On this date in 1958, journalist and author Jorge Gilberto Ramos Ávalos was born in México City to Catholic parents. His father, with whom he became estranged because of his career choice, was an architect. After graduating from the Universidad Iberoamericana in communications, he worked as a TV reporter. When he was censored for criticizing the government, he came to the U.S. on a student visa and graduated from UCLA Extension in 1984. He later earned a master’s at the University of Miami and became a U.S. citizen in 2008.
Ramos, news anchor for Noticiero Univision since 1986, also hosts Univision’s weekly public affairs program “Al Punto” and Fusion’s “America with Jorge Ramos.” He’s written 10 books, has a syndicated column and actively promotes literacy in the Latino community. Ramos has received eight Emmys and numerous journalism awards and is consistently named as one of the most influential Latinos.
In an April 2014 Fusion column, he criticized Pope Francis for presiding over the canonization of Pope John Paul II, calling it “an insult to the countless people who have been sexually abused by Catholic priests. During his papacy, from 1978-2005, this newly anointed ‘saint’ remained silent as these predators targeted children in parishes around the world.” In an interview with CNN México posted on YouTube in 2013, Ramos was asked, “Pero lo crees en Dios?” (“Do you believe in God?”), he answered “no.”
At an August 2015 Donald Trump press conference in Iowa, Ramos tried to question Trump about immigration without being called on and was told several times to sit down and “Go back to Univision” before being escorted out by security. Ramos is based in Miami, is twice divorced and has a daughter, Paola, born in 1988, and a son, Nicolas, born in 1998.
Public domain photo by Bill Ingalls, NASA
