Salma Hayek responds to controversy over German Vogue interview

(CBS/AP) Salma Hayek says she is proud to be Mexican after German Vogue quoted her as saying she "hardly had any memories of what it is to be Mexican."

The 45-year-old actress says her comment, which caused some controversy, was "lost in translation."

"I have never denied my background or my culture," Hayek says in the statement released by publicist Cari Ross. "I have taught my child to embrace her Mexican heritage, to love my first language, Spanish, to learn about Mexican history, music, folk art, food, and even the Mexican candy I grew up with. I have always been an active part of my community. I have tried my whole life to represent my Mexican roots with honor and pride. It saddens me when my words are lost in translation and taken out of context to hurt the people of Mexico, whom I love."

Hayek graces the cover of German Vogue and gives an interview about her role as the leader of a Mexican drug cartel in the Oliver Stone drama "Savages."

This is not the first time Hayek's remarks about her Mexican background have drawn attention. Last year, she quipped to a reporter in Spanish, "If it wasn't because of my high heels, I would still be in Coatzacoalcos with 10 children."