A Latina Won ‘America’s Got Talent’ – We Spoke With Jessica Sanchez
AMERICAS GOT TALENT -- The Final Episode 2020 -- Pictured: Jessica Sanchez -- (Photo by: Trae Patton/NBC)
The wait is over! Last night (Sept. 24), America’s Got Talent finally crowned the 20th Season winner: Jessica Sanchez. The Filipino-Mexican-American singer-songwriter won the show’s grand prize of $1 million — all while being nine months pregnant.
Sanchez is no stranger to national television. Throughout her singing career, the 30-year-old competed in AGT during the first season almost a decade ago (2006), but was eliminated before the grand finals. In 2011, she also competed on American Idol, where she was the runner-up on the show’s 11th season. Now, she can say she went back to AGT while pregnant and won it all. Though many social media users know she’s a proud Filipina, did you know she’s also part Mexican from her father’s side?
In a red carpet interview with Remezcla, Sanchez talked about her Latine side and what she has learned from the community. To start the conversation, she said that her father was in the audience after her final performance, where she sang a powerful rendition of Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga’s “Die With A Smile” on Tuesday (Sept. 23). “Being out here, and my dad was actually in the audience tonight, he is where I get my Mexican side from,” she said. “And for him to be there, that meant so much. My husband is actually Mexican too, so my baby will be like double Mexican.”
She also shared what she has learned from the Latine community. “[His family is] always showering me with so much love, and that’s what I’ve learned so much with the Latin community. [It’s] that they’re just so family-oriented, and I hope to carry on that with my child and my future children as well. It’s just been so amazing, and I want to thank the Latin community, too — the Mexican community — for supporting me. Thank you guys so much. Love y’all.”
America’s Got Talent’s 20th season runner-up was the freestyle rapper Chris Turner. Other Latine competitors this season included Argentinean-American Micah Palace, Brazilian performance group LightWire, and Chilean-Argentinean acrobatic aerial duo Sirca Marea.