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).
if the U.S. census decided tomorrow that “Hispanic” is now a race nobody would be digging deeper into Hispanic peoples background. When a person says they are black they are black, if a person says they are irish they are irish, end of story but because no one gets that the majority of hispanics are mixed everyone has to say they are just white or just black based on how they look. One of my cousins came out with blond hair and blue eyes and her parents would be considered “afro latinos”. You can not determine what someone is just by looking at them.
I read somewhere that she did a test and she was shocked to find out she was 73% European 23%African and 4% Native Indian.I think Dominican AND Puerto Rican people have a lot more white black mixes rather than Native and White mixes like Mexico etc
don’t let mexico and etc fool you,their black levels are just lower,(avg 3 to 8%) in mexicans.
You are very correct Lea.
I have never seen so many people(posters) who try so hard to distance themselves from African heritage. No one is saying she is black but she actually does have the following ancestral breakdown based on a study that SHE participated in.
Michele: 75 % European
19% African
6% Native American
Source:http://www.kpbs.org/news/2012/may/18/finding-your-roots-henry-louis-gates-jr-michelle-r/
********Copy and paste in the browser for you African heritage deniers
the video speaks for itself
what has to do mexico with this negro looking chick i know there are blacks in mexico but a very small numbers
She doesn’t have Black in her blood! She doesn’t look Black whatsoever. What’s with Black people trying to claim everyone who looks “ethnic”. Jeeezzuuss people….. come on!
Are you asking a question, or making a statement? Because no one can make such a statement, not even she herself. No one knows their complete genetic make-up without dna admixture tests. Someone saying she MAY be of African descent is not the same as saying she’s black. Why do so many people that speak english very poor at comprehension? If they were one in the same, then many White Americans, and most Latin Americans would be Black. Many people in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic acknowledge African ancestry but don’t call themselves black.
I have black ancestry and I have the same skin color -_-
So stfu.
Simple one,
yes she does!
No one is saying she is black but she actually does have the following ancestral breakdown based on a study that SHE participated in.
Michele: 75 % European
19% African
6% Native American
Source:http://www.kpbs.org/news/2012/may/18/finding-your-roots-henry-louis-gates-jr-michelle-r/
********Copy and paste in the browser for you African heritage deniers
the video speaks for itself
You’re retarded. You don’t have to look black in order to have black blood in you
“Wouldn’t you like to know!” ….I know what you mean…Even though the “One Drop Rule” is no longer valid, nor is it no longer legal in any US state any longer, people, especially blacks, love to continue to adhere to it. And with Michelle having a small percentage of African DNA, it’s like all of a sudden, she’s supposed to be “African American” now! lol …That’s what Wikipedia has her listed as, if you can actually believe that crap! lol :)
…I’m certain there has to be black folks running that Wikipedia site, because instead of saying that she’s “of African descent” as in the same manner they describe every other race/cultural group of other Wikipedia notables, when it comes to anyone with any African DNA, they just call them “African Americans”…What’s that all about??! …Why don’t they classify other people with that same convoluted logic…such as instead of “of German descent” why don’t they just call them “German Americans”??? …etc. When it comes to ‘of African descent’ they’re just called “African Americans” because apparently, that’s all that matters to them!! lol :) …What? Is it about getting those “African American” numbers up or what??? lol :)
The “one drop rule” which was actually a series of laws enacted state by state and on the books since the late 1600s in some states and by the mid 1700s in almost all other states was not a black invention it was a white one.
The reason blacks adhere to the laws are that they never have been rescinded or appealed and often are used to differrentiate biracial offspring by white women from biracial offspring by black women even though the laws eventually OUTLAWED every person of mixed race from claiming on any level to be white. The idea was that even a drop of black or native American blood was enough to contaminate the purity of white blood.
Love Vs The State of Virginia only rescinded the laws of miscegenation but did NOTHING to change the one drop rule and until recently whites neither attempted to change the rule or cared. It was only when white mothers determined all the disadvantages for their off spring that they began to demand their white heritage also be acknowledged in children–prior to the 1970s when most biracial children were born to black women, this was not only ignored, it was not allowed.
The reason blacks adhere to this rule is this has been the LAW of the land since the 1600s. Whites act like descriptions of race or racial designation that they set up can be ignored or rewritten at a whim but curiously no one demands the laws be changed.
Because certain stars or persons are of mixed heritage and whites which to claim at least partial responsibility for their success (and rightly so) whites are not demanding equal recognition BUT blacks feel no need to change what for centuries was forced on them.
RAce is not a matter of convenience though whites have always behaved as if this is so. When convenient, whites redefine Hispanics to their benefit and relegate them back to being non white hispanics when negative press like crime stats or teen pregnancy is determined but include them in white race stats when things like fertility are examined.
By theh same token, whites seem to embrace biracials when they are famous or achievers and ignore or disavow the many biracial persons who are criminals (then the biracial people are black again)
This is not the first time whites have embraced the mixed progeny for their own purposes only to relegate all to being black when it suited them. During slavery and immediately afterwards , white males sought to distinguish bi racial women in order to still justify the right to have sex with them. Bi racial women were often sold into prostitution and were placed in brothels in New Orleans for white male use.
