In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, Mattel has announced two new one-of-a-kind dolls in their Role Model collection: The Cuban Queen of Salsa, the late Celia Cruz, and Dominican-American activist and author Julia Alvarez.

As a Guyanese-American, June sees the importance of uplifting her heritage, “I started looking up Guyanese actors and writers and there’s this pride in knowing that you’re going to do stuff in the world and everything matters.” Like the Guyanese luminaries before her, June has become a successful figure in the world of acting and playwriting herself.

Born in Barbados, Alexander James travels the world as DJ Puffy’s photographer and videographer. This has afforded him one of his greatest achievements to date; the opportunity to travel to the US, Europe & Asia and capture the world via his camera.

Akeem Stanley is a Fashion Designer who specializes in high fashion women’s clothing and accessories. Born in the British Virgin Islands and raised in a single parent home, Akeem says that growing up Caribbean can sometimes come with a rigid set of rules and traditions and it has also helped him to develop many quality traits including a desire to succeed and to work hard for what he wants.

There is something about rum that is magical. It combats heat in the tropics and cold in northern regions.

The Caribbean is lush and full of flora and fauna. Much of its bounty is known to the world as simply food or plant and the use of fruit, bark and herbs in beauty preparations is something shared between families and passed down through the ages.

The Grenadian-American comedian and actress – with writing and producing credits to boot – has been at this entertainment thing for a while, making a name for herself with projects that span music, television and film. A quick Internet search confirms the 37-year-old’s credits date back to the early ‘90s.