Bruno Mars is one of the most popular artists of our time, but is he black, Latino, Philippine, or all of the above? His mom is Spanish and Philippine and his father is Puerto Rican and Jewish, and as an added bonus he was born in Hawaii. He’s always had to deal with people guessing his identity, and he’s not alone because there are many like him of mixed background like him that are in this “gray zone.”
“Growing up in Hawaii, there are not too many Puerto Ricans there,” says Mars, “so because of my hair, they thought I was black and white,” says Bruno to Latina Magazine. Growing up with a mixed background gives you the opportunity to learn about different cultures and you also learn to grow a thick skin because even today people are not very accepting.
“There are a lot of people who have this mixed background that are in this gray zone,” he says. “A lot of people think, ‘This is awesome. You’re in this gray zone, so you can pass for whatever the hell you want.’ But it’s not like that at all. It’s actually the exact opposite. What we’re trying to do is educate people to know what that feels like so they ’ll never make someone feel like that ever again. Which is a hard thing to do. Because no one can see what we see and no one can grow up with what we grew up with. I hope people of color can look at me, and they know that everything they’re going through, I went through. I promise you.”
He adds, “My last name is Hernandez. My father’s name is Pedro Hernandez, and he’s a Puerto Rican pimp. There’s no denying that.” People have criticized Mars for changing his name and for not using Hernandez, claiming that he’s trying to hide the fact that he’s Puerto Rican.
“I never once said I changed my last name to hide the fact that I’m Puerto Rican. Why would I fucking say that? Who are you fooling? And why would anyone say that? That’s so insulting to me, to my family. That’s ridiculous. My dad nicknamed me Bruno since I was 2 years old.”
They’ve even gone as far as calling his music black, but who could blame him if some of his biggest influences were black, such as Michael Jackson, James Brown, and Prince. “When you say ‘black music,’ understand that you are talking about rock, jazz, R&B, reggae, funk, doo-wop, hip-hop, and Motown. Black people created it all. Being Puerto Rican, even salsa music stems back to the Motherland [Africa]. So, in my world, black music means everything. It’s what gives America its swag. I’m a child raised in the ‘90s. Pop music was heavily rooted in R&B from Whitney, Diddy, Dr. Dre, Boyz II Men, Aaliyah, TLC, Babyface, New Edition, Michael, and so much more. As kids, this is what was playing on MTV and the radio. This is what we were dancing to at school functions and BBQs. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for these artists who inspired me.”
There’s no doubt that he’s amazingly diverse and we love him for really embracing his mixed roots and putting all of who he is into his music!