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
she is mixed race damn it
and her child will be 3/4 white and 1/4 black
Honestly, I think it’s funny that she calls herself an African-American because the proper word to describe her ethnicity/race background is “mulatto” meaning mixed with black/white. If she wants to portray herself as an african-american, then so be it. I just think she does it for career reason than anything else. She’s a mulatto to me. She’s beautiful and gorgeous. She comes off as silly when she says she’s african-american, when she’s only 50% african-american, thus mulatta. Just like President Obama. He’s a mulatto to me, not a 100% african-american. Do i care for it? No, I don’t. All I care about is that he does his job as a president. In regards to whether white guys like light-skinned or dark-skinned sisters, I’m hispanic and i’ve dated many latin women with black race background and african-american girls. I don’t care whether they’re dark-skinned or light-skinned girls. It doesn’t matter to me. I think is because i don’t put “ethnicity” or “skin color” as a requirement for a date.
To Italian/Hispanic
I’ve explained what African American means a number of times,but you other guys keep coming on here late.Lets just say it means everything that you are,whether you are bi-racial,creole,or whatever your admixture.However calling herself African American has nothing to do with her career.She knows how she feels,and what see would be seen as.Here’s an example(if she ever got stop by the police,you think there going to say we have this bi-racial woman or do you think they will say we have this black or African-American woman)?Also your right mulatto does mean black and white,but it also means mule,you think she wants to call herself that?That name was never meant to be nice.If she was seen on the street,and she was not a celebrity,you wouldn’t say there goes that bi-racial woman,because your would know if she was bi-racial.I’ve already proven that light or dark skin doesn’t mean anything.The only reason you say it’s silly for herself to say she AA is because you know her background,but if she had darker skin and you didn’t know her background you wouldn’t say that.Now this woman knows the world she lives in,just because some of you guys are up to date with being human,doesn’t mean the rest of the world is.Ethnic,the person who runs this site,has had to get rid of so many nasty racial comments on here.There was just this woman on here who say she was band from a german site because she has some black blood that was two generation old.So what you think they would say to Paula?There were two Spaniards on here recently that stated that if you have any black blood ,your black period.Most of the civil rights leaders were Bi-racial,yet they called themselves black and no one said a word.Paula knows she would be excepted in the black culture long before she would ever be excepted in the white,that just a proven fact
Fuzzybear your right,Paula knows the mentality of this country.You have black blood in you,your black period.That’s why some of these celebrities will say black is the last thing that they are,while yelling everything else that they are;or waiting until their career is over.They want to be seen as white period.I know people are going to disagree,but it’s the truth
To Fuzzybear
I don’t doubt that you may be right in the definition of the word “mulatto”, but you see, I was born in another country and spend my first 10 years in a country where the distinction of being black, or white, or mestizo, or mulatto didn’t dictate whether person was good or not. When i said mulatto, never did i mean to say that he or she’s a “mule” as you defined it. I’m very mixed in my family. On my mother’s side, there’s spaniard, hispanic, and afro ancestry. on my father’s side, there’s italian, spaniard and mestizo ancenstry. Anybody sees me will say i’m hispanic. Being hispanic, it means you are pretty much a “mutt” because there’s variety of mix of race/ethnicity there. It was until i came to this country as a young kid that i’ve got to learn about racism. I went to a pre-dominantly black high school. Blacks would call me white because i wasn’t black. Though my skin color is light brown, a common skin color for a hispanic. Did i feel offended by it? No, I didn’t.
The point is people put so much emphasis on skin color or race or ethnicity. To me, Paula is a “morena” in other words light-brown woman. All i’m saying is that she should let ppl know “media” that she’s cherished both her african-american and white-american background. Bottom line, she’s a beautiful gorgeous woman!!!! LOL
it was Italian/hispanic who replied on the previous comment. I forgot to include my name.lol
Oh hey women,did see it was you
Sorry got you confuses with someone else
I sorry you got treated that way,where did you go to school?I hear this alot about black kids doing thing like that.it hard for me to understand that,because around here black,Latino,and even Asian are around each other and That racism is unheard of
To Italian/hispanic
I know you weren’t calling her a mule,LOL,.It’s funny I’m talking to a guy on Eva longoria page,who says that Mexicans were never mixed with black people,according to him black people never came to the country;I’m not saying that your Mexican (just in case your not).Now I would have been kicking some serious ASS if someone had been messing with me like that,but that’s me.Also I’m feeling what your saying
Most of these responses must be from white people,because all blacks know that U.S. constitution states that if you have 1/16 blood of any race “you are not white”Period”.Yes I am black and from the race riots,civil rights area.Today we push all the past aside like it never happened.What you should be saying is How come only the red bones,mixed.white looking women,men get all the work.A few,Halle berry,Paula,Rock,Lenny chavig,lauren london,This is the same shit back with the cotton Club,Beyonnce,nothing has changed,then they all marry white partners so they can have whiter babies.
so your italian and hispanic(well i know,the name explains it all)well idk
I am bi-racial (black and white). I prefer the term bi-racial over mulatto. Mulatto was the accepted term, but is derogatory. Mulatto is the Spanish word for mule, and I ain’t no mule. Just droppin’ some knowldge as some food for thought for y’all.
I am bi-racial (black and white). I prefer the term bi-racial over mulatto. Mulatto was the accepted term, but is derogatory. Mulatto is the Spanish word for mule, and I ain’t no mule. Just droppin’ some knowldge as some food for thought for y’all.
She’s pretty and if she wants to call herself African American I’m fine with that but she should say that she’s white too because that another side of her she should embrace.
who cares what ethnic she is.. shes hell pretty xox :)
I find it strange that Paula doesn’t embrace her white side. I am of Thai descent. My husband is white (German and English). Our son is bi-racial, and I would be very upset if, when he’s older, decides to “ignore” one side of his heritage and go with “one” ethnicity–be it the Thai or the English/German side. The beauty of this day and age regarding race is that the melting pot is so diverse! I love looking around everywhere and seeing beautiful, biracial, even tri or more-racially mixed people!
To WhoaThere
How is she not embracing her white side?She has never Deny she was part white,she’s married to a white man,so she can’t be denying to much.Is it because she calls herself African American?You do know you can be a pretty wide combination of ethnicities in that group
How do you know that she she is half white? did she make any declaration of any sor to say that she was white?…the god-damn woman is black…the only part of her that’s white is her husband! so be quiet!
She Is Half White! She Did Make A Declaration! It Says It On The Page!