Irene Cara
Birth Name: Irene Cara Escalera
Date of Birth: March 18, 1959
Place of Birth: New York City, New York City, U.S.
Date of Death: November 25, 2022
Place of Death: Largo, Florida, U.S.
Ethnicity:
*Puerto Rican (father)
*Cuban (mother)
Irene Cara was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actress. She is known for the songs “Fame” and “Flashdance… What a Feeling,” and for starring in the film Sparkle (1976).
Her father, Gaspar Escalera, a saxophonist, was Puerto Rican, from San Juan, and was of heavily/predominantly African ancestry. Her mother, Louise (Betancourt), was of Cuban descent. Irene performed in Spanish as well as English. A picture of Irene with her parents can be seen here.
Irene’s paternal grandfather was named Ramón Escalera (the son of Agapito Escalera and Simplicia).
Irene’s paternal grandmother was Cruz Figueras (the daughter of Mario Figueras and Irene Gonzalez).
Irene’s maternal grandfather was Silvester/Sylvester Betancourt (the son of Dionicio Betancourt and Angela Delgado). Silvester was born in Florida, to Cuban parents.
Source: Genealogy of Irene Cara (focusing on her mother’s side) – https://www.findagrave.com
Here she is with her parents. Her father was a black Puerto Rican. https://www.gettyimages.in/detail/news-photo/caras-father-irene-cara-and-caras-mother-news-photo/114279485
Irene’s paternal grandmother was Cruz Figueras (the daughter of Mario Figueras and Irene Gonzalez).*
Ethnic, is there a picture, please?
no sorry
She is the daughter of Louise (Betancourt), a movie theater usher, and Gaspar Escalera, a factory worker and retired saxophonist.
Her father was part African. Her mother is said to have French ancestry too. Considering the surname, it’s possible.
For some reason, her father’s birth record says he is female. Either there was a woman born in Puerto Rico with a male first name at the same date as her actual father, or it’s a mistake (my guess is the latter):
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVN1-17SV
If that’s her father, her paternal grandparents were Ramón Escalera and Cruz Figueroa.
I doubt her mother has French ancestry in the last 500 years: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bettencourt
It says under number 1: ”nacio un niño de raza mulata”…
…but under number 2: ”niña es hija legitima…”
…so I get why the indexer was confused.
It says the paternal grandparents of the child were Agapito Escalera and Simplicia, and maternal were Mario Figueras and Irene Gonzales (yes, it says Figueras, not Figueroa, I don’t know why it was indexed like that).
*Gonzalez
Ok. I can read and understand the meaning of a Spanish text (but I can’t speak it).Btw, in addition to Swedish and English, do you have knowledge of other languages?
Swedish? Since when do I speak Swedish?
Ops…that’s Madman.
Yes, that’s me. I also know some Spanish.
Correction; Tag: Cuban