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The new generation of Latinos is coming in strong. One of those successful stories is Juanpa Zurita's, who created an empire on social media with his millions of loyal followers. But his fame and leadership as one of the 'it' latinos doesn’t end there as he’s also known for his work as an actor and entrepreneur. On social media, we’ve seen him as the famous ‘Juanpa,’ in Luis Miguel, the series, we know him as Alejandro Basteri and in HOLA! USA, he’s shown himself to be the Latino taking his roots to the top and making a difference. In an exclusive interview which you can enjoy in our latest issue on newstands***, Juan Pablo Martínez-Zurita Arellano confessed how proud he feels to be an agent of change in society through his vast online platform.
Social media hasn’t only taken him to the very top as an influencer, but it has also made him become a person who moves the masses, a role model when it comes to showing solidarity.
“I’ve been doing humanitarian work. We delivered food and water in Somalia, and after the earthquake in Mexico (in 2017), we’re building homes, all through social media; (we do it) with people, with other creators and artists. This demonstrates how much we can achieve if we just try,” said the 23-year-old.
And what’s the secret to his millions of followers? Simply being himself and giving importance to things that need it, such as altruism – a subject he’s deeply interested in. “I almost have two different faces: either I speak seriously or I’m funny. When it comes to altruism, I’m very serious; I go in deep. In comedy, I look more like myself and the way I see life."
Although social media is its own world, Juanpa doesn’t allow it to take over all of his time. “I think you need to always give yourself time to life experiences that bring something unique. Social media is a memory,” explained the Mexico City native. “Nothing in the world can give you that other than being in the present, living.”
With more than 20 million followers, Juanpa follows several celebrity accounts including Adam Sandler, Owen Wilson, Jonah Hill and Bad Bunny. As an anecdote, he spoke about the time when he found out Canadian comedian Seth Rogen was among his followers and how excited he became, as apparently he saw one of his sketches.