Paula Patton
Patton in 2011, photo by s_bukley / Shutterstock.com
Birth Name: Paula Maxine Patton
Place of Birth: Los Angeles, California, United States
Date of Birth: December 5, 1975
Ethnicity:
*father – African-American
*mother – German, English, smaller amount of Dutch
Paula Patton is an American actress. She is known for her roles in the films Hitch, Idlewild, Déjà Vu (2006), Jumping the Broom, Precious: Based on the Novel ‘Push’ by Sapphire, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, 2 Guns, Warcraft, and Sacrifice (2019).
Her father, Charles Patton, is black. Her mother, Joyce (Van Raden), who is white, has German, English, and at least 1/16th Dutch, ancestry. Paula has identified herself as Black. She has stated:
I find it [the term “biracial”] offensive. It’s a way for people to separate themselves from African-Americans… a way of saying ‘I’m better than that.’ I’m black because that’s the way the world sees me. People aren’t calling Barack Obama biracial. Most people think there’s a black president.
Paula has a son with her former husband, singer and songwriter Robin Thicke.
Paula’s maternal grandfather was Benjamin Alexander Van Raden, Jr. (the son of Benjamin Van Raden and Grace Read Alexander). Paula’s grandfather Benjamin was born in New York. Paula’s great-grandfather Benjamin was born in Nebraska, the son of Carl Edward Holeman Van Raden, whose father was Dutch and whose mother was German, and of Louisa Bergman, whose parents were German. Paula’s great-grandmother Grace was born in New York, and had English ancestry. Grace was the daughter of Robert Read Alexander and Laura Davis, who were from Massachusetts.
Sources: Genealogy of Paula’s maternal grandfather, Benjamin Alexander Van Raden, Jr. – https://www.wikitree.com
Obituary of Paula’s maternal grandfather, Benjamin Alexander Van Raden, Jr. – http://www.legacy.com
Marriage record of Paula’s maternal great-grandparents, Benjamin Van Raden and Grace Read Alexander – https://familysearch.org
Paula’s maternal great-grandfather, Benjamin Van Raden, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Paula’s maternal great-grandmother, Grace Read Alexander, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Paula’s maternal great-great-grandparents, Carl Edward Holeman Van Raden and Louisa Bergman, on the 1880 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
To each their own as far as her calling herself black, but she is both. Everyone would be having a FIT if she was half white/half black and only claiming the white side. I’m multi-racial and I certainly don’t find it offense. I’m proud of all of my ethnicities and all of them make up who I am.
xactly! I wonder what she will identify her new baby by Robin Thicke (white). I wonder what Robin would think
@ skin deep…her babby will be black…lighter skin and softer hair wont make the babby white…it will just be a light skin negro…why would robin think anything?…he knows she is black right?
She’s Very Pretty!
If the woman wants to identify as black so be it. A fine black woman at that.
yea, sure but in order to fully embrace who she is, she must not forget WHO she is! I find it offensive to not recognize one parents background. I have mixed kids (blk and mexican) and they are secure enough to embrace the two races. My oldest whom is 14 quickly corrects others who call him “mexican” or “black” and states “I am both!” I guess it’s how you raise them, and who cares how others view you….just be secure! take tiger woods for example, why cant he claim the varieties of his blood?…denying a part of you is real stupid.
African American just means a person is all or part African American. Paula just hates how people want to avoid the black of African American part. AA includes people of mixed heritage. look it up. People are weird fighting about race titles. Kamari is immature and a bit racist it seems LOL
I read that article too and I dont think she is saying she doesnt claim her white side but saying that the word bi-racial is offensive becuase she feels like it separates her from her black side as said.She even said that people still think there is a black president even though he is bi-racial too.Usually when someone is black and white or bi-racial it makes it seem as if you have to choose which ethic to be,when really you dont have to choose just be you and be proud of it,who cares if people dont see you being whatever you are, still doesnt change the fact of what you are.