11 People Who Totally Count As Latino (SLIDESHOW)

Feliz cumple, Manu Chao! Or, perhaps joyeux anniversaire, or feliz aniversário, or عيد ميلاد سعيد…

French by birth, Spanish by descent, and Latin American by consensus, multiculturalism has been the bedrock of Manu Chao’s musical style since forming Mano Negra in 1986. At 52 he's spent years in the region, learning the music of the streets that he's partially absorbed into his distinctive mishmash of styles.

Strictly speaking, Manu Chao -- though definitely Hispanic, because of his Spanish heritage -- isn't actually Latino. Most definitions of the term “Latino” include only people of Latin American birth or descent.

But while the nation continues to debate over the question of who counts as Latino, we’re going out on a limb and unilaterally extending Manu Chao official Latino status.

And he’s not the only one. There’s plenty of people out there who just exude Latinidad, regardless of their country of origin or ancestry. Others deserve honorary Latino status because of their great contributions to, or appreciation of, Latino culture or political movements.

Check out these 11 people who we think pretty much count as Latino in the slideshow above. Who did we miss? Let us know in the comments.