Zoe Saldana

by ethnic


kathclick/bigstock.com

Birth Name:

Zoe Yadira Zaldaña Nazario

Birth Place:

New York City, U.S.A.

Date of Birth:

June 19, 1978

What Race or Ethnicity:

Puerto Rican and Dominican

The American actress is well known for her role in the film Guess Who. She was born to a Puerto Rican mother and a Dominican father which she stated in an interview. She speaks English and Spanish fluently.

Source:

http://www.popentertainment.com/saldana.htm

{ 416 comments… read them below or add one }

Antilambon January 4, 2012 at 9:16 am

Black is a color. And no way 90% of all Dominicans are black unless you consider those like Manny Perez, Rosana Tavarez, Alex Rodriguez and Albert Pujols black. We don’t follow the one drop rule, you know.

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Amanda January 5, 2012 at 2:16 pm

According to a study by the CUNY Dominican Studies Institute, about 90% of the contemporary Dominican population has West African ancestry. However, that doesn’t mean they do not have ancestry from other places. That study is saying that most people who have the Dominican nationality are mixed with West African to some degree.

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Nina Micgaoyin power January 2, 2012 at 1:24 pm

Well not all Hispanics are mixed with black. But I know she has black in her some where down the line. I’m not saying this by just looking at her skin color I’m looking at her features. But she doesn’t have to say black because Hispanics are mixed any way.
Also there’s this one girl at my school who is Cuban and peurto rican she claims. And at my school we have a Hispanic club and me and her are both in it. We came to an argument about Hispanics are not black because she didn’t want to believe so. I told her she has to have black in her because she has a big nose a little darker than zoe above by 2 shades maybe and her hair has a kinky texture to it. ( don’t be offended by this description I am mixed with black my self) But my point is I hate how Some Hispanics get specific of what they are really mixed with but leave the black part out. I’m black, chinese,Korean , Spanish , native american. To be specific how I’m Hispanic my mom is Cuban. But that’s not a race and I get the black from her because her great great great grandfather was african. I’m sure if the rest of you Hispanics kept track of your roots you would find African traits. :) I don’t care who is offended by this because it’s the truth. There is nothing wrong with being black and claiming being black even if it’s just a little smudge. that’s just my point

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Gaga February 10, 2012 at 4:05 pm

so your talking about her features to identify her with black???? i ve seen white people with bigger noses than anything! so explain that one. ive seen soamoans with nappy hair and big noses… and they’re not black…. Idiot

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Samira January 2, 2012 at 5:15 am

ZOE IS MIXED PERIOD ! have you seen her mother ? she’s not even black ! her father was probably black but dominicans are very mixed, full black dominicans are a minority, most of them are mixed and ten light skinned or brown skinned.

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Amanda December 31, 2011 at 1:06 pm

According to a study by the CUNY Dominican Studies Institute, about 90% of the contemporary Dominican population has West African ancestry. Africans migrated to Cuba, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Haiti, Navassa Island and to the Dominican Republic prior (before) to slavery. During slave time the The Atlantic Slave Trade Routes also intercepted these islands. She is black and her nationality is American. She was born her in America. Zoe’s birth took place in Passaic, New Jersey, U.S. Her parents nationalities were Dominican and Puerto Rican. Most Dominican and some Puertro Ricans are black, but are also Latina or Latinos.

Puertro Rican and Dominican are nationalities not ethnicities.

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Amanda December 31, 2011 at 12:28 pm

According to a study by the CUNY Dominican Studies Institute, about 90% of the contemporary Dominican population has West African ancestry. Africans migrated to Cuba, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Haiti, Navassa Island and to the Dominican Republic prior to Slave Trade. During slave time the The Atlantic Slave Trade Routes also intercepted these islands. She is black and her nationality is American. She was born her in America. Zoe’s birth took place in Passaic, New Jersey, U.S. Her parents nationalities were Dominican and Puerto Rican. Most Dominican and some Puertro Ricans are black, but are also Latina or Latinos.

Dominican and Puertro Rican are not an ethnicities, they are nationalities.

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Amanda December 31, 2011 at 1:06 pm

Sorry about the re-post!

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miss miller December 25, 2011 at 11:42 am

Corrections in my typos spaniard

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Ciara December 24, 2011 at 8:18 pm

yes there is a such thing as a light skinned black person .

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Amanda January 4, 2012 at 1:42 pm

I agree with you, but I wouldn’t call her a light skinned black person. Zoe is more medium brown and not light. She about about 4 to 7 shades darker than I.

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toro December 24, 2011 at 5:11 am

Being latino has nothing to do with being anything.. dominicans need to be more like afro cubans and accept the fact that they are from african descent for they are a caribbean island and like other caribbean islands have a history of slave trading.. being latino doesnt mean you your the same as somebody from chili just because you talk spanish.. as other countries al the latin countries and islands have their own history and cultural heritage.. only thing latinos have in common is that at one point the country they call their own now was colonized by spaniards.. being latino can mean that your black, white, mulato, marron or in between.. zoe zaldana is no different from megan good.. she’s lightskin black!

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Jose Lomba December 24, 2011 at 9:56 am

There is no such thing as a light-skinned black.

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jamekah December 24, 2011 at 2:23 pm

I’m black and I’m light skinned:/

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iAMjaleese December 24, 2011 at 11:31 pm

there really is, i have both light and dark skinned family, you sound extremely insensitive and racist.

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miss miller December 25, 2011 at 11:23 am

To the afro cuban I am Happy that you are proud of where you come from as we all should be as latino people however where I desend from and my country we started off as indians that were killed by the spainurd they also brought french slaves with them. To work the fildes caves etc…and when they were done or had taken what they came for they left laving the slaves behind whom eneded up taking over dr for a very long time ….. See my point is yes you are right that we are mixed with what some kind of afro slave that was brought to our country however saying that we are black takes away from saying I am a proud latino … We come in all colors black white tan light but that doesn’t change that we are latino first we are not a color we are a culture

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Gaga February 10, 2012 at 4:14 pm

u sound so dumb.. light skin black? she is hispanic. and yes, her skin is light skin brown….. Just respect the fact she is hispanic.. you sound like you have a problem buddy…. You say you wanna call her “light skin black” like its to hurl an insult at her LOL!!!! so lemme guess, will you call jennifer lopez white??? exactly my point

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Pérez December 9, 2011 at 1:13 pm

Black or White who cares. Race doesn’t define your culture or ethnicity. Identifying myself as Hispanic and Dominican more accurately describes my ties to a group of people of similar culture, language, and history. Saying I’m Black or White or whichever is too vague a definition, the only thing about race is the society’s “understanding” of what they see (mostly skin color) regardless of culture or language or history. Culturally a African American, a Nigerian, a Jamaican, an Afro-Dominican etc etc have not very much in common other than the shade of skin color. But say a “white” Dominican and a “black” Dominican have much more in common. I mean how African tribes are united or east Indians and even orientals. All that being said Zoe wants to be identified as Dominican or whatever that’s her choice.

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Nelda Scott November 27, 2011 at 1:47 pm

Latino is NOT a RACE it IS a CULTURE!!!! PERIOD!!!!!

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