Eva Longoria Wants Latines to Come Together in These “Times of Hardship”

Throughout Eva Longoria's decades-long career — which has evolved from actress to producer to director — she has remained loud and proud about being Latina. Since moving from Corpus Christi, Texas, in her 20s to pursue acting, the Mexican-American star has always put her culture and community first. While filming "Desperate Housewives," Longoria earned her master's degree in Chicano Studies by taking classes at night from Cal State, eventually going on to produce projects like "Devious Maids" and direct episodes of "Jane the Virgin," "The Mick," and "Black-ish" before making her directorial debut with "Flamin' Hot." She's joined Latine-owned Siete Foods as an investor and advisor, uses her platform to tell Latine stories, and advocates for our rights in political circles. (Last year, she even spoke at the Democratic National Convention.)

Given everything happening around the globe right now, Longoria is clear on what really matters. Despite relocating to Mexico and Spain with her family, Longoria — who still owns a home in Los Angeles and visits often — returned last month to support wildfire victims, many being from Latine and Black communities. She donated over $1 million to relief efforts, along with clothes and food, to families displaced by the tragedy. She also highlighted the Latine wildfire volunteers risking their lives to help folks who lost everything.

"As usual, our communities are always disproportionately affected by tragedy. They're disproportionately affected by natural disasters, by elections, [and] by change," Longoria says. "And so, I just wanted to make sure that I was recognizing the work that this particular community does. These are the people that are going to rebuild Los Angeles, and we can't do it without the second responders who are predominantly Black and Brown."

"I've never abandoned my Americanness either. I'm a proud American. I'm a proud Angeleno. I'm a proud Mexicana. I am part of every community that I've ever been a part of, and so I'm proud of those communities," she says. "Being raised Tejana created a certain woman, moving to Los Angeles 25 years ago made me Angeleno. Now, living in between Mexico and Spain has made me a more global citizen and I love all those parts of me, and I don't leave one behind for the other."

Longoria says the second she learned about the wildfire tragedy happening in Los Angeles, she "ran as fast as she could" to be there.

"There's so much beauty in Los Angeles that I think came out after the fires that people were like, 'Oh shit. Wow. That surprised me.' People thought, 'Oh, LA is just full of rich celebrities.' It's not," she says. "It's full of amazing human beings who show up for each other and help each other, especially the Latino community within Los Angeles."

Many Americans have felt a deep heaviness this year, from the devastating LA wildfires to Trump's inauguration last month — a weight felt even more by marginalized communities, especially immigrants and Latine folks with the recent mass deporations. But despite it all, Longoria refuses to let today's political climate and current administration break her spirit, and she doesn't want it to break the spirit of her community, either.

"This is when we have to work harder. This is when we have to show up. This is when it matters. This is when it matters to show up for our community — in times of need, in times of hardship, in a time where somebody is telling you you're not worth it," she says. "We're going to get through this and we're going to get through this together. The only way you can get through these harder times is with community."

This isn't the only way Longoria champions others. In fact, 2025 marks her 20th year as a L'Oréal Paris ambassador, and as a result she's showing her support with their philanthropic initiative Women of Worth, which has embodied the brand's tagline, "Because you are worth it."

It's a proud moment for her, as she's long prioritized women's empowerment — especially for disenfranchised Latinas in her community. The Women of Worth program grants women changemakers everything from mentorship, a national platform to tell their stories and $25,000 to support their charitable cause. L'Oréal Paris launched the program 20 years ago, which now includes a network of 190 female changemakers, soon to be 200. Folks who are interested in nominating a woman for Women of Worth, who is making an impact in her community, can submit here for the chance to be named an honoree in this year's 2025 class. Nominations close on March 8.

"I always celebrate my Latinidad," she says "I think it's probably a beautiful thing about me and about our community — we are entrepreneurial women. We are hardworking. We are really the driving force of small businesses in this country."

For her, being Latina is the equivalent of "being a force in this world," and that applies to our jobs, our families, and our communities. "As a mother and as a daughter, there's just something special about Latinas that should be celebrated every single day," she adds. "And that's what I do with my Latinidad. It's like hell yea — I yell it from the highest mountain top."

As Longoria reflects on her successes (and hardships) over the years, there's one piece of advice she would tell her younger self: "Find your tribe of women. You're going to need women in your life — strong, amazing women who have your back, who cheer you on, who want you to succeed," she says. "You need to find those women because you're going to find a lot of women who don't want you to succeed and don't want you to move ahead. So, you've got to find that core group of women because you cannot survive life without those girlfriends — I know I couldn't have."

Johanna Ferreira is the content director for PS Juntos. With more than 10 years of experience, Johanna focuses on how intersectional identities are a central part of Latine culture. Previously, she spent close to three years as the deputy editor at HipLatina, and she has freelanced for numerous outlets including Refinery29, Oprah magazine, Allure, InStyle, and Well+Good. She has also moderated and spoken on numerous panels on Latine identity.