Enrique Iglesias

Iglesias in 2007, Joe Seer / Shutterstock.com

Birth Name: Enrique Miguel Iglesias Preysler

Place of Birth: Madrid, Spain

Date of Birth: 8 May, 1975

Ethnicity: Galician, Puerto Rican/Spanish [Andalusian, Castilian, Valencian], Filipino [Kapampangan], distant French, possibly distant Austrian

Enrique Iglesias is a Spanish-born singer, songwriter, actor, record producer, and cartoonist. He has written songs in both Spanish and English.

His father, Julio Iglesias (Julio José de la Cueva Iglesias), is a Spanish singer, with Spanish and Galician Spanish ancestry. His mother, Isabel Preysler (Maria Isabel Arrastia Preysler), is a Filipino journalist, socialite, and television host. Isabel’s ancestry is Spanish and Filipino [Kapampangan], with possible, distant, Austrian roots. After his grandfather was kidnapped by armed Basque group ETA, Enrique was raised mostly outside Spain, particularly Miami, Florida.

Enrique has three children with his partner, Russian tennis player and model Anna Kournikova. His half-sister is socialite and television personality Tamara Falcó.

Enrique’s father has stated that he has, or that he thinks he has, some degree of Sephardi Jewish ancestry on his own mother’s (Enrique’s paternal grandmother’s) side. It is not clear if this ancestry has been documented/verified. Julio’s recent ancestors were not Jewish.

Enrique’s paternal grandfather was Julio Iglesias Puga (the son of Ulpiano Iglesias Sarriá and Manuela Puga Noguerol). Julio was born in Ourense, Province of Ourense, Galicia, Spain, and was a prominent gynecologist. Ulpiano was the son of Juan Iglesias and Carmen Sarria. Manuela was the daughter of Elías Puga de la Torre and Elisa Noguerol Buján.

Enrique’s paternal grandmother was María del Rosario de la Cueva y de Perignat (the daughter of José de la Cueva y de Orejuela and Dolores Perignat y Ruiz de Benavides). José was the son of Manuel de la Cueva y Campo Redondo and Rosario de Orejuela y Prieto. Enrique’s great-grandmother Dolores was evidently born in Guayama, Puerto Rico. She was the daughter of José Mariano Eleuterio Gavino de la Santísima Trinidad Perinat y Ochoa, a Spanish military officer, from Seville, Seville, and of Manuela Ruiz de Benavides y Pérez. Enrique’s great-great-grandfather José was of part French ancestry, from Paris.

Enrique’s maternal grandfather was Carlos Pérez de Tagle Preysler (the son of Don Fausto Preysler y Moreno and María Carmen Pérez de Tagle Pastor). Fausto was the son of Don Joaquín Preysler/Preisler Cernuda and Doña Natalia Moreno Ravelo, who were from Cádiz, Cádiz, Andalusia, Spain. Enrique’s great-grandmother María Carmen was born in Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, Central Visayas, the daughter of Don Benito Pérez de Tagle y Mijares and Doña Carmen Pastor Teves.

Enrique’s maternal grandmother was María Beatriz Arrastia y Reynares (the daughter of José Salgado Arrastia and Teodorica Reinares). María was born in Lubao, Pampanga, Central Luzon, Philippines. José was the son of Don Valentín Arrastia Roncal, who was born in Allo, Navarra, Spain, and of Francisca Serrano Salgado.

Enrique’s maternal great-grandfather, José Salgado Arrastia, was also a paternal great-grandfather of American actor Steven R. McQueen, making Enrique and Steven half-second cousins.

Sources: http://www.elmundo.es

Genealogy of Enrique Iglesias – http://www.geni.com

Iglesias in 2007, photo credit: jonklinger

ethnic

Curious about ethnicity

143 Responses

  1. Manila says:

    CORRECTIONS:
    Ulpiano Iglesias -> Ulpiano Iglesias Sarriá
    Manuela Puga -> Manuela Puga Noguerol
    Fausto Preysler -> Fausto Preysler y Moreno
    Carmen Pérez de Tagle y Teves -> Carmen Pérez de Tagle y Pastor

    Fausto is NOT originally from Spain as he was born in Tuguegarao, Cagayan. Thus, he was a insular (or criollo). His parents actually came from Spain.

    Carmen Pérez de Tagle was the daughter of Benito Pérez de Tagle and Carmen Pastor y Teves.

  2. andrew says:

    wikipedia says his mom is also of Austrian and Kapampangan (a Filipino ethnic group) descent. She looks Asian anyway

  3. Marseille says:

    He looks like a typical Spaniard.

    • roman2886 says:

      He looks very Spanish he looks how Spanish people used too look before the Romans conquered Spain he looks very Iberian he doesn’t look those Spanish people who look Italian.

  4. ssempre says:

    Why do so many people say that he’s mestizo?

    • Your Mom says:

      Because He Isn’t. He Is Racially White. He Has No Asian Features. His Mother Is Not Even 100% Filipino. His Mother Is Considered A Mestiza Because One Of Her Parents Was/Is White And The Other Was/Is Filipino. He’s Basically 1/4, Maybe Even Less Because Filipinos Are Mixed Themselves. Haven’t You Ever Noticed How Some Filipinos Look Mexican? I Get Some Filipinos And Mexicans Confused All The Time.

  5. eyaeyayooooo says:

    I have seen a lot of Filipino Spanish people look exactly like him, so stop with the false assumptions. You can’t change what he is.

    • noneofyourbusiness says:

      You know that is a bunch of bullshit. Filipinos always claim to be part Spanish, but in reality the number of Spanish Filipinos is very low. The Philippines is a very color-struck country. Just look at their pageants and watch a Filipino telenovela, they usually cast Eurasian Filipinos (those with a white parent). Miss Philippines is usually a Eurasian woman, they favor white features. So many Filipino women are so desperate for a white man that they put down their own men and worship white men. It’s sad, honestly.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.