THIS is the history.When you see blacks claiming certain people it is not only due to their genetic make up but also due to a very unsavory but true fact: Most blacks with ancestry into slavery in the US are at least 20% or more European. Often, people with the same mother and father look different with some being very pale skinned and others being very dark–the whites would like to believe a lighter skin or facial features mean a person is mixed but that is not correct IF a mix is only 50% black and 50% white.
Obama’s mother had a great grandfather who was African American this means Obama is more than 50% black. Beyonce’s mother is no more Creole than the man in the moon. Both her parents and grand parents are light skinned blacks who mated with other light skinned blacks.
This happened often in black families– with the result that there may be no white person in Beyonce’s family before her great grand parents or great, great grand parents.
On the other hand, my mother was Madagascan and French on her mom’s side but her grandfather on her dad’s side was white–so what do I look like? Add to that my father was 35% Cherokee and he also had a Great, great grandfather who was white?
It makes me black. Before genetic testing, we just were .. black. My children are biracial. My sister was lighter than my own children with oriental eyes and black American features and very high cheekbones–she had silky , wavy hair–most whites would have thought her biracial–but she was not. On the other hand, I am the color of chocolate caramels and a solid brown but my hair is frizy but very long (to my waist) with the back being silky in deep coils–people say I have “good hair” but I am a good, milk ..
What is my genetic make up? I identify as black and will ALWAYS identify as black. I like being the ultimate rebels and underdog–I like knowing I am from the First people who made all other races– my daughters do not look black in fact out of 5 kids only one looks black at all–but that is no matter–we go by the rules
If whites are “tired of the one drop rule” and owning racial genetics is not a whim then maybe it is time to take out those laws and RESCIND Them instead of just Labelling people as a certain race so adopting, marrying, having sex with or identifying with them is more palatable. blacks do not keep the one drop rule alive–blacks are not in a position to rescind this rule and IF we were to go simply by genetic testing–be careful what you wish for–after all, all those light skinned (and some of the darker ones ) in prison which make up the so called “majority ‘ whites like to judge blacks by; might just have more white blood in them than black and how awkward it would be to have to own the demographic mostly in jail–especially for the group who likes to denigrate and judge others groups so harshy for individual gehavior
I hate it when people make it big its all about black people I’m puerto rican and I’m not racist I have a black bf and my son is half black but damn y can’t she just be hispanic like it ain’t always about black people that’s not the only race in the world
Hispanic isn’t a race. It’s very likely she is of African descent. I don’t know that I can see it. But many “mixed” people look different in each picture and from different angles.
Mariposa, I’ve seen quite a few of your comments across this site and I must say….very impressed. I will not assume your ethnicity by your name. What is your ethnicity if you don’t mind me asking? You are very knowledgeable and you don’t find many in the states who are intellectually inclined. You are correct in your statements. Hispanic/latino is not a race or ethnic group and they are simply mixed ethnic people. I was explaining something similar to an Anglo-American previously because he assumes all latinas/hispanics are “white”. I explained to him that “white” hispanics are mainly mixed people of Native American, German, Spanish, and/or Portuguese heritage. Correct me if I am wrong. I am not hispanic fyi. And that “black” hispanics are mainly of West African, Native American, Spanish, German, and/or Portuguese heritage. I am Louisiana Creole, father being of African, French, and Native American mix as well as Scottish all on his mother’s side. So it’s fairly close I’d say to how one can explain the hispanic/latino group.
Hispanic isn’t a race omg. And if you’re Puerto Rican you probably have African ancestry…
How interesting, most Puerto Ricans vehemently do NOT want to be perceived as Hispanic at all but instead are Latinas–but you are different. No one said it is all about blacks but understand the laws that make up the “one drop rules” have never been rescinded. they are still on the books and can be enforced at any time. Blacks have NEVER been allowed to decide who was black or not black–whites did that–That whites wish to change the game in the middle to lay claim to people famous is disingenous –blacks do not think racial identity is all about them.
Consider that 60 years ago Whites decided to not call Indians Red Men or Asians yellow men because calling them by a color was derogatory but “blacks” were called “blacks” not by their actual color but because whites wished to name themselves as one color and depcit blacks as the direct opposite.
Blacks are the only group which has a problem establishing their identity. When they do so, people are upset–they are also upset with blacks having a pageant or radio or tv station even though their are numerour hispanic and Indian and Asian pageants and media outlets including newspapers and racial organizations.
In other words, people love to depict blacks a certain way and complain about them and are outraged if blacks attempt any level of self awareness and identity.
Centuries ago, whites dictated that anyone with even a drop of black blood could NOT be white–blacks did not make up this rule–they just lived under it–the white dictates were codified into laws that have NEVER been rescinded–so blacks have been made to absorb every mixture that was discernible regardless of the racial composition.
Now you think blacks should change that and many whites with biracial children also think so. Change the laws. Either repeal the laws concerning racial compositon or live under them–don’t just sidestep because you want it to suit you and the LAWs in each state say that a person has to be at least 4 generations removed from African ancestry with no interaction with blacks in order to be able to call themselves white.
I am supposing you did not know this nor did you know that when blacks claim mixed persons it is not by their own decree but by US decree–laws enacted by whites and never repealed by whites.