To realize the American dream, the most important thing to understand is that it belongs to everybody. It's a human dream. If you understand this and work very hard, it is possible.

You have to eat right. That does not mean that I don't drink Cuban coffee. That does not mean that I do not have two cigarettes a day - that's what I'm down to. I drink wine - you know, I'm normal. But I do eat well.

Like most Latinas, I'm not afraid to speak my mind.

My hope is to see Tom Cruise jumping on my couch.

People would write me hate letters. How dare I try to represent Hispanics when I was so white? I tried to make them see it was racism.

The common denominator all Latinos have is that we want some respect. That's what we're all fighting for.

In my house, we speak Spanglish to the dogs, to the grandchildren, to the kids.