Throughout her career, Mariah Carey has alluded to being some kind of “outsider.” Why? Ever since she was a young girl, her racial identity has been under intense scrutiny.
She may be the biggest star in the world, and the Queen of Christmas, but Mariah Carey hasn’t always fit in. As she considers herself a songwriter first, her identity struggles have also made their way into her music. Songs like “Outside,” in particular, offer listeners a closer look into her life as a multiracial woman. Additionally, with the release of her memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey, she revealed the constant discrimination she faced as a child.
Mariah Carey before the fame
The Meaning of Mariah Carey does a great job of detailing the superstar’s rollercoaster childhood — from the abuse she faced at the hands of her sister, to her determination to make it as a singer. However, the book also sheds light on Mariah’s difficulty navigating her interracial identity. Because she could neither be labeled as either white or black, she was ostracized as a result. Due to her curly hair and tan skin, her white friends at the time would also hurl slurs at her, leaving her confused and alone.
What is Mariah Carey’s ethnicity?
Carey has always identified as multiracial. She has also shared a great affinity for her African-American heritage and has referred to herself as Black as well. Musically, her involvement in the Hip Hop genre, which is predominantly Black, has been viewed as “authentic.” Furthermore, Carey has stated on numerous occasions that she grew up on the genre, and since then, served to bridge the hip-hop and Pop music crossover of the mid-’90s.
Who are Mariah Carey’s parents?
While relatively unknown, Mariah Carey’s parents have become more recognized by members of her fandom, the Lambily. Her mother, Patricia Carey, is Irish. She is a former opera singer, who helped the star with vocal guidance during her come-up. While their relationship initially suffered major strains, they have a fairly amicable relationship nowadays.
Carey’s late father, on the other hand, Alfred Roy Carey, was an aeronautical engineer. He was African-American and Venezuelan. Early on in her career, Oprah Winfrey asked the singer on The Oprah Winfrey Show, to clarify her ethnicity, especially as people believed she “is a white girl but she sounds black.” Carey in response, shared that she is a multiracial woman. Moreover, in the music video for her inspirational ballad, “Through the Rain,” Carey loosely explored her parents’ past. Her parents’ relationship was not well-received by her mother’s side of the family, which led them to run away and start a brand new life together.