Ariana Grande
Birth Name: Ariana Grande-Butera
Place of Birth: Boca Raton, Florida, U.S.
Date of Birth: June 26, 1993
Ethnicity: Italian [including Sicilian]
Ariana Grande is an American singer and actress. She has starred on the shows Victorious, Sam & Cat, and Scream Queens, and appeared in the film Don’t Look Up. Her most popular songs include “The Way,” “Problem,” “Break Free,” “Bang Bang,” “Love Me Harder,” “Focus,” “Dangerous Woman,” “Side to Side,” “No Tears Left to Cry,” “God Is a Woman,” “Thank U, Next,” “7 Rings,” “Break Up with Your Girlfriend, I’m Bored,” “Boyfriend,” “Stuck with U,” “Rain on Me,” “Positions,” “Save Your Tears,” and “Die for You.”
Her mother, Joan Grande, has been CEO of the family firm, a manufacturer of communications and safety equipment. Her father, Edward Butera, owns a graphic design firm. Her parents are of Italian descent. She stated on her Twitter account that she is of half Sicilian and half Abruzzese Italian ancestry. Her maternal half-brother, Frankie Grande, is an actor, dancer, and musician. A picture of Ariana’s father can be seen here, and a picture of some of her father’s family can be seen here. A picture of Ariana’s mother can be seen here. A picture of Ariana’s paternal grandfather can be seen here, and a picture of Ariana with her maternal grandparents can be seen here.
Ariana’s paternal grandfather was Anthony Vincent Charles Butera (the son of Carlos/Charles Antonio Butera and Marie/Mary Passalaqua/Passalacqua). Anthony was born in New Jersey. Ariana’s great-grandfather Charles was born in New Jersey, to Italian parents, Antonino Butera and Magherita Azzara/Azzala, from Menfi, Provincia di Agrigento, Sicily. Marie was Italian. The surname Butera is Sicilian.
Ariana’s paternal grandmother was Florence P. Citrano (the daughter of Enrico “Henry” Cetrano and Lucia “Lucy” Ciarfella). Florence was born in Newark, New Jersey, to Italian emigrants, from Civitaquana, Abruzzo. Enrico was the son of Carmine Cetrano and Giulia/Julia Trabucco. Lucia was the daughter of Ascenzio Ciarfella and Margherita Taddeo.
Ariana’s maternal grandfather was Frank Anthony Grande (the son of Antonio “Anthony” Grande and Filomena/Felmino “Philomena”/”Phyllis” Lavenditti). Frank was born in New York, to Italian parents. Antonio was born, c. 1900, the son of Raffaela/Raffaele V. Grande (b. 1876) and Sabato/Rose Cardalisca (b. July 1877, in Lanciano, Province of Chieti, Abruzzo, Italy), and moved to the U.S. in May 1903. Ariana’s great-grandmother Filomena was the daughter of Francesco Lavenditti/La Venditti and Benedetta Perrotti. Ariana’s grandfather also had roots in Bojano and Gildone, in Campobasso.
Ariana’s maternal grandmother is Marjorie M. Damico (the daughter of John Viovanni Damico/D’Amico and Felomina F. “Minnie” Gigante). Marjorie was born in New York, to Italian parents, with roots in San Fele, Potenza, Basilicata.
Ariana also once twitted that she “just found out my grandparents are heavily greek and part north African,” and then specified “…the chart says Greece/Italy. I just thought it was funny. I’m assuming the North African bit is Moroccan or Tunisia?”
Ariana’s reference to “the chart” makes it likely that she took some sort of DNA test to map out her heritage. DNA tests for people of Sicilian descent sometimes indicate some kind of Greek or North African ancestry.
Sources: Genealogies of Ariana Grande – https://www.geni.com
https://2.bp.blogspot.com
Ariana’s paternal grandfather, Anthony Vincent Charles Butera, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Obituary of Ariana’s paternal grandmother, Florence P. (Citrano) Butera – https://www.obrienfuneralhome.com
History of Ariana’s maternal grandparents, Frank Anthony Grande and Marjorie M. Damico – https://www.youtube.com
Greeks aren’t Latins
Maybe if she didn’t try singing spanglish on latin radio stations, people wouldn’t be so confused. Its funny when italians get upset for being associated as latin or hispanic as they see themselves as caucasian european but when they try and break into showbusiness, they don’t mind being on spanish TV, then you see all the washed out stars like nelly furtado doing the same thing. They don’t acknowledge their heritage until they need the support. Sad….everyone in my family and friends even agrees with me.
The true Latins are southern european people like Italians, Spanish, Greek, Portuguesse, etc (white). Where else do you think the term latin came from?! Latin America is called LATIN America because it’s land that was conquered by whites who spoke a language of latin origin.
Greeks are not Latin, the French and the Romanians are Latin in addition to Italians and Spaniards&Portuguese
Yeah but Mexicans always try to run things or think they do so now they want to be called Latinos which they truly arent
the chick doesn’t look Italian in this pic..but if you search other images of her she could pass for that. Btw her Wikipedia profile in Italian says she is also of Mexican ethnicity
http://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ariana_Grande
Im mexican/salvadorian, but i have very similar traits as ariana.
Olive skin, same height, same eye/hair color, one dimple, 5’2, same face shape. i have a cleft chin and ariana sometimes looks like she has one, not sure about that one..
Does that mean im Italian? im considered the darkest shortest person in my family so…
@Floofy51
Mexico has had (german,French,Irish,Italian etc) assimilated up in it.So you very could have that heritage,not that I’m saying you do
Mexican and Salvadorian are nationalities. As for your race you probably might have Italian or other southern Euro in you.
U sound stupid and ignorant just shut up and go back to school
She is not Mexican.there are like no Mexicans in Florida .i don’t get Mexicans anyone who they think is Hispanic or speaks a foreign language every Mexican wants to call them Mexican.Theres no where that says she’s Mexican she said even in twitter that she’s Italian
Italy is a country that is darker then your typical European nation HOWEVER they have many looks as there have been a lot of mixing in the country.
Saying she doesn’t look Italian is ridiculous. Take a look at half the Veline they put on tv, most of those girls are Italian and they are typically dark hair and olive complected. There will always be exceptions, in every race
My good friend from Mexico comes from a family of blondes with marble white skin. Does that mean they don’t look Mexican? That is utter ignorance, there isn’t one established look for any race/ethnicity etc
My family is darker then most ‘latin/hispanic’ families I know. I’m the lightest hair/eyes/skin in my entire family. I wish I could post a picture, omg it’s king me. lol
you just wrote a lot of bullshit about the Sicilian people in other comments, your points are invalid I’m really sorry for you :(
nope, she is rather valid. and it is invalid to direct Sicilian for nothing. Who is Sicilian? No one so far except Ariana Grande partially, but she is Italian and Sicilian so that makes both and mostly Italian in general for ethnicity. Sicily is a part of Italy as Puerto Rico I guess to us, but they are still Italian citizens until a break off. No one can make her just one thing, and only her birth can declare that.
There’s no such thing as a “mexican look”. Mexico is a melting pot country.
Ariana is Italian and its nothing you can do about it!