Irina Gonzalez Digital Audience Development Manager
Irina Gonzalez is the Digital Audience Development Manager for Latina.com and The Latin Kitchen, where she oversees social media, content partnerships, writes and edits, and more. An NYC-based journalist, web editor, and food writer, she started her career with an internship at Latina magazine while receiving her bachelor’s at New York University. Her work has appeared in Time Out New York, MamasLatinas.com, FamilyCircle.com, TheFrisky.com, GoodHousekeeping.com, and more. When she’s not checking out the latest taco restaurant in New York City, scouring for the best tapas in Barcelona, or dreaming of visiting Alex Atala’s restaurant in Brazil, she’s blogging about her favorite recipes, healthy eating tips and maintaining her 100 pound weight loss on HealthyLatinFood.com.
Favorite Latina fashionista: Naya Rivera. She always looks amazing on the red carpet and, I mean, have you seen her latest Latina cover? Yowza!
The Latino celeb I'd want to be best friends with: Demi Lovato. I think we’d have a lot of fun bonding over how much we both switch our hair colors.
My first celebrity crush: Ricky Martin! Back in his “Maria” days, he would make me swoon like no other. Um, still kinda does…
Something people don't know about me: I lost 100 pounds thanks to a gastric bypass—and subsequent reconstruction surgery—done in Colombia. Since then, I taught myself to love eating (and cooking!) healthy Latin food and have embraced spreading the message that it IS possible to eat flavorful, good-for-you meals to other Latinos. Well, except when I get those sudden cravings to bake something positively sinful… All in moderation, right?
Guilty pop culture addiction: Well, I’m a pretty heavy TV and chick flick addict, but I’d say my guiltiest is The Vampire Diaries. I don’t know what it is about that show. Oh wait, yes I do! #DelenaForever.
My Latina Role Model: Definitely Shakira. The work she does with her the organization she founded at just 20 years old, Piez Descalzos Foundation, her continuing work as a UNICEF goodwill ambassador, and many other charitable ventures—all while continuing to be one of the top recording artists, and now a partner and mother—make me love her even beyond her unstoppable hips that don’t lie.
Fun Memory from My First Day at Latina: My fun memory actually came a few days BEFORE my first day, when I got my nails done with shellac manicure for the first time—and my boss loved them so much that he put them on Latina’s instagram. That’s when I knew I’d really fit in!
Two words that describe Elvis Crespo: Unbelievably addicting. I just can’t keep my body from dancing whenever I hear “Suavemente.”
If I met Jennifer Lopez, I would: Thank her for her unwavering support of the LGBT community, for which she has just received the HRC Ally for Equality Award.
Movie that makes me cry: Come on, do you even have to ask? It’s Selena.
Celebrity I'd switch teams for: Sara Ramirez, without a doubt. I mean, haven’t you seen Callie Torres’ underwear dance?! Hot.
Latino artist on my iPod right now: Bruno Mars. I just can’t stop listening to his new album!
Favorite Interview with a Latino Celeb: Well, as a huge foodie, I have to say it’s definitely Aaron Sanchez. I’ve spoken to him in person twice and he always makes me laugh and teaches me something new about food or cooking.
Favorite Latin dish: You expect me to pick just one?! Well, if I have to, I’d say there is nothing better in this world than perfectly prepared platanos maduros fritos (fried sweet plantains).
Favorite Spanish-Language Song: That’s like picking a favorite kid! Well, it’s a tough choice, but I have to go with Gloria Estefan’s “Mi Tierra.” It always brings me back to my Cuban roots.
Proudest Moment as a Latina: I don’t know that I could truly say that I have one big moment that stood out. For me, proud moments happen whenever I do something small, like write a story that elicits a reaction and means something to someone else or when I give someone a piece of advice on how to make their Latin dishes less fattening and more weight loss-friendly and they thank me for it. What makes me proud is incorporating my culture and pride into my everyday life, and sharing that with others.
Bilingual and bicultural cousins Raka Dun and Raka Rich have been refining their work for the past seven years and are now ready to release their unique sound into the world. A blend of hip-hop, 90s reminiscent Latin house, hard rap and soul, Los Rakas debut album El Negrito Dun Dun & Ricardo features 14 tracks in their brave and broad range of genres.
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Some apps are made to help improve your oral sex skills and some apps are made to help you hook up, but the new Nipple app does something with what you're already doing: it tracks your sex life in detail.
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The childhood obesity epidemic is no joke, and it strikes the Latino community worse than any other. Our kids are 1.6 times more likely to be overweight and it's hurting more than just their health. According to USA Today, a new analysis found that, over a lifetime, the medical costs associated with childhood obesity total about $19,000 per child. Yikes!
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As the weather warms up, we can't help but think of skirts. Skirts, skirts, skirts! Is it skirt weather yet? We sure hope so! That's why for this week's Latina Style Wars, we were inspired to ask you what YOUR favorite skirt is.
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This week, we read a scary statistic! According to a new survey from AshleyMadison.com, 22 percent of American women are in sexless marriages. Instead of focusing on the negative, though, we decided to explore what's got us in these not-so-fun relationships and, best of all, how you can get out of the sex rut!
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Growing up on a Latin diet doesn't exactly make it easy to cut out the meat from your everyday meals. Instead, we're often left feeling guilty and confused: How do you have enchiladas without beef? Will abuela be upset we switched up her recipe? How do we eat arroz con pollo without the chicken? If you've ever wanted to go meatless on a Latin diet, then we've got the answer! Here are the 10 best Latin vegetarian recipes to make eliminating meat a breeze. Trust us, you'll love these:
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We know that keeping things HOT in the bedroom is sometimes a struggle. Sure, you can go all out with a 50 Shades of Grey-style romp or try one of these amazing couples sex toys for a night of fun. But sometimes that's just not what you're craving for that special good time. Sometimes all we want is a little ooh-and-ahh with some extra spark.
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March is National Nutrition Month!
That's right, just because it's no longer the season of New Year's Resolutions doesn't mean that you can let go of those healthy living goals we know you made on January 1st. Instead, we're making it easy for you to eat healthy with these 20 Latin superfoods (and the good-for-you recipes that go along with them)! Now, power (eat) up. There are no excuses this time.
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As the Digital Audience Development & Marketing Manager for Latina, it’s my responsibility to make sure that you—our audience—are seeing and interacting with our stories on a daily basis.
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As the opening film at this year's SXSW festival, Chef has a lot to live up to. Luckily the movie, written and directed by Jon Favreau, doesn't disappoint. We talked to the cast–including star Jon Favreau, John Leguizamo, Emjay Anthony and chef consultant Roy Choi–about what it was like working on the foodie film.
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