America Ferrera
Ferrera in 2011, photo by s_bukley / Shutterstock.com
Birth Name: America Georgine Ferrera
Place of Birth: Los Angeles, California, United States
Date of Birth: April 18, 1984
Ethnicity: Honduran [Spanish, Indigenous, other], as well as likely 1/32 Swedish Jewish
America Ferrera is an American actress and producer. She is known for starring in the films Real Women Have Curves, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, and its sequel; Lords of Dogtown, Under the Same Moon, How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer, The Dry Land, Our Family Wedding, It’s a Disaster, End of Watch, César Chávez, X/Y, Special Correspondents, Barbie, Dumb Money, and, in voice role, How to Train Your Dragon, as well as its sequels and spin-off properties; on the shows Ugly Betty, Superstore, and WeCrashed, and in the made-for-tv movie Gotta Kick It Up!
America is the daughter of América Griselda Ayes and Carlos Gregorio Ferrera Paz, who were from Honduras, in Central America. 90 percent of Hondurans are Mestizo, a mixture of Indigenous and European. America has stated that she has Lenca ancestry; an Indigenous tribe, native to Honduras. Her mother worked as director of the housekeeping staff at a Hilton Hotels & Resorts property. She was raised in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles.
America is married to actor, writer, and director Ryan Piers Williams, with whom she has two children.
America’s paternal grandfather was Don Carlos Ferrera Padilla (the son of General Gregorio Ferrera González and Maria Luisa Padilla). Carlos was born in La Esperanza, Intibucá Department, Honduras. Gregorio was a prominent general and revolutionary in Honduras, and was nicknamed “El Indio.” He was a leader of several revolutions to depose various Honduran leaders throughout the 1910s and 1920s. He was the son of Sebastian Ferrera and Gregoria González. Maria Luisa was the daughter of Luisa Padilla.
America’s paternal grandmother was Mucia/Musia Georgina Paz Mendieta (the daughter of Jacobo Francisco Paz Barahona/Baraona and María Ernestina Mendieta Cobos). America’s grandmother Georgina was born in San Pedro Sula, Cortés Department, Honduras. Jacobo was the son of Desiderio Aurelio de Paz Kazan, whose own mother, Mikaela Kazan, was Swedish, and was evidently a Swedish Jew; and of Isabel “Bela” Baraona/Barahona Leiva. America’s great-grandmother Ernestina was the daughter of Manuel Mendieta López and Clotilde “Chata” Cobos Contreras.
America’s great-grandfather Jacobo was the brother of Miguel Paz Barahona, who was President of Honduras, from 1 February, 1925 to 1 February, 1929. He was also a first cousin of Luis Bográn (Luis Bográn Barahona), who was President of Honduras, from 30 November, 1883 to 30 November, 1891, through their mothers.
America, Catalina Sandino Moreno (for Maria Full of Grace, 2004), Yalitza Aparicio (for Roma, 2018), Ariana DeBose (for West Side Story, 2021), and Ana de Armas (for Blonde, 2022), are thus far the only actors of Latin-American descent born after 1980 to have been nominated for an acting Oscar, with Ariana having won.
Sources: Information about America’s appearance on Who Do You Think You Are?, 2015 – https://blogs.ancestry.com
Genealogy of America Ferrera (focusing on her father’s side) – https://www.geni.com
https://www.familysearch.org/tree/pedigree/landscape/971P-G7M
In the picture above she appears to be dark because of the tan. But she is not Dark, she is Very White, take a look at this other photo: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/America_Ferrera
America’s father Gregorio’s maternal family name is Paz. Include Spanish as part of her Honduran ancestry, but I haven’t verified indigenous or African roots so far.
Italicize Don. America’s grandfather Carlos was born in La Esperanza, Intibucá. America’s great-grandfather Gregorio was the son of Tiburcio Ferrera and Gregoria González. Luisa’s family name is Padilla, and was the daughter of an unknown father and Luisa Padilla.
