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Latinos unite against Trump's controversial comments

By Fox News
Published | Updated
Eva Longoria

<b>Eva Longoria</b> The former Desperate Housewives star responded to Trump's remarks by saying: "I think what [Trump] doesn’t understand and what people don’t understand is words create emotional poison. Hitler moved a nation with words. Just words. And so you have to expect this backlash if you say something like that. You must expect a backlash because it’s struck a chord in our community that touched our emotions so deep, that I don’t want to contribute to that poison being spread. Because if I contribute, then it’s just going to bring more attention to the original comments." She later congratulated NBC on their decision to disband any involvement with Donald Trump by writing on social network <a target="_blank" href="http://www.whosay.com/">Whosay.com</a>, "Thank you @nbc for respecting the Latino community and all of those who were painted by the broad brush of Donald Trump." (2012 Getty Images)

On her <a target="_blank" href="https://www.facebook.com/shakira">Facebook</a> page, Shakira called Donald Trump's speech "hateful and racist." "This is a hateful and racist speech that attempts to divide a country that for years has promoted diversity and democracy! No one living in this century should stand behind so much ignorance," she wrote, sharing a video of his speech. (2014 Getty Images)

<b>Roselyn Sanchez</b> The Puerto Rican beauty pulled out as co-host of the Miss USA pageant after Trump's comments, an important turning point in the issue. "Although I am not Mexican, I am Puerto Rican and a proud Latina, and his comments were an insult to our culture," Sanchez said in a statement on June 25. "I won't sponsor anything produced by Donald Trump." (Getty)

<b>Ricky Martin</b> The Puerto Rican pop star took to Twitter to speak out against Trump on June 25 saying,<br> "There's much hatred and ignorance in your heart @realDonaldTrump. #LatinosUnidos" Martin’s tweet came after Univision announced it would no longer be televising Trump’s Miss USA pageant on July 12. (Getty)

<b>J. Balvin</b> The Colombian reggaeton star cancelled his planned performance for the Miss USA pageant and told <a href="https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/latin/6605876/j-balvin-cancels-miss-usa-performance-donald-trump-latin-comments" target="_blank">Billboard</a>: “It was going to be my first performance on national [mainstream] television but we’re talking about our roots, our culture, our values. This isn’t about being punitive, but about showing leadership through social responsibility." Balvin goes on to say, "His comments weren’t just about Mexicans, but about all Latins in general. Mexico is a Latin powerhouse. And Mexicans, they’re known as hard workers. Here in the U.S., not everybody wants to do those kinds of jobs. I’ve lived. I know what it feels like and what they go through and how families suffer. A comment like that is powerful.”

<b>Juanes</b> Juanes stood by his fellow Colombian J. Balvin by tweeting a congratulations for Balvin's decision to pull out of the Miss USA pageant and demanded respect for Mexico and all of Latin America. He said he respected Balvin for taking a stand. ".@JBALVIN Jose, todo mi apoyo y respeto a tu decisión. Arriba México. Arriba Latinoamérica. #ALosLatinosSeNosRespeta."- @Juanes (Getty)

<b>Francisca Valenzuela</b> The Los Angeles-based Chilean-American singer Francisca Valenzuela told <a href="https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/latin/6612821/donald-trump-mexico-reactions-latin-stars-unite" target="_blank">Billboard</a>:  "A candidate for U.S. President cannot stand in such a powerful position and generalize and offend a whole region of the world, plus communities and people in his own country and base foreign and immigration policies and visions on fear. Trump has been crazily irresponsible, violent and ignorant."

Alex Nogales, the president and CEO of the National Hispanic Media Coalition, a Latino media advocacy group, called the NBC's decision to cut ties with Trump a watershed moment in Hispanic clout. "Things are never going to be the same,” <a target="_blank" href="http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2015/06/29/nbc-severing-ties-with-donald-trump-called-watershed-moment-for-latino-clout/">he told Fox News Latino.</a> “When have we seen Latinos come out so quickly and strongly against something, and get a result so quickly?” (Getty Images)

Felix Sanchez, chairman of the National Hispanic Foundation for the Arts, said he was glad Latinos united -- but wished the 2016 political candidates also had stood up to Trump. “On one hand, people think of Donald Trump as a joke,” Sanchez said, “but when you announce that you’re running for president and in that announcement you defame 54 million Latinos in the United States, you cannot dismiss what that person says.” (2008 Getty Images)