After winning the Oscar for animated feature, “Toy Story 4″ producer Jonas Rivera was stunned and pleased to be reminded that he is now the first U.S.-born Latino to win multiple Oscars.
Rivera previously won for the 2015 film “Inside Out.”
“As if my mind couldn’t be more blown about the last five minutes, thank you for that,” Rivera said. “I’m a little bit out of my body right now. It means the world to me. I can’t even really put it into words.”
And he had an inspirational message for others in the Latinx community dreaming big dreams, even if he couldn’t deliver it in Spanish.
“The only Spanish I learned was when my grandparents would fight,” he joked, before adding,
“My grandfather was from Jalisco, Mexico, and grew up in El Paso. My dad’s side of the family is the Mexican side of my family. My grandpa always instilled in me the work ethic. He drove trucks of filleted fish, and always told me, ‘You work hard mijo, no matter what you do, you work hard. And if you love what you do, it will pay you back.’ And he was right. I wish he was here today, but I know he’s looking down on me.”
Jonas Mexican heritage has always been present. He used his time to honor his grandfather, to whom he owes the hardworking mentality and dedication that has guided his successful career.
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