Leslie Grace
Grace in 2015, photo by kathclick/Bigstock.com
Birth Name: Leslie Grace Martínez
Place of Birth: The Bronx, New York City, New York, U.S.
Date of Birth: January 7, 1995
Ethnicity: Dominican Republic [Spanish, African, possibly other]
Leslie Grace, also known by her full name Leslie Grace Martínez, is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. She stars in the film In the Heights, and played the title role in the now-shelved Batgirl film.
Leslie’s parents, Elba Altagracia Guaba and Francisco “Frank” Martínez, are Dominican, the latter from La Romana, La Romana. She was raised in Davie, Florida. Her mother runs a hair salon. Leslie speaks Spanish.
Of casting African-Latin actors in the film In the Heights, she has said, “[that] was definitely something that I was super mindful of as I was embodying Nina… Even in the audition process-to have read a role that looks and sounded like myself was already very rare. And then at the audition, to be in the space in the hallway where you’re seeing other girls that look like you auditioning for this role? That was also very rare.”
Sources: https://abcnews.go.com
Marriage record of Leslie’s parents – https://www.familysearch.org
The term “Afro Latina” is so stupid to me considering nearly every Dominican has African ancestry, more than the Cubans and Puerto Ricans. Either way, I think it’s silly to even consider her “Afro” anything since she’s visibly mixed. I’ve only seen the term “Afro Latino” and “LatinX” used by millennial latinos who live in the United States, a country where Lebanese people are considered “white” but a white cuban like Ana DeArmas is “a woman of color” and the fact that some white americans (and black americans) think Italians are people of color. So much confusion in this sick country.
If you go to the Dominican Republic, no one is going to consider Leslie Grace a “black woman”. Most Dominicans identify what they are…DOMINICAN. They are a mixed race people. Even the Brown skin Dominican people are more mixed than the average African-American. I lived in Inwood for a few years, lots of Dominicans but even I know that the dark skin ones still have questionable features, usually a caucasoid skull, cheekbones etc. Dominicans are multiracial people and I wish people would stop forcing them to claim as one race when they are mixed.
Just because you’re anti-black doesn’t mean she has to be. She’s proud of being an Afro-Latina because that’s what she is. Deal with it.
That’s not how Afro-Latin people look like lol.
Yes she said in an interview that she identifies as Afro Latina. Which means she has a substantial amount of subsaharan African dna.
She has African ancestry too
Yes she said in an interview that she identifies as Afro Latina. Which means she has a substantial amount of subsaharan African dna.