Cardi B’s Ethnicity Is Something She Doesn’t Mind Explaining When It Routinely Comes Up
“A lot of people donāt know the difference between nationality, race, ethnicity and thatās not nobodyās fault.”
When it comes to Cardi Bthere isn’t much the Grammy-winning rapper hasn’t shared with the class. We know she’s from the boogie-down Bronx, she’s a history and political buff, and, despite her best efforts, she’s never too far away from “the drama.”
Article continues below advertisement
Although Cardi has given her fans sometimes too much information about her life, there are still some things fans have questioned throughout her career is her ethnicity. Here’s what to know.
Article continues below advertisement
What is Cardi B’s ethnicity?
Details of Cardi’s ethnicity have been discussed throughout her rise to fame. Many fans have said she’s Black or African-American, while others have said she’s Hispanic due to her being fluent in Spanish. According to OkayPlayerCardi, born Belcalis Marlenis AlmĆ”nzar, identifies as Afro-Caribbean and has Trinidadian and Dominican roots. The rapper has set the record straight about her ethnicity on social media.
According to Afro.comCardi first defended her ethnicity in 2019 in an Instagram post after fans continued questioning her ethnicity, stating she should’ve defended Mexican people due to an incident in California. She shared in the post that, despite speaking Spanish, she’s not Mexican. Cardi then spoke to the differences between race and ethnicity, which so many people often don’t understand.
Article continues below advertisement
“A lot of people donāt know the difference between nationality, race, ethnicity and thatās not nobodyās fault,ā she said on Instagram Live. āThatās actually the schoolsā fault because schools donāt be teaching this s–t to people. Iām not Mexican at all. Iām West Indian, and Iām Dominican. I speak Spanish because Iām Dominican. And itās like, so whatās the difference between Dominican and Mexican?ā And itās like, everything!ā
Article continues below advertisement
The “Outside” rapper added that the misconception that she’s not Black comes from her being light skinned. However, Cardi said the idea that she’s not Black because of her skin tone is a harmful stereotype she’s received her entire life.
“People just donāt be understanding s–t,ā Cardi said āItās like, āCardiās Latin, sheās not Black.ā And itās like, bro, my features donāt come fromā¦White people f—-ng, okay?ā And they always wanna race-bait when it comes to meā¦I have Afro features. āOh, but your parents are light-skinnedā¦all right, but my grandparents arenāt.”
Article continues below advertisement
Cardi further discussed her ethnicity by showing a photo of her grandmother.
Years after Cardi set the record straight about her ethnicity again in 2021. After fans questioned her ethnicity again on social media, she decided to share receipts of her roots, writing on X (formerly Twitter), “Let me do this s–t again.” Cardi then posted photos of her mother, maternal grandmother, aunts, her brother, and her uncle. She also shared images from a 2016 interview with Vibe Vitawhere she discussed her ethnicity while being interviewed and photographed in her mom’s Washington Heights apartment.
“Before I even got my teeth fix, I was talking about my roots,” Cardi declared. “Not just cause of fame. Thank you, carry on.”
Whether her naysayers agree or disagree with her stance on her ethnicity, the rapper has no problem correcting anyone about who she is, and we love her for it!
