Michelle Rodríguez
Rodríguez in 2009, photo by Featureflash / Shutterstock.com
Birth Name: Mayte Michelle Rodríguez
Place of Birth: Bell, Texas, U.S.
Date of Birth: July 12, 1978
Ethnicity:
*Puerto Rican (father)
*Dominican Republic (mother)
Michelle Rodríguez is an American actress, DJ, and screenwriter. She had her breakthrough with Girlfight, and has starred in The Fast and the Furious, Resident Evil, and Machete franchises, on the show Lost, and in the films 3 A.M., Blue Crush, S.W.A.T., BloodRayne, The Breed, Battle in Seattle, Gardens of the Night, Avatar, Trópico de Sangre, Battle: Los Angeles, Turbo, The Assignment (2016), Milton’s Secret, Widows, She Dies Tomorrow, Crisis, and Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves.
She is the daughter of Carmen Milady Pared Espinal, a native of the Dominican Republic, and Rafael Rodríguez Santiago, a Puerto Rican. Her father served in the U.S. Army. Michelle lived with her mother in the Dominican for a few years during her childhood, then Puerto Rico, and Jersey City, New Jersey.
A DNA test whose results were displayed on the show Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (2012) stated that Michelle’s genetic ancestry is:
*72.4% European
*21.3% African
*6.3% Native American
Michelle’s paternal grandfather was Juan Valerio Rodríguez González (the son of Zenón Rodríguez Vargas and Pilar González Cruz). Zenón was the son of Reyes Rodríguez and María Josefa Vargas López. Pilar was the daughter of Francisco González and Josefa Cruz Camacho.
Michelle’s paternal grandmother is the daughter of Juan Santiago Rodríguez and Juana Santiago Santiago. Michelle’s great-grandfather Juan was the son of Juan Santiago Pérez and Juana Rodríguez Vargas; Juana was the sister of Michelle’s great-grandfather Zenón Rodríguez Vargas, making Michelle’s paternal grandparents first cousins, once removed. Michelle’s great-grandmother Juana Santiago Santiago was the daughter of Loreto Santiago Rivera and María Higinia Santiago López.
Michelle’s maternal grandfather was named Alfredo Pared (the son of Victoria Pared).
Michelle’s maternal grandmother was Sarah Espinal (the daughter of Hilario Piña Batista and Raymunda Espinal).
meagan: just cause shes dominican doesnt mean shes black she could be white or native. she looks like she has some taino ancestry to me
To magdalena:It also doesn’t mean that she doesn’t have the heritage.I want to ask you why is it so offensive to you that she would have that in her?
i didnt say it was offensive to me, im just saying that people automatically assume every dominican person is black, not white/native. its like saying all brazilians are white, when thats not true, im a mixed dominican myself
and i didnt say she isnt black, i said she looks like she has some taino indian ancestry. she has native features, well thats what i think, i didnt say she is native
To Magdelena
Ok,maybe I got the wrong idea.However,you do know she could be all those thing,and still look the way she does.With that kind of combo,you can look any number of ways.It’s just funny to me that it is what people always focus on.It doesn’t matter how much talent,or how good looking the person is,the first thing people say is(what,he/she is part black,no way) like it’s the worse thing you can be.
I think Michelle Rodriguez is a cool chick…she has this kinda edgy something about her that I like and I never knew that she had some dominican in her,I thought she was full hispanic or something
Girl that is full hispanic, Puerto Rican and Dominican, Hey and we aslo speak the same language did you know that?
oh well I feel stupid I was thinking of something else I guess
It’s OK, U shouldn’t feel stupid:)
the thing is that I do kno that dominican is hispanic but i was so caught up on realizing that she also has some black in her as well since dominican has some that I forgot about that but thanks)
I meant to put a smiley face at the end :)
Please people tell me why it is such a shock that she would also be part black?Plus it could come from both sides of her family,since PR are also part black(not all of them,ok)
I’m not saying that its a shock that she could have some black in her,I was basically explaining that I forgot dominican was hispanic but was focuses on the black part of it.So what you thought i was trying to say is not what i’m trying to say at all.
ok…i can see that my comment could be making you think that way,i think its just coming out wrong and i don’t know how to explain myself clearly or the way i want it to
I get what your saying,just got a little hot,sorry
it’s okay
in america the largest latino ehnic group is mexican (especially in the west and southwest)- makes sense they’re our neighbors. so i think as a whole people have a certain idea of what hispanic/latino looks like and should be, based on their experiences with mexicans that they forget there are like 20 other countries in this part of the world with latin- based culture that speak spanish and Puerto Rico and DR are one of them.
No offense,but she is full Latino.Black has been part of the mixture since the start.There’s not a country I can think of down there that Black has not been a part of the mixture
if your talking to me… when i said that i meant like i thought she was full portirican or mexican.
To hapa
Let me see if I understand you right.Are you saying you thought she was just one of them not two?
no before i found out what her ethicity was i thought she was like mexican,portirican or both.
To Hapa
Ok,but historically you do know mexicans are also mixed with black to.Although for some crazy reason,this part of their hertiage isn’t taught to them,at least in north mexico
Full latino,That is a bout language.Any mixture that she has, it would not change thant.She could be a chinese.
@marjanel
That’s true, I wouldn’t disagree about that.
You’re stupid. Dominicans ARE hispanic! And hispanic isn’t a race ! You’re confusing culture(hispanic) with nationality(Dominican) moron !
Shes Hot ;-) && she Dominican ..
oh well :)
she acts like a man