Salma Hayek Was Once an Illegal Immigrant
Salma Hayek has come forward and revealed that she was once living in the United States illegally.
The buxom actress revealed in an interview with V magazine that she was once an illegal immigrant. She told the classy magazine, “I was an illegal immigrant in the United States. It was for a small period of time, but I still did it.” Hayek did not risk her life by sneaking across the border or employing a coyotes to get her onto American soil. Rather, her period as an illegal occurred for a short period of time in 1991 after she’d moved to Los Angeles and her work visa had expired. Hayek’s publicist was quick to point out that the actress’ status "was cleaned up immediately as Salma went to Mexico and renewed her visa."
Hayek says she struggled when she first arrived in Hollywood and that her racial background was a hindrance when it came to winning acting roles. She tells V magazine, “I had to endure the worst time of all in terms of racial discrimination in Hollywood when I first started out. It was inconceivable to American directors and producers that a Mexican woman could have a lead role.”
In 2006 Hayek became an American citizen and has been a strong supporter of granting rights to illegal immigrants.
Photo: Michael Buckner/Getty Images
