The son of immigrants from the Dominican Republic, Roberto Villanueva and Dora Mejia, Villanueva was raised in Elmhurst, Queens, New York. He was drafted at the age of 20 with the seventh overall pick in the 2005 NBA draft by the Toronto Raptors. He also holds Dominican citizenship and has represented the Dominican Republic national basketball team in international competition.\n', '

Villanueva has an autoimmune skin disease known as alopecia universalis, a variation of alopecia areata. This prevents the growth of hair on the scalp and/or elsewhere on the body, but otherwise is not physically painful, dangerous, or life-threatening. Villanueva is a spokesman for the NAAF (National Alopecia Areata Foundation), and received the February 2006 Community Assist Award from the NBA for his work with the organization.\n', '

A first-generation Dominican-American, Villanueva is fluent in Spanish, as it is the language he speaks with his family.\n', '

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