What is the "Mi Gente Latino” meme? Jennifer Lopez addresses her viral moment in new interview with Javi Ponzo

Jennifer Lopez has been a prominent Hollywood name in her years-long career for multiple decades. Over the years, J.Lo has also given some memorable moments, which include her “Mi Gente Latino” speech at the American Music Awards.

After winning the “Favorite Latin Artist” accolade during the 2011 award night, Lopez delivered a speech, which she concluded with the phrase “Mi Gente Latino” (My Latin People).

Ironically, while addressing her Latin heritage, the On the Floor artist misused the word Latino with gente, which is a feminine noun in Spanish. Shortly after the clip went viral, it became an instant meme, with many internet users ironically utilizing it and knowingly (or unknowingly) trolling Jennifer Lopez every time.

The meme is still being used in 2025, as Lopez was recently asked to recreate it by Javi Ponzo during a recent interview. The Hustlers actor took the joke sportingly, as she said:

“Okay, can you explain to me why that’s funny. [laughs]”

On being reminded of the meme, Lopez said that she thought everyone made fun of her. Ponzo corrected her as he explained how the meme had become “iconic” despite J.Lo making the error. Ultimately, Jennifer Lopez, a daughter of Puerto Rican immigrants, complied with the host’s request and said “Mi Gente Latino” to end the interview.

For the uninitiated, Lopez appeared in the interview with Judy Robles, whom she has portrayed in her upcoming Prime Video release, Unstoppable.

Jennifer Lopez and Jharrel Jerome starrer Unstoppable to drop on Prime Video on January 16

Unstoppable is a biographical sports drama starring Jharrel Jerome, Jennifer Lopez, Michael Peña, Don Cheadle, Bobby Cannavale, and more. The film is adapted from the book, “Unstoppable: From Underdog to Undefeated: How I Became a Champion,” authored by wrestler Anthony Robles. Jerome has played the role of Robles, while Lopez stars as the wrestler’s mother, Judy.

The film explores Anthony Robles' early-life struggles to his career-defining national championship win. For the uninitiated, Robles was born without a right leg but refused to use prosthetics. He overcame all the barriers and became the “2011 NCAA Division I Championships” winner.

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Interestingly, Lopez’s former husband, Ben Affleck, is one of the film's producers, which Amazon MGM Studios has distributed. In September 2024, Unstoppable was screened at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), while it had a limited theatrical run in the US in December. Amazon will soon drop the movie via its streaming service, Prime Video, on January 16, 2025.

During its initial theatrical run, the movie has already received rave reviews, with an 81% Tomatometer score on Rotten Tomatoes.

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