Famous People from Costa Rica
Who are some famous people from Costa Rica? If you are asking yourself this question, you may be searching for a movie star or two, but it takes a whole different kind of person to gain fame in this country.
Those that are considered famous people from Costa Rica must have contributed to society in some manner. Since education is free within this country, nearly 99% of the people are literate and educated. This means that education is a top priority in every manner – including the status of “celebrity.” This is precisely why movie stars from this area are often overlooked, while those that have used their brains to better the world are highly regarded (a nice change of pace, don’t you think?).
A man by the name of Francisco Amighetti is the peoples’ idea of a true celebrity within this part of the world. Amighetti was a self-taught painter that was heavily influenced by Mexican, American, and European artists. His paintings depicted everyday Costa Rican life through the usage of vibrant colors. Additionally, Amighetti brought certain social concerns to the public eye through his art. Another person worthy of note is Juan Santamaria – a drummer with the heart of a rebel.
Santamaria enlisted in the Alajuelan troops as a drummer. Though he was just a young man at the time, he took it upon himself to burn down the home of an enemy during the battle against William Walker. As a result of his rebellious act, Santamaria lost his life, though he remains a popular hero today. One other national celebrity is Franklin Chang Diaz. Diaz is an astronaut that has been a major part of many different space missions. Diaz has also accumulated many different prizes for his work with scientific research. Clearly, famous people from Costa Rica are slightly different from those celebrities that the West tends to idolize.
The next time that you look to someone in the public eye with amazement, ask yourself what that person has done to better the world. You will probably find that those we tend to give lots of credit to in North American have not done all that much to impact our culture as a whole. However, those that have made Costa Rica proud through great achievements will go on to become idols for many generations to come.
Now that you know who the famous people from Costa Rica are, you may find that your own prized celebrities are not so great after all. Then again, every culture is different, so the people that you choose to idolize are up to you.