To realize the American dream, the most important thing to understand is that it belongs to everybody. It's a human dream. If you understand this and work very hard, it is possible.
Cristina Saralegui
I want to make sure I'm not a dilettante. Decorating has been a passion all my life. I love it.
You have to eat right. That does not mean that I don't drink Cuban coffee. That does not mean that I do not have two cigarettes a day - that's what I'm down to. I drink wine - you know, I'm normal. But I do eat well.
My hope is to see Tom Cruise jumping on my couch.
America was the place that said, 'It doesn't matter where you come from, it doesn't matter what your last name is, it doesn't matter if you drink cortaditos, or lattes, or coffee with milk. Here, if you work hard, anything is possible.'
For me, the American promise isn't just an idea or a theory - it's my life story.
The common denominator all Latinos have is that we want some respect. That's what we're all fighting for.
I am not a person of faith. I'm a Catholic. I was brought up Catholic, but I'm not a church-going sort of girl. I'm very spiritual. I pray every night. I believe in Heaven and Hell, but I'm not a person that goes to church, like, every Sunday.
In my house, we speak Spanglish to the dogs, to the grandchildren, to the kids.
How proud I am to be compared to Oprah. I really admire her. She's a minority woman and she's done all this by herself... I'm very happy to be Oprah with salsa and not Donahue in drag.
I came to this country when I was 12 years old because my parents wanted to give me new opportunities to succeed. President Obama wants everyone to have the chances I had.
President Obama is a principled man who has worked hard to put healthcare and a good education in the reach of millions of Americans and believes that everyone who works hard and plays by the rules, should have a fair shot at the American dream.
Like most Latinas, I'm not afraid to speak my mind.
I have gotten into a lot of trouble in my life for being brutally honest. Sometimes I put both my feet in my mouth. But like Elton John, I'm still standing.
The difference between Oprah Winfrey and me is about $200 million.
I'm a royal pain in the behind.
If you stay on the air for 18 years, people know you.
We Latin women are liberated from the neck up, not the neck down.
On the television planet, where men make up the tribe, the law of the caveman rules. So, for a woman coming from another world, without experience or cunning, to succeed gradually in gaining control over what is to be taped, what goes out over the air, what is said without censorship, is an epic feat.
The talk show, as a genre, has been in decline for a while. It started with Jerry Springer, when the talk shows suffered a metamorphosis, going from the real and social issues to the hair-raising.
Being a professional woman, I function the best when I don't distinguish between work and play.
I'll never retire from working; I'll keep my life interesting until I drop dead.
Latin life is rich with warmth, family values and history. I want to bring that beauty into American homes.
I love beating the men. When I beat 'em in the ratings, when I beat 'em in the salary, I always say, 'One more for the girls.'
You need to put easy, nice, tranquil thoughts in your head before you go to bed. You know what I do? I read metaphysical books. The good stuff stays in your brain once you go under.
People look at you and see that you've made it, but sometimes they forget that it took you years of being a human being.
The world is not ideal, and the only weapon we can give our children is information. Information which is not pretty, but honest.
People would write me hate letters. How dare I try to represent Hispanics when I was so white? I tried to make them see it was racism.
I'm very, very Spanish. I have fat cheeks on both ends. I'm sitting on my Spanish part. And it's my heart, the way I am, the way I speak. It has nothing to do with the way I look.
I'm one of the highest-paid television people in the world. I feel like I've made a difference in my viewers' lives, that I've been influential.
If I have to be compared to somebody, it is to Martha Stewart.
I always knew what I was worth, what I could do, what I could not do. I think that I have a genetic problem with lying. I just can't lie. I get in trouble with my husband because of that. He wishes that I wasn't so sincere, but I am.
I am a Cuban mother, and you do not let your cubs get into trouble without you trying to help them all the way.
You can't ignore the obvious. Women after a certain age are believed to be good for nothing in the entertainment field, especially in the Latin world.
I was the only person at Univision who had complete creative control of my own show, by contract. They didn't like that. I was the executive producer; I owned the studio where we taped. I decided who went on my show and who didn't.
When you have a child who wants to take his own life and you feel powerless, nothing else in life matters.
I'm happy. I've had a great career. I adore my family. My closest friends from decades ago remain my closest friends.
Like Winston Churchill said, 'Never give up,' and I won't give up. It's a miracle that we even got on the air, and I'm very pleased with the ratings and the response.
