Celebs You Didn't Know Were Multiracial

[vacationland]

Sheila E. is Latina, though I'm not sure whether she's of European or Latin American hispanic descent. Her surname is Escovedo, and her dad, Pete Escovedo (mom is Juanita), has been involved in the Latin Jazz scene for decades. E Sr. used to play with Carlos Santana and was in a band called Azteca once upon a time.

[Deleted]

Vacationland said:

Sheila E. is Latina, though I'm not sure whether she's of European or Latin American hispanic descent. Her surname is Escovedo, and her dad, Pete Escovedo (mom is Juanita), has been involved in the Latin Jazz scene for decades. E Sr. used to play with Carlos Santana and was in a band called Azteca once upon a time.

Isn't her brother rumored to be Nicole Richie's dad?

[Deleted]

beak said:

Isn't her brother rumored to be Nicole Richie's dad?

I heard her sister is supposed to be Nicole's mom.

[hillbillylover]

As a multi-racial, multi-ethnic person myself I am always startled when I discover that not everyone can "see" the mixed-edness in others. Jennifer Beals, Rosario, Keanu, Thandie Newton - it's quite apparent really.

I think where the confusion comes in - at least in the case of black /white biracial people - is that there are always exceptions that muddy the waters.

I have a first cousin who is biracial, half African American and half Irish American. Yet he looks totally Caucasian. I don't mean vaguely white, I mean totally white. I kid you not.

And yes, I know that's rare.

Also, I personally know at least two or three black people who are "just" black, who look far more mixed or racially vague than Thandie Newton.

That's why many people feel as I do, that you can frequently guess about someone's racial makeup, but you can never be sure.

And I'm surprised by the number of people - even many black people who should know better - who think EVERY light-skinned black person is biracial. I suppose it's because many people live in areas where interracial marriages are common, so they assume everyone that they see who is light brown is biracial.

Well, those folks should visit South Louisiana. It would blow their minds. Talk about muddy waters.

Anyway, back on topic.

Some of the classiest words ever said by a white person who was "accused " of being black, were uttered by the late singer Dinah Shore.

Rumors had been circulating for years about her being a "passing" black woman. And this was at a time when such a thing could mean the end of her career. When she was finally asked point blank if the rumors about her being black were true, she said simply, "I wish they were." That was waaay cool.

[spider]

I agree... race is a genetic distinction and refers to people with shared ancestry

but, it's not. A black person from North Africa will be much closer genetically to a European than to a black aboriginie from Australia. I'm white but my whole family is from western Ireland and I'm probaly only distantly genetically related to most white Americans, and much more similar to Spanish/Portuguese people and by extension some Latinos.

Race is a lot more than the color of your hair or skin, and more about culture than we think. I have a lot of mixed race friends and they get grief for "denying" their blackness or whatever if they say they're mixed, and others who look so white that they're not considered mixed by the black community, which is just silly.

I think the whole thing is a moot point to be honest, like trying to say all blondes are related or all brunettes share traits based on the colour of their hair.

[veronicamars]

I'm white but my whole family is from western Ireland and I'm probaly only distantly genetically related to most white Americans, and much more similar to Spanish/Portuguese people and by extension some Latinos.

I don't get it. Can someone enlighten me?

[materialgirl]

veronicamars said:

I don't get it. Can someone enlighten me?

I'm not sure if the Irish->Spanish->Latinos thing is a reference to the "Black Irish" or not, but I think the gist of what Spider is saying that when two people share a "race" they're not necessarily closer genetically speaking than two people of two different races--that race is a social construct and not a biological reality. But that whole topic is a hotly contested one and really beyond the scope of this thread.

Topic? Keanu Reeves can make multiracial babies with me anyday.

[spider]

The West of Ireland has a huge Spanish/ Porteguese influence and lots of intermarraige. They have recently done DNA studies that show the counry as a whole, but especially that part, is more closely related to people from Spain and parts of North Africa than central Europeans. And I am pale as pale can be, so go figure.

I guess it is beyond the topic of this thread but I was only using it as an example of how the belief that race is purely genetic is wrong. It's deeply cultural too. I guess it would be relevant to the topic if I said that we are only surprised by someone's multi-racial background when they act differently than we would expect from their skin or hair color. If a rapper with a thug image turned out to have a white or Asian parent it would be more notable in the popular media than if the same person was a Shakesperean (sp?) theatre actor, no matter if they grew up next door to each other.

Material Girl: what an odd link on black Irish! As far as I know it just refers to hair color and it's not a term you commonly hear in Ireland anyway.

[veronicamars]

Wow. Great article. I always wondered about the term "Black Irish". Dorothy Lamour, a major film star of the 40s, was rumored to have black ancestry. I don't doubt that it could be true seeing as how she was from New Orleans.

[spider]

Veronicamars, I'd take that article with a pinch of salt. Or maybe a dumptruck.