Vin Diesel
Diesel in 2005, photo by PR Photos
Birth Name: Mark Sinclair
Place of Birth: Alameda, California, United States
Date of Birth: July 18, 1967
Ethnicity:
*biological father – African-American, possibly other
*mother – Scottish, English, German, Irish, Austrian
Vin Diesel is an American actor, producer, director, and screenwriter. He is the star of The Fast and the Furious films, to which he has mostly devoted himself to since 2009. He has also had leading roles in the films Saving Private Ryan, The Iron Giant, voicing the title character; Boiler Room, Pitch Black, and its sequels The Chronicles of Riddick and Riddick; Knockaround Guys, xXx, and its sequel xXx: Return of Xander Cage; A Man Apart, The Pacifier, Find Me Guilty, Babylon A.D., The Last Witch Hunter, Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk, and Bloodshot, and as the voice of Groot in the MCU. He has played characters of various ethnic backgrounds. He wrote and directed the short film Multi-Facial and the film Strays (1997).
Vin was born in Alameda County, California, as was his mother, and was raised in New York City, New York. Vin’s mother, Delora Shirlene (Sinclair), an astrologer, is white, and has Scottish, English, German, Irish, and Austrian ancestry. The identity of Vin’s biological father is not publicly known. Vin has described himself as “definitely a person of colour.” In a speech in 2013, Vin stated that his biological parents’ relationship, as it was interracial, was illegal in much of the United States while his mother was pregnant with Vin in 1967; in the speech, he appeared to verify that his biological father was of African-American heritage.
Vin’s stepfather from a young age, Irving H. Vincent, is African-American, and Vin frequently refers to him as his father. Irving is an acting instructor and theatre manager.
Vin has three children with his partner, Mexican model Paloma Jimenez. A picture of Vin’s mother, stepfather, and partner Paloma (from left to right), can be seen here.
Vin’s maternal grandfather likely was Angus McBain Sinclair (the son of Ewart Gladstone Sinclair and Marcia Brucker/Brucher Lever). Angus was born in Montana. Ernest was the son of Canadian parents, James Bruce Sinclaire/Sinclair and Maria/Mary Ann McBain, who were of Scottish descent. Marcia was the daughter of William Henry/J. Lever, whose parents were English, and of Anna Brucker, whose own parents, Ferdinand Brucker and Margaretta/Margaret Zechmeister, were German and/or Austrian.
Vin’s maternal grandmother was Carmen Lucile/Lucille Wells (the daughter of Tobin Borden “Tobie” Wells and Hazel Dolly “Nana” Hewitt). Carmen was born in Oklahoma, and had English, German, and Irish ancestry. Tobin was from Farmerville, Union Parish, Louisiana, and was the son of Thomas Frederick Wells and Nancy Jane Hodges. Hazel was from Fort Cobb, Caddo County, Oklahoma, and was the daughter of Thomas R. Hewitt and Margaret “Maggie” Haffey.
Diesel in 2011, photo by kathclick/Bigstock.com
Sources: Vin’s 2013 speech about his parents, while accepting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame – http://www.youtube.com
Vin mentions his mother’s Scottish ancestry – http://entertainment.stv.tv
Vin’s maternal grandfather, Angus McBain Sinclair, on the 1920 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Angus McBain Sinclair on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Vin’s maternal great-grandfather, Ewart Gladstone Sinclair, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Vin’s maternal great-grandmother, Marcia Brucker/Brucher Lever, on the 1900 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Vin’s maternal great-great-grandmother, Anna Brucker, on the 1880 U.S. Census – https://www.familysearch.org
Genealogy of Vin’s maternal grandmother, Carmen Lucile/Lucille (Wells) Gay, with pictures of many of Vin’s ancestors – http://www.findagrave.com
Vin’s maternal grandmother, Carmen Lucile/Lucille Wells, on the 1930 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Carmen Lucile/Lucille Wells on the 1940 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
Vin’s maternal great-grandmother, Hazel Dolly “Nana” Hewitt, on the 1910 U.S. Census – https://familysearch.org
that’s a bunch of BS ,the Eritreans, Ethiopians, and Somali aren’t are considered genetically white.Arabs aren’t pure anything,they descent from black people,but over time have mixed with white people;just like the north Africans have.
Eritreans, Ethiopians, and Somali (except for the minority of Bantu people who live in these countries) are considered genetically white (because Arabs are white).
thats not true theres a tribe in somalia called hawiye and their a descendant from the bantus so dont say all somalis are mixed but the only tribes in somalia that are moxed with arab are called daarod banadir and bravese. but your right about eritrea and ethiopia.
come on guys, go to study geography and history, this girl from Eritrean, a lot of arabs and others mediterranean races immigrated to there during many years, that people is very very mixed. Do you know egypt history? that people were black 5.000 years ago, now they are arabs. I’m talking about full blacks in saharan africa, not mixed blacks in north areas. A white with black ancestry can have a long nose, and isn’t a white features, but he still white!! did you see my point?? god, isn’t so difficult to understand, basic history knowledge. Other thing, Tunisia doesn’t look anything, IT’S a arab country, like Egypt, Marrocos and Algeria LMFAO that was good
He looks white…how is he black?? WTF??
He looks white to me.