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 half african and half European, can’t deny who your parents are even if your tryin to be politically correct. If she embraces her african side so much, why does she straighten her hair? Smoke and mirrors ie bullshiit
I’m mostly white,meaning my dad was 1/2 irish and 1/2 seminole,
my mother french and german jew.so i’m off white. Anyway,my x wife is african american, our kids are mixed,or black,depending on your hang ups. A black friend once told me that I was a white man whos kids were black. I told her that ,that pissed me off,because thats like saying I have no part in my children,like I’m not there father.Fuck what america thinks,my kids are mixed. My second statement on this subject is / unless you or your children are clearly mixed you have no legtimate opinion to express, it will always be tainted with an exclusionary point of veiw. Even though I do not agree with Paula,because she is mixed,and her children will be even more so, her opinion is valid.
i totaly agree with you cuz if one child chooses the other part of their ethnicity,what happens for the other parent,cuz people cannot choose what race/ethnicity anybody are(just cuz they look somewhat)Like Barack Obama,i dont care if people say or choose him to be black,cuz they cant have that choice or even him,he is black & white,hes not the first black president,hes the first like biracial president.Cuz when someone chosses one side,its like disrespecting their other parent,and there disowning a part of them self aswell.why cant people just embrace what they are,if there black and white,why be ashamed of it,your black & white,no need to choose one side,embrace all of your sides.sigh,it bothers me when people do that.
I agree with with Paula Patton when she says people label this bi-racial term as a way of alienate themselves from the black race. No one is 100 % black in this country except Africans from Africa. I’ve always come across mixed people who want to be more than black….everyone wants to be a n#$ but no one wants to be a n#$%^, everyone gets their “n#$%^ wake up call” when it come down to how white people really feel about race. I’m not throwing a blanket over the entire white race because we all are individuals but majority of white people feel white is white and any black blood you are black. Paula isn’t denying her white heritage just embracing her black indentity and not enamored with white is right. I applaud a sister standing up and loving being black because it got to be rough in the end knowing how people really feel about U when you’re ashamed of your black blood. White people dislike blacks who dislike being black…I’ve seen it all too often. U need to take your head out of the clouds Noobs.
I am a biracial woman and I find it odd that Ms. Patton would find the term “biracial” offensive. Just because I chose to acknowledge my mother’s heritage doesn’t mean I’m trying to separate myself from African Americans. I don’t really care how the world views me, I know who I am and where I came from. I am personally quite proud to represent more than one ethnicity.
i agree with you,and i like your comment.
finally someone fixed what her ethnicity is,on this ethnicity site,which she is half black and half white.