Mariah Carey

Carey in 2009

Place of Birth: Huntington, New York, U.S.

Date of Birth: March 27, 1969 (see here)

Ethnicity:
*paternal grandfather – Cuban/African-Cuban
*paternal grandmother – African-American
*mother – Irish

Mariah Carey is an American singer, actress, and television personality. She is the daughter of Patricia (Hickey), an opera singer and vocal coach, and Alfred Roy Carey, an aeronautical engineer.

Mariah’s paternal grandfather was a Cuban immigrant, with African-Cuban ancestry (he was almost certainly not from Venezuela, as some sources state). Mariah’s paternal grandmother was African-American. Mariah’s mother, who is white, is of Irish heritage. Mariah stated in an interview that her mother is a third generation Irish-American. A picture of Mariah with her father can be seen here. A picture of Mariah with her mother can be seen here.

Her name is from the song “They Call the Wind Maria,” of the 1951 musical Paint Your Wagon.

Mariah’s biracial family was the target of racial slurs and hostility while Mariah was growing up. Her parents divorced when she was three, and she was raised by her mother. She was raised at least partly in Greenlawn, on Long Island.

Mariah has two children with her former husband, actor and television personality Nick Cannon.

Mariah’s paternal grandfather, Roberto Nuñez (later Robert Edward Carey), was the son of Alfred and Margaret. Roberto is sometimes described as being from a family from Venezuela. Mariah stated in an interview with Latina Magazine, “we don’t know if he was Venezuelan and white or Venezuelan and black… We’re confused,” and also, seemingly speaking about Roberto Nuñez’s father, stated, “apparently he had red hair and freckles, but he could’ve been black or white. We just don’t know.” Mariah stated in the same interview that Roberto’s mother was named Margarita Nuñez, and that Robeto took the surname Carey after his own biological father (according to Mariah, Roberto’s parents were not married).

The marriage record of Mariah’s paternal grandparents lists Mariah’s grandfather as having been born in Cuba. The 1930 United States Census also lists Roberto Nuñez (then Robert Carey) as having been born in Cuba, to Cuban parents, and as having moved to the United States in 1907. The family may have covered up their background, as some other Cubans did, due to anti-Cuban sentiment in the U.S. The 1930 United States Census lists Roberto’s race as “Negro” (Black).

A picture of her grandfather can be seen here (near the bottom of the page).

Mariah’s paternal grandmother was Addie Cole (the daughter of Will/William Cole and Emma McQueen/McQuean). Addie was born in North Carolina, to a North Carolina-born father and an Alabama-born mother. Addie and her parents were African-American. Emma was the daughter of William/Bill McQueen and Eliza/Liza. A picture of Mariah’s grandmother Addie can be seen here.

Mariah’s maternal grandfather was John Wesley Hickey (the son of John Hickey and Mary Mowen). Mariah’s grandfather John was born in Illinois, and was of Irish ancestry.

Mariah’s maternal grandmother was Ann Elizabeth Egan (the daughter of Charles Thomas Egan and Anna Elizabeth Blanchfield). Mariah’s grandmother Ann was born in Illinois. Charles was born in Illinois, to Irish-born parents. Mariah’s great-grandmother Anna was the daughter of James S. Blanchfield, whose own parents were Irish, from Dublin, and of Mary A. Ryan, an Irish immigrant.

03/24/2018 – Mariah Carey – Nickelodeon’s 2018 Kids’ Choice Awards – Arrivals – The Forum – Inglewood, CA, USA – Photo Credit: David Gabber / PRPhotos.com

Sources: Interview with Mariah Carey, Latina Magazine, 2003 – http://www.mariahjournal.com

Genealogies of Mariah Carey – http://www.wargs.com
https://www.geni.com

Mariah’s father on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

Marriage record of Mariah’s paternal grandparents, Roberto Nuñez (later Robert Edward Carey) and Addie Cole – https://www.familysearch.org

Information about Mariah’s paternal grandparents, Roberto Nuñez (later Robert Edward Carey) and Addie Cole – http://www.genealogue.com

Mariah’s maternal grandfather, John Wesley Hickey, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org

ethnic

Curious about ethnicity

793 Responses

  1. tcain0004 says:

    LAMB FOR LIFE and before I named my kid after her Mariah Isabella Cain- Cavitt M.I.C for short she is my cousin :) found out through geni always knew i felt a deeper connection to her than fan but hey :) Mariah Carey is your 10th cousin thrice removed.
    You
    → Ray Lee Cain
    your father → Nancy Lee Cain
    his mother → Gertrude Lula Caldwell
    her mother → Francis A. Caldwell
    her mother → William MacHenry Belcher
    her father → Asa Belcher
    his father → Nancy Belcher
    his mother → Jemima Blankenship
    her mother → Edith Perdue
    her mother → Francis Haile
    her adoptive father → Dr. John Haile, of Virginia
    his father → Mary Haille
    his mother → Elizabeth Bullock
    her mother → John Ingraham
    her brother → Mary Edwards
    his daughter → Mary Baker
    her daughter → Esther Chalfant
    her daughter → Sarah Redus
    her daughter → Col. Samuel B. Redus
    her son → Elizabeth Ann McQueen
    his daughter → Emma McQueen
    her daughter → Addie Carey
    her daughter → Alfred Roy Carey
    her son → Mariah Carey
    his daughter

  2. savanna says:

    While some sources give a birth year of 1970, a birth announcement in Carey’s hometown newspaper The Long-Islander indicates 1969, as do others. “Recent Births Are Announced”. The Long-Islander. Huntington, New York. April 10, 1969. p. 2-3. – via NYS Historic Newspapers. “Recent births at Huntington Hospital have been announced as follows … March 27 Mariah, Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Carey, Huntington”
    https://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn83031119/1969-04-10/ed-1/seq-15/

  3. History Guy says:

    Emma was widowed in the 1910 census, around the age of 30.

  4. History Guy says:

    Her hair is 2c/3a, deep wavy, loose curl. The African Ancestry shows in her original nose structure more (rhinoplasty), some in her hair texture, roundness and fullness in her original nose, eye color/shape structure, and her round cheek bones. Her over all facial structure look African influenced, but still very European influenced as well, and her lips are a tad bit full, and some in her skin tone, though her skin tone is very light tan, and mostly white. She does accentuate her naturally tanned skin with spray tans, and bronzers, and contours her nose with make-up. Personally I think she’s around 1 quarter African, and definately part indigenous, because of her paternal grandfather. Alfred Carey, her father, I believe was was around 55/60% African, 20-21% Native indigenous, 20 to 21% European. Alfred Carey’s mother I believe was 85 to 90% Sub Sahran African. Roberto Carey looked tri racial, but no-one knew who his father was, but he did look mixed, or mestizo, and Mariah Carey said this herself, and her siblings resembled him a lot. I wouldn’t necessarily describe him as Afro Latino, but he was part Afro Latino. He had deep olive skin. His mother was definately tri racial from the pictures I saw from the TV show, in Latin America, but Alfreds father is a mystery.

  5. liaasunshinecrazy says:

    I am curious about Mariah’s grandmother.
    I was on the geneology website it was something not 100 real
    But I remember that I could get to European ancestors that she MAYBE, but it’s strange, someone has to research

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