Best of 2024: 18 Latin Pop Culture & Historic Moments

As we look ahead to 2025, we also need to reflect on all the iconic, empowering, and memorable moments we’ve witnessed over the past year. 2024 has been quite the year for the Latinx community and pop culture. This year we saw Latinxs being given their flowers for their work in different industries, multiple women’s and reproductive rights wins across Latin America, and history-making moments. There has been a lot of progress for Latinxs as far as inclusion and human rights as we have also witnessed the power of activists in our community to take a stand on issues. From the rise of regional Mexican music to Mexican states decriminalizing abortion to the Like Water for Chocolate series adaptation, these are 18 of the most memorable moments for Latinxs in 2024.

Colombia Outlaws Child Marriage

A huge win in Latin America came on November 13 when Colombia’s Congress approved a law banning marriages or unions involving minors, prohibiting child marriage without exceptions. This new law is a huge step forward in the protection of the rights of adolescents and children. The law promoted under the slogan, “Son niñas, no esposas,” meaning “They are girls, not wives,” comes after years of efforts by activists pushing this legislation. According to UNICEF, Colombia ranks 11th in Latin America and the Caribbean and 20th globally in terms of marriages and unions involving minors before the age of 15.

Los Bukis Became the First Las Vegas Spanish-Language Residency

2024 was a big year for Latin music from the radio airplay to streams to even history-making performances. Legendary Mexican band Los Bukis made history early this year when they headlined their own Las Vegas residency— the first Spanish-language residency on the strip. The band, born out of Michoacan, Mexico, performed 15 shows from May through September at the Dolby Live Theater in the Park MGM resort and hotel. They joined the likes of Carlos Santana, Jennifer Lopes and other Latinx artists who have also had their own residencies.

Daddy Yankee’s Retirement

Puerto Rican reggaetonero Daddy Yankee, whose hit “Gasolina” is credited for contributing to the globalization of reggaeton, announced his retirement in December of last year during his farewell concert in Puerto Rico. In October of this year, the reggaeton superstar sold his recording catalog spanning 2002-2019 to music company, Concord. The deal included certain name, image, and likeness rights and it will be managed out of Concord’s Miami office

Juan Gabriel and Héctor Lavoe Inducted to National Recording Registry

The National Recording Registry recognized Latin music and artists with this year’s inductions for preservation. Legendary Mexican singer Juan Gabriel’s “Amor Eterno”, a tribute to his late mother, and Puerto Rican singer Hector Lavoe’s signature song “El Cantante” were among the 25 inductees. These two timeless tracks joined the 16 (as of 2023) songs by Latin artists previously selected which included “Gasolina” by Daddy Yankee—the first reggaeton song inducted into the registry.

Dora the Explorer Returns in ‘Dora’ Reboot Series

In an era of reboots and adaptations of beloved stories, the iconic character Dora the Explorer made a return to screens this year with Paramount+ series reboot Dora. The reboot saw the return of Peruvian-American voice actress Kathleen Herles, the original voice of Dora the Explorer—which originally aired from 2000-2014—and young Mexican-American actress Diana Zermeño as the new voice of Dora. Beloved for her adventurous spirit and bilingual teaching, Dora reintroduced a new generation to the explorer and featured iconic Latina guest stars such as Dascha Polanco and Kate del Castillo.

‘Like Water for Chocolate’ Series Adaptation

Laura Esquivel’s beloved novel Como Agua Para Chocolate (Like Water for Chocolate) remains one of the most popular books in its genre and it’s reaching new audiences through the recent HBO series adaptation. The series centers on Tita de la Garza (Azul Guaita), the youngest daughter in the De La Garza family. Due to her mother,  Mamá Elena’s (Irene Azuela), strictness Tita is left unable to be with Pedro, the man she loves. Pedro marries her sister Rosaura (Ana Valeria Becerril) to remain close to Tita. As the story moves along, the magical realism of the series comes through Tita’s love for cooking as her emotions take on a life of their own. The first season was critically acclaimed becoming the  most watched Latin American content on Max worldwide. It’s been renewed for a second season.

Bad Bunny’s ‘Un Verano Sin Ti’ Became the Only Latin Album on Apple Music’s 100 Best Albums 

Despite not releasing a new album this year, Bad Bunny continued to make waves online and spark conversations about visibility in music. Earlier this year, Apple Music released their 100 Best Albums list and among their selection Bad Bunny’s Un Verano Sin Ti was the only Latin album to make the cut in the 76th spot. While impressive to be included among some of the biggest names in music like Beyoncé and the Beatles, the exclusion of Latin artists, like Celia Cruz, Shakira, and Selena from the list was a hot topic of conversation.

El Califa de Leon Becomes First Taco Stand in Mexico to Receive a Michelin Star 

Tacos are a beloved street food and have received well-deserved international recognition this year. Mexico City taqueria El Califa de León, located in the San Rafael neighborhood, became the first taco stand to receive a Michelin star. Michelin stars recognize outstanding eateries in a specific region, making it a coveted recognition for restaurants around the world.  With only four items on the menu, this taqueria is the only taco shop among 16 Mexican restaurants that were given a star and two eateries that received two stars.

University Students in Mexico Launch First Gaza Solidarity Encampment 

In the past 14 months, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) have killed over 45,000 Palestinians and injured at least 107,000, according to the health ministry in Gaza, since the Hamas-led attack on October 7 that left 1,400 people dead in Israel. Pro-Palestine protests spread across the United States including students at educational institutions including Columbia University and UCLA, establishing solidarity encampments on their campuses. It was the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) in Mexico City that started their own student encampment, the first in Latin America. Through their encampment, they demanded an end to the Palestinian genocide, for Mexico to cut diplomatic ties to Israel, the end of UNAM’s relationship with Israel, and the release of arrested student protestors.

