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
As a bi-racial man (black mother & white father), sorry to offend you Paula, I find it offensive that Paula does not acknowledge her white hertiage. Not to mention that bi-racial is a lot less offensive than mulatto (the Spanish word for mule). Be who you are and not what society wants/views you as. By denouncing part of her heritage, she is denouncing the other parent, which I would imagine would be hurtful to that parent. And she isn’t being true to herself (by denying what she is). Who cares what society sees? Most people think I am Puerto Rican anyway. Who cares people!? We’re all human beings! Everyone needs to lighten up! Now, I think Paula is fine and I really dig Robin Thicke’s music, but how is she going to teach her children to identify themselves? They are a quarter black and 75% white. Are they black, white, or both? When she takes her kids to see their grandparents on her side of the family, what she going to tell her kids? That white guy is just a good friend of the family…? It seems to me that someone is insecure with who they are if they can’t be truely honest with themselves and others.
All Paula is saying is she embraces her black side because that is how society looks at her, as a black woman. How often do you hear people say “look at that half white half black girl!” It usually goes, “oh u know the black girl with the good hair” and then there’s the discussion of the multicultural background. She’s not making any kind of fuss, just stating the facts. I, myself, am half black and white and I am perceived as a black woman, does not matter the half of white but that is okay with me. I’m not denying who i am, it’s just acceptance of how society views you.
In my opinion, as a bi-racial male (black mother & white father), y’all need to get over yourselves. By calling yourself black or white, but not acknowledging the other race, I find offensive, Ms. PAtton. You are denouncing part of your heritage, not to mention you may be hurting ‘that parent’ emotionally by, in essence, denouncing them. I embrace both of my races, even though, I know that society views me as black. Most of the time people thinking I am Puerto Rican anyway. People need to get comfortable with who they are and not how scoiety views them, or wants them to be etc. I often jokingly refer to myself as a half-breed. White people usually find this offensive. You need to lighten up people. It ain’t that big a deal.
How can someone possibly be seen as a black individual with a white parent? I find it wrong how people carry on with this rubbish….
See and there in lies the problem you don’t need to satisfy society and their ignorance! See to deny the other part of your genetic makeup only says to the world that you are solo in your makeup! The concept of being forced to identify with one race only comes about as a result of racism! You must understand this! Americans have trouble with this! We are what we are suppose to be to the rest of the world a melting pot! So enjoy and embrace all sides of self! That’s right let society know that you are who you are multiracial! There is nothing wrong with that thought is what you should be saying!!!!!
paula is very pretty but she should embrace everything of who she is dont deny your heritage you are african american/european american be proud alot of people would wish theywere 2 races coming together to make you be proud
I thought she was American Indian. It really does not matter. My grandkids are half and half and look white. What do you think they should identify with? How about as Americans?
Why all this fuss about defining yourselves. My grandson’s mother is Italian American. He goes to school and there are all shade of students in his class. Do you really think they discuss if he is biracial/mixed/black? He just plays, learns and lives. When cultural day comes around he tells everyone he is a Jamaican/Italian/American. And if anyone questions him, he will explain that his mother’s father came from England via Canada. Even at 7 he knows about all three cultures, that is what is important. Now I am sure as an adult he will probably make choices, but at the rate the population is changing I hope by then it doesn’t matter.
paula should stop denying her heritage i am italian german irish with a biracial daughter who is ital german irish and black she claims all of what she is dont deny me or her father be proud of your nationalities life is to short
Denise,
God made the world with all types of people! The people who are making a big deal are not those who know their background, its from the people who are racist in their way of thinking when it comes to race relations in America and want you to identify with what they label you! In essence they are saying they don’t give a rats a….s to what you say your heritage is. You need to listen to what I want and identify with what I say!!! That’s just wrong! We should just except who people are and stop demanding from them that they identify with what they want or suggest!
i agree lets stop discrimitating i know this isnt a perfect world but racism is ugly and we have to embrace the difference in all of us black against white or white against black we have yo accert it is the year 2011 and we are not all pure i have a italian father and a german mother i tell people i am both