The Truth About Hailee Steinfeld’s Heritage: Unpacking Her Multiracial Background And African American Roots

The curiosity surrounding Hailee Steinfeld’s background has grown significantly as her star power continues to rise, prompting many fans to ask about her racial and ethnic identity. As of December 10, 2025, the most accurate and up-to-date information confirms that the actress and singer has a rich, complex, and multiracial heritage that includes Jewish, Filipino, and African American roots.

The short answer to the question, "Is Hailee Steinfeld Black?" is complex: while she is not exclusively Black, she does have confirmed African American ancestry on her mother’s side, a part of her heritage she has recently begun to explore and embrace publicly, adding a crucial layer to her identity beyond her well-known Jewish and Filipino background.

Hailee Steinfeld: A Detailed Biography and Family Heritage

Hailee Steinfeld's family history is a tapestry woven from multiple cultures and continents. Understanding her ancestry is key to appreciating her full identity.

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• Full Name: Hailee Puring Steinfeld
• Date of Birth: December 11, 1996
• Place of Birth: Tarzana, California, U.S.
• Parents: Peter Steinfeld (Father) and Cheri Domasin (Mother)
• Sibling: Griffin Steinfeld (Older Brother)
• Father's Heritage: Peter Steinfeld is Jewish. His family is of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, with roots in Eastern Europe.
• Mother's Heritage: Cheri Domasin is of mixed race, specifically Filipino and African American.
• Maternal Grandfather: Ricardo Domasin, who was half-Black and half-Filipino, with Filipino roots tracing back to Bohol.
• Religious Background: Steinfeld was raised in an interfaith household; her father is Jewish and her mother is Christian.
• Career Highlights: Academy Award nomination for True Grit, lead roles in the Pitch Perfect series, The Edge of Seventeen, the titular role in the Apple TV+ series Dickinson, and playing Kate Bishop in the Marvel Cinematic Universe series Hawkeye.

This biographical breakdown clearly establishes that Hailee Steinfeld is a multiracial woman with a diverse ethnic background, which includes African American ancestry.

Unpacking Hailee Steinfeld’s Multiracial Identity

The public often simplifies a celebrity’s background, but Hailee Steinfeld's heritage is a perfect example of modern American complexity. She is a woman of three distinct, yet interconnected, backgrounds: Jewish, Filipino, and Black American. This unique blend contributes to her distinctive look and cultural perspective.

The Jewish Lineage (Paternal Side)

Hailee's father, Peter Steinfeld, is a personal fitness trainer and is Jewish. Her paternal grandfather, Peter's father, was the American actor Larry Steinfeld. This side of her family connects her to the Ashkenazi Jewish community. Hailee has spoken about the importance of her Jewish heritage, even noting that her family's move to California was part of a larger, post-war migration of Jewish families. The Steinfeld name itself is a common surname among the Jewish diaspora.

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The Filipino and African American Roots (Maternal Side)

The maternal side of Hailee’s family, the Domasin line, is where her Filipino and African American roots originate. Her mother, Cheri Domasin, has a mixed background. Hailee’s maternal grandfather, Ricardo Domasin, was famously half-Filipino and half-Black American. The Filipino connection is particularly strong, with her grandfather hailing from Bohol in the Philippines. Hailee has publicly embraced this part of her identity, expressing deep pride in her Filipino heritage, which is a significant cultural anchor for her family.

Hailee’s Recent Exploration of Her African American Ancestry

While her Jewish and Filipino roots have been more widely known for years, Hailee Steinfeld has recently opened up about connecting with her African American heritage, a process that was deeply personal and professionally motivated.

The Impact of the Film *Sinners*

A major catalyst for Hailee's public discussion of her African American ancestry was her involvement in the film *Sinners*, directed by Ryan Coogler. In preparing for the role, which required a deeper understanding of a multiracial identity, Steinfeld undertook a personal journey of discovery. She admitted that prior to this project, she hadn't fully considered her connection to her Black identity, even though she knew her maternal grandfather was half-Black.

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This experience allowed her to explore and understand the complexities of her family’s racial history, particularly the African American side that had been less prominent in public discourse. She has since highlighted the significance of connecting with this part of her lineage, noting that it helped her to "understand" her own multi-racial background more fully.

The Nuance of Identity

The conversation around "is Hailee Steinfeld Black" highlights the evolving nature of celebrity identity and public perception. While she possesses African American roots, her appearance and upbringing have often led the public to primarily recognize her Jewish and Filipino background. Her willingness to share her full, complex heritage is a powerful statement on multiracial identity in Hollywood, encouraging others to embrace all facets of their ancestry.

Topical Authority: Why This Question Matters

The intense interest in Hailee Steinfeld's ethnicity—and the specific question of her African American roots—is not merely about curiosity; it speaks to a broader cultural conversation about representation, visibility, and who gets to claim what identity in the media landscape. For fans, especially those who are multiracial, Jewish, Filipino, or Black American, seeing a major star like Hailee Steinfeld acknowledge and explore her full heritage is a significant moment.

Her openness adds to the growing number of celebrities who are transparent about their complex ancestry, including figures like Zendaya and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, who also champion their multi-ethnic backgrounds. This trend is crucial for dismantling the outdated notion that a person must fit neatly into a single, defined racial or ethnic box.

Hailee Steinfeld’s journey—from her breakout role in *True Grit* to her status as a Marvel star in *Hawkeye*—is now intertwined with her identity as a multiracial woman of Jewish, Filipino, and African American descent. Her story is a testament to the rich, diverse cultural fabric of modern America and a powerful example of embracing one's complete self.

The answer to the initial query is a resounding affirmation of her complexity: she is a proud multiracial woman who carries the heritage of her Jewish father and her mother, who is of Filipino and African American descent. This full, nuanced truth is far more interesting than a simple label.