mentioned, you did not say anything about Germany and Canada, so please understand I was making a point and if the english are upset, so be it.

[Balzac]

12:07 PM on 12/10/2010

Tight.

[Nleal123]

11:33 AM on 12/10/2010

Naughty, Naughty!
A strict spanking is in order.

On the serious side. I believe the millions in tax revenue generated by her as an actress and director should more than make for this brief pecadillo.

[Cimms]

11:24 AM on 12/10/2010

I forgive you Salma.

[Statusnaturae]

10:50 AM on 12/10/2010

Her Mexican-Arab family is super wealthy.

[GravitonX]

10:57 AM on 12/10/2010

and she still experienced racial discrimination. No matter how high or how much money a minority has, that's America.

[kinvore]

11:02 AM on 12/10/2010

human beings aren't illegal

[situationcritical]

11:35 AM on 12/10/2010

Fanned for being human.

[EveryoneLies]

11:37 AM on 12/10/2010

If they are in our country ILLEGALLY then they are.

[Flaxseed]

11:06 AM on 12/10/2010

The problem in AZ has nothing to with with immigration.
If you're gonna blame immigrants, at least learn how to use the word "immigration" correctly.

The problem in AZ is mostly about drug trafficking. These drug dealers cross the border into the US back and forth. Therefore, they're not moving to the US. Therefore that's not immigration.

The word immigration is for people who leave one country and SETTLE on another country. And if you knew anything about immigration, you would know that the vast majority of immigrants that come into this country tend to avoid problems with the law as much as they can.

So if you want to fix the problem in AZ, deal with the drugs first.

[EveryoneLies]

11:35 AM on 12/10/2010

Hey high and mighty you are part of the problem. Illegal is Illegal period end of story. If it is not then take all the laws off the books so chaos is created(you like the laws that protect you from bad people). My family migrated from Canada LEGALLY. I am well aware of immigration only ours was LEGAL. And to your deal with the drugs. first you apparently are not in AZ because you have no clue. Our education system and healthcare system is failing because it is overrun with ILLEGALS. Corporations are not being responsible and verifying employees (required by law). Sizzler just got busted ILLEGAL only do jobs Amercians won't bull, Sizzlers managers making 50k a year were ILLEGAL bet there are a few unemployed Americans that would take that job. You have no idea what you are talking about and are simply a bleeding heart to ILLEGALS when it is destorying our country. (ILLEGAL are fleecing AZ health system for about 1.5 billion a year. The problem with the ILLEGAL is they don't want to be American they want to be Mexican with the freedoms of America. Say and think what you want but we have had mass amount of other cultures migrate to the US not one of them demanded they own language. Not until the mess got out of hand did i have to push 1 for english.

[AllyCat7]

11:39 AM on 12/10/2010

Not true, I've done some immigration work and a good deal of the men had criminal backgrounds. They weren't major crimes but enough to realize that they wouldn't make the best of citizens. Of course not all of them do that. But I just say this to counter your generalization.