Vin Diesel

Diesel in 2005, photo by PR Photos

Birth Name: Mark Sinclair

Place of Birth: Alameda, California, United States

Date of Birth: July 18, 1967

Ethnicity:
*biological father – African-American, possibly other
*mother – Scottish, English, German, Irish, Austrian

Vin Diesel is an American actor, producer, director, and screenwriter. He is the star of The Fast and the Furious films, to which he has mostly devoted himself to since 2009. He has also had leading roles in the films Saving Private Ryan, The Iron Giant, voicing the title character; Boiler Room, Pitch Black, and its sequels The Chronicles of Riddick and Riddick; Knockaround Guys, xXx, and its sequel xXx: Return of Xander Cage; A Man Apart, The Pacifier, Find Me Guilty, Babylon A.D., The Last Witch Hunter, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, and Bloodshot, and as the voice of Groot in the MCU. He has played characters of various ethnic backgrounds. He wrote and directed the short film Multi-Facial and the film Strays (1997).

Vin was born in Alameda County, California, as was his mother, and was raised in New York City, New York. Vin’s mother, Delora Shirlene (Sinclair), an astrologer, is white, and has Scottish, English, German, Irish, and Austrian ancestry. The identity of Vin’s biological father is not publicly known. Vin has described himself as “definitely a person of colour.” In a speech in 2013, Vin stated that his biological parents’ relationship, as it was interracial, was illegal in much of the United States while his mother was pregnant with Vin in 1967; in the speech, he appeared to verify that his biological father was of African-American heritage.

Vin’s stepfather from a young age, Irving H. Vincent, is African-American, and Vin frequently refers to him as his father. Irving is an acting instructor and theatre manager.

Vin has three children with his partner, Mexican model Paloma Jimenez. A picture of Vin’s mother, stepfather, and partner Paloma (from left to right), can be seen here.

Vin’s maternal grandfather likely was Angus McBain Sinclair (the son of Ewart Gladstone Sinclair and Marcia Brucker/Brucher Lever). Angus was born in Montana. Ernest was the son of Canadian parents, James Bruce Sinclaire/Sinclair and Maria/Mary Ann McBain, who were of Scottish descent. Marcia was the daughter of William Henry/J. Lever, whose parents were English, and of Anna Brucker, whose own parents, Ferdinand Brucker and Margaretta/Margaret Zechmeister, were German and/or Austrian.

Vin’s maternal grandmother was Carmen Lucile/Lucille Wells (the daughter of Tobin Borden “Tobie” Wells and Hazel Dolly “Nana” Hewitt). Carmen was born in Oklahoma, and had English, German, and Irish ancestry. Tobin was from Farmerville, Union Parish, Louisiana, and was the son of Thomas Frederick Wells and Nancy Jane Hodges. Hazel was from Fort Cobb, Caddo County, Oklahoma, and was the daughter of Thomas R. Hewitt and Margaret “Maggie” Haffey.

Vin Diesel ethnicity ancestry

Diesel in 2011, photo by kathclick/Bigstock.com

Sources: Vin’s 2013 speech about his parents, while accepting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame – http://www.youtube.com

Vin mentions his mother’s Scottish ancestry – http://entertainment.stv.tv

Vin’s maternal grandfather, Angus McBain Sinclair, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Angus McBain Sinclair on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Vin’s maternal great-grandfather, Ewart Gladstone Sinclair, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Vin’s maternal great-grandmother, Marcia Brucker/Brucher Lever, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Vin’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Anna Brucker, on the 1880 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org

Genealogy of Vin’s maternal grandmother, Carmen Lucile/Lucille (Wells) Gay, with pictures of many of Vin’s ancestors – http://www.findagrave.com

Vin’s maternal grandmother, Carmen Lucile/Lucille Wells, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Carmen Lucile/Lucille Wells on the 1940 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Vin’s maternal great-grandmother, Hazel Dolly “Nana” Hewitt, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

ethnic

Curious about ethnicity

456 Responses

  1. jonasbttencourt says:

    We need to know more about Vin Diesel’s family background, because nothing is more important than family.

  2. lyafeelssad says:

    Honestly, I know we live in a time when we need empathy, and I know I’m using horrible English and I’m not from the US or anything, but I like to feel like Madonna, but I don’t even like her, and I’m not Super star
    I’ve thought bad things like everyone else on this site, I know I should be a mature person like these young people on this site.
    And who knows I also pass bad things
    Living in front of a depression is easy, but it’s like you don’t have a
    Of course everyone can be prejudiced, racist, sexist, me too.
    I reflected a long time after all that mess, and I feel like crap, but at the same time no, because I don’t want to feel this way, otherwise I get worse and I keep thinking a thousand times about these things
    Did any words that happened hurt me? Of course, but I think I was bad with someone.
    I know my jokes are bad
    I know no one understands me, neither do I
    I also experience terrible things, I hope you understand and I’m sure Americans are worse bullying and saying bad things like any other nation, lmao
    As much as black lives matter is a strong thing now in the US, for both sides
    I hope you understand me, and I’m sure that maybe all that exclusion generated terrible things, just understand a little about me, maybe I don’t improve my English, but maybe my English sounds better with google translator
    Don’t give up on me, all I wanted in the world was to have magical powers, but as my “depression” is terrible, I would definitely do some —-
    I’m not a superstar, I’m just a fat white person making nonsense jokes, but maybe I did, lmao
    being fat is no offense
    That’s it

    • Oaken05 says:

      Delete.

      Well meaning, I’m sure, but this has absolutely nothing to do with this profile. This is spam; this is not the board for this. But I hope this person finds peace.

      • jackson9 says:

        If other viewers don’t think this comment has anything to do with Vin Diesel they can simply ignore it. Why are you obsessed with censorship?

        • Yesterday says:

          It has nothing to do with censorship. It’s about keeping this page appropriate and not confusing people. You’re ridiculously selfish.

          • jackson9 says:

            How am ridiculously selfish? this isn’t my post that is at risk of being deleted. Also, if you are confused by Lyafeelssad’s post, maybe you should consider that you aren’t that bright.

          • passingtime85 says:

            It’s an odd post. It probably shouldn’t be left up, but deleting seems mean somehow, the post isn’t antagonistic or rude, it’s just sad and slightly nonsensical, and has nothing to do with this website.

          • jackson9 says:

            No, it’s Yesterday’s post that is antagonistic and rude. But deleting it would be mean as well. We shouldn’t be deleting posts

          • passingtime85 says:

            I disagree. Do you know how many of my posts have been deleted because they were off topic? Ask Follers, superfluous comments aren’t conducive to the objective of the site. Mean or not, sometimes moderation is required.

    • Coneicon says:

      Isn’t “Ethnic” the site owner? Why doesn’t he read comments at his pages?? We don’t even get notifications of replies. To OP, I have no idea what you were taking about, but we all have issues, so don’t beat yourself up about it, and hope you feel better. To the site owner, I submitted a celeb page that was never published, so I’m not submitting one but I wish you would make a page for Ann Turkel because there is no way that’s a White woman. She is darker than even George Hamilton on his most “toasted” day. I don’t believe that’s baking in the sun, plus her skin had a strong red tinge to it. Cherokee? Apache? Navajo? Sioux? A lot of people are mixed with that, ignore it and claim “White”. Can’t have it both ways! (They never claim mixed either!) So what is she? Anybody know? Make a page for “her”, please!

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