Georgina’s full name is Mucia Georgina Paz Mendieta, and was the daughter of Jacobo Francisco Paz Baraona and María Ernestina Mendieta Cobos. Georgina (not Mucia) was born in San Pedro Sula, Cortés. Jacobo was the son of Desiderio Aurelio de Paz Kazan, whose own mother, Mikaela Kazan, was Swedish, and of Isabel “Bela” Baraona Leiva. Ernestina was the daughter of Manuel Mendieta López and Clotilde “Chata” Cobos Contreras.
America’s paternal grandfather was Don Carlos Ferrera (the son of Gregorio Ferrera Paz and Maria Luisa Padilla). Gregorio, whose nickname was “El Indio”, was a prominent general and revolutionary in Honduras. He was the son of Tiburcio Ferrera and Gregoria Gonzalez. Maria Luisa was the daughter of an unknown father and of Luisa Padilla.
America’s paternal grandmother was Georgina Paz Mendieta (the daughter of Jacobo Francisco Paz Baraona and María Ernestina Mendieta Cobos). Georgina was born in San Pedro Sula, Cortés, Honduras. Jacobo was the son of Desiderio Aurelio de Paz Kazan, whose own mother, Mikaela Kazan, was Swedish, and of Isabel “Bela” Baraona Leiva. Ernestina was the daughter of Manuel Mendieta López, who was born in Spain, and likely had Basque ancestry, and of Clotilde “Chata” Cobos Contreras, who was from Corquin, Copan, Honduras.
genealogy of America’s father (focusing on his mother’s side) – https://www.genealogy.com/ftm/m/c/c/Terry-Mccoy-AE/WEBSITE-0001/UHP-0455.html
America’s great-granduncle was Miguel Paz Barahona, who served as President of Honduras between 1925 and 1929. Miguel and America’s paternal great-grandfather Jacobo Francisco Paz Barahona/Baraona were brothers.
Desiderio Aurelio de Paz Kazan and Isabel “Bela” Baraona Leiva were both born in Spain
“Kazan” does not seem Swedish at all.
America’s great-grandfather was also a first cousin of Luis Bográn, who served as President of Honduras from 1883 to 1991.
Luis was also the half-brother and first cousin of President of Honduras Francisco Bográn, who briefly served in the position between 1919 and 1920.
A Swede with the surname Kazan? Can you provide the evidence for this?
maybe was him Jewish or something?
https://www.familysearch.org/blog/es/bienvenido-al-blog-de-familysearch-en-espaol/
A commenter writes:
…my grandfather: Desiderio Aurelio Paz Kazan from Sweden, Jewish origin…
Desiderio and Isabel weren’t Spanish though, most genealogies claim they were both from Honduras.
https://gw.geneanet.org/ebenjamin1?lang=en&pz=benjamin&nz=erazo+torres&p=desiderio+aurelio&n=paz+kazan
Good find. In this case it’s “Swedish Jewish” then.
Btw have you noticed how many Latin-American entertainers active in U.S. descend to prominent personalities, often even Presidents. It’s not a casuality.
Well, both his parents doesn’t have to be from Sweden. Manila only mentioned Mikaela Kazan specifically as Swedish. But who knows, since Manila didn’t provide any source, rarely replies to comments, and it’s not easy find the source through Google. We have to guess, more or less.
I haven’t gone through many Latin American genealogies, but I guess it’s correlated with being well-off and having the opportunity to emigrate.
Have you checked Cristina Aguilera’s Swedish ancestry so far?
There’s not much to check really. I can’t find many sources about her, but it’s plausible that she was Swedish given her name. I guess Bauman was her mother’s maiden name, so maybe she was half Swedish half German. Or just Swedish, with some German down the line (not very uncommon when you go back far enough).
Seriously, she is named ”Ameirca”?
America*
I’m actually from Honduras, so I can tell you accurately that besides her Native American ancestry she also has European, African, Middle Eastern and Asian ancestry. Hondurans are probably the most mixed group from Latin America. Most of us tend to have non Spanish names.
Most, if not all of Hondurans have Black ancestry. Actually Black people in Honduras are very much treasured dearly. They are mostly honest, hardworking and creative people.
My ex boyfriend looked mestizo with maybe so arab…