I half-remember reading an interview with him, where he talks about the the Cheech and Chong reunion movie, and he mentioned I think about being half Iranian? Lebanese? I can’t really remember, but I know he talked about it. I’ll see if I can find a cite.
Why do some of you seem outraged at the possibility of Cheech being of middle easten discent?
:dubious:
I’m much more disturbed at his playing a cop on TV.
Jon
The entire point is, he is not Iranian. There is 0 evidence of it, and 100% that he’s hispanic. My question is, why the heck does Rotten.com keep saying year after year that he’s Iranian? It’s strange.
Outraged? I, for one, am not out-raged about this topic. If anything, I am inwardly-amused. This is outrage: Those freakin’ neighbors are lettin’ their cat crap in my hot tub again! See the difference?
If you read this thread, you’ll see there is some evidence of it, such as my memory of hearing him say he’s middle eastern on the old Tracey Ullman show. Of course, human memory is infallible, but you cannot say there’s zero evidence.
Don’t you think the fact that rotten.com comes up with it and my memory supports it independently makes it at least possible?
Hollywood. com refers to him as Mexican-American and later mentiones the comedic reflections on his ‘ethnicity.’ The IMDB bio page says he got his nickname from a Spanish word for a pork snack.
It’s certainly possible that one or both parents were of Middle-Eastern descent. But he certainly hasn’t been ‘passing’ for Latino all of these years, either. Unless he’s managed to plan it very carefully and fool just about everyone (including Latino groups that have honored him for his work.)
There are quite a few Hispanics that have Middle Eastern heritage.
Two that come to mind are Salma Hayek and Shakira.
That Cheech may be Iranian is not a stretch.
Nope. Your memory means ziltch. You could have been drunk that day for all we know;). EVERY single web site I’ve visited explains him as pure hispanic. Rotten.com should explain themselves. It’s a scandal to be sure!
Cheech is Mexican American. I went to his traveling art show and I did not notice any Iranian pieces (maybe they had them hidden in the corner). He is a spokesman for the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, has a book out about Chicano art, and he sells a line of mexican style hot sauces. In the 10-2001 issue of Hispanic Magazine.com, they describe him as a “3rd generation Mexican American” and he describes himself and his cousins in an interview as “Chicano academic kids.” I think he spells his name with an accent over the i in Marin. Maybe his family immigrated from Iran to Mexico then changed their name to fit in, but probably not.
Rotten.com should check with these guys they seem to know everything.
So, it’s just a coincidence that my crappy memory that I generated from nothing years ago happens to coincide with what rotten.com is saying now?
Remarkable, wouldn’t you say?
No, probably you both just fell for the same joke.
I’ve seen or read Marin being intereviewed about his heritage many times (he is a huge proponent and collector of Chicano art) and he has never mentioned any Iranian ancestry.
But I have no problem conceding it is possible he is Iranian or partially so.
It’s a selective memory, Revtim. Perhaps you secretly want Cheech to be Iranian!
Or, those communicant wafers have some ergot in them…
That’s all I’m asking for.
I don’t think Marin is Iranian at all. He was born in 1945 in Los Angeleses, and I don’t think many Iranians (other than princelings seeking Hollywood starlets) lived in the United States until after the immigration reforms of 1965.
There are quite a few Mexicans with Lebanese ancestry, mostly Christians. Also, there was a rock and roll singer from Dallas who was Mexican-American but mockingly passed himself “Arab” - complete with a turban. Maybe some people are confusing the singer Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs with Cheech? (They have very similar voices).
Now what is ‘Chong’? He doesn’t look Chinese to me.
Chong’s father was Chinese, and his mother was white. http://www.hollywood.com/celebs/detail/celeb/1219968