Claudia Sheinbaum is Mexico’s First Female President

Claudia Sheinbaum made history this year as Mexico’s first female and first Jewish president. After 100 years of male-led presidencies, climate scientist Sheinbaum was elected with 59.36 percent of the popular vote—breaking the record for the highest number of votes with 35 million votes, a record previously held by her mentor and former president Andrés Manuel López Obrador (AMLO). While Mexican women have been long been leaders, taking office through the Senate and Supreme Court, President Sheinbaum blazed a trail for women in leadership as she takes on the country’s highest rank in government.

Jools Lebron’s “Demure” Trend

The phrase “Very demure, very mindful” was everywhere this summer and it’s because of an Afro-Latina content creator. Trans Puerto Rican influencer known as Jools Lebrons is behind the immensely popular Tiktok trend. After posting a TikTok in early August entitled “How to be demure and modest and respectful at the work place”, currently at over 54 million views, Lebron and the trend skyrocketed in popularity. As a result of her huge success, the influencer was able to finance her gender affirming care. Because of the skyrocketing popularity of the word, “Demure” was named Word of the Year by Dictionary.com.

Chicana Leader Gloria Molina Honored with Play Inspired by Her Life

The late Chicana leader and activist Gloria Molina was honored in more ways than one this year. The trailblazer was honored by the city of Los Angeles with the LA City Council officially declaring August 29 as Gloria Molina Day. In addition to having a day dedicated to her, Real Women Have Curves playwright Josefina Lopez also premiered A Woman Named Gloria, a play portraying Molina’s life and legacy. The play ran for six weeks in Casa 0101 Theater in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, where the main auditorium was renamed to the Gloria Molina Auditorium. Molina—who made history as the first Latina elected to the State Assembly, the Los Angeles City Council, and the L.A. County Board of Supervisors—was also honored by the theater itself with an art exhibit entitled, “Gloria Molina: Madrina of the Eastside” chronicling her journey since her childhood.

Selena Honored Posthumously with National Medal of Arts 

Selena Quintanilla-Perez was posthumously honored at the White House by President Joe Biden as one of the recipients of the 2023 National Medal of Arts—the highest award given to artists by the federal government. Selena’s sister and former bandmate, Suzette Quintanilla Arriaga received the award on her behalf—cementing Selena’s artistic contributions. Nearly 30 years following her passing, the Queen of Tejano Music continues to remind us of her legacy and impact. Recently it was announced that a new documentary entitled Selena y Los Dinos is set to premiere at the upcoming Sundance Film Festival, the first to be approved by the singer’s family.

Panama is Third Country in LATAM to Pass the Olimpia Law

It was a major win for women’s rights and protections when the General Assembly of Panama approved the Olimpia Law in October—making them the third country in Latin America to punish digital sexual violence. With 47 votes for and zero against, the Olimpia Law makes it a crime to distribute digital sexual content without consent. Mexican activist Coral Melo has promoted the reform and worked for years for digital sexual violence to be recognized following her own experience with a partner sharing a private video in Mexico. 

Michoacan & Zacatecas in Mexico Decriminalize Abortion

Mexico continued to make strides toward reproductive rights for women throughout 2024. Mexican states Zacatecas and Michoacan both saw the decriminalization of abortion this year. In October, Michoacan’s Congress approved, with 27 votes in favor and six against, the decriminalization of abortion up to 12 weeks. Later on in November, Zacatecas’s Congress followed suit approving decriminalization up to 12 weeks with 21 votes for and six against. In addition to the progress for reproductive and women’s rights, Michoacan’s law also emphasizes that abortion is a right to any pregnant person, including nonbinary and transgender people, extending beyond the binary. 

The Rise of Regional Mexican Music

From Peso Pluma to Becky G, regional Mexican music has risen in popularity over the last few years. 2024 saw new music in the genre with albums like Peso Pluma’s Exodo and Becky G’s Encuentros—which features collabs with rising stars in regional Mexican music Tito Double P and Oscar Maydon. Mexican American singer Xavi also reached a new feat in his career by becoming the first soloist with the first four songs of his career to all hit No. 1 in a single year on the Billboard Regional Mexican Airplay chart. Recent Grammy nominee Edgar Barrera is the songwriter/producer behind multiple major artists in musica mexicana such as Peso Pluma, Fuerza Regida and Grupo Firma and some of the biggest hits including “Mi Ex Tenia Razon” by Karol G and “Tulum” by Peso Pluma and Grupo Frontera.

The Year of Pedro Pascal

Chilean American actor Pedro Pascal was on Hollywood’s radar in 2024. The 49-year-old actor starred in a number of films including Drive Away Dolls, The Uninvited, and most recently, the much anticipated sequel Gladiator II. Pascal won big this year earning the Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series for his role as Joel Miller in HBO’s The Last of Us. The actor also earned multiple nominations in acting categories at the Golden Globes, Critics’ Choice Awards, and won Male TV Star of the Year at this year’s People’s Choice Awards.

Latinx Films Shine in National Film Registry

Each year the National Film Registry selects 25 films to be preserved in the Library of Congress “due to their cultural, historic or aesthetic importance to preserve the nation’s film heritage”. This year’s list featured five star-studded films featuring Latinx talent and storylines: American Me, Mi Familia, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Spy Kids, and Up in Smoke. Combined, these films feature recognized Latinx actors like Cheech Marin, Ricardo Montalban, Edward James Olmos and Jennifer Lopez. Some of the films also feature Latinxs behind the camera like Mexican-American directors Gregory Nava and Robert Rodriguez.