# What race was James Coburn? Was he part Asian? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 21, 2011, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-race-was-james-coburn-was-he-part-asian/579251 "2011-04-21T16:58:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [January 7, 2012, 7:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-race-was-james-coburn-was-he-part-asian/579251/81 "2012-01-07T07:05:09Z")
I need to bump this thread because I just read this on Coburn’s Wikipedia page: > [@](#): > > Legendary film critic Pauline Kael remarked on Coburn’s unusual characteristics, stating that “he looked like the child of the liaison between Lt Pinkerton and Madame Butterfly”. In other words, she thinks he looks half-Japanese. I am obviously not alone in my impression of his face. ---
**Author:** ![Arggg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ea5d25/32.png) [@Arggg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Arggg)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2014, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-race-was-james-coburn-was-he-part-asian/579251/82 "2014-09-01T02:54:24Z")
James Coburn was part Swedish. Scandinavians are largely descended from Southeast Asians who migrated northwest. They often share features with Asian people - smooth, golden skin, epicanthic eye folds, high cheekbones, prominent teeth. Coburn looked like he could have been descended from Native Americans as well, although I never heard that he was. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2014, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-race-was-james-coburn-was-he-part-asian/579251/83 "2014-09-01T03:19:37Z")
> [@Arggg](#): > > Scandinavians are largely descended from Southeast Asians who migrated northwest. _Southeast_ Asians? Be nice to see a cite for that. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2014, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-race-was-james-coburn-was-he-part-asian/579251/84 "2014-09-01T03:32:02Z")
So _that’s_ why so many Swedes come to Thailand! ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2014, 4:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-race-was-james-coburn-was-he-part-asian/579251/85 "2014-09-01T04:24:10Z")
I just always assumed Mr. Coburn could have played any race at all. ---
**Author:** ![DingoelGringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@DingoelGringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DingoelGringo)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2014, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-race-was-james-coburn-was-he-part-asian/579251/86 "2014-09-01T04:28:15Z")
> [@lieu](#): > > I hate to just quote Wiki but it does say he was born in Nebraska and of Scots-Irish and Swedish descent. No reason to doubt that. > > One thing that may be telling regarding any potential asian ancestry, both Coburn and Steve McQueen were students of Bruce Lee. Both told Lee that in Hollywood he’d never be able to gain either of their star status because Lee was Chinese. Anybody can make up anything and add to wikipedia. I have two brothers who love doing that. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2014, 5:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-race-was-james-coburn-was-he-part-asian/579251/87 "2014-09-01T05:53:10Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > That has got to be the ticket right there. Similar bone structure of the face too. > > Bjork, who many people confuse for Asian, is probably also of this ancestry. Or maybe Inuit? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Irishman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b487fb/32.png) [@Irishman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Irishman)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2014, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-race-was-james-coburn-was-he-part-asian/579251/88 "2014-09-01T08:20:43Z")
> [@Argent\_Towers](#): > > Eh, kind of, but nobody would ever cast that guy as a non-white character, whereas they obviously thought Durand was exotic enough to pull it off. [Butterfly Effect.](http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTM2NjE1NjAxM15BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNzg0MzE3MQ@@._V1._SX604_SY336_.jpg) He was supposed to be a Mexican gangster, but really, to me he looks Japanese. Movie magic can do wonders. Who would have [thought](http://wwsick.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/42.png) [this](http://www.wearysloth.com/Gallery/ActorsG/6694-19125.jpg) [woman](http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Jenette_Goldstein?file=Enterprise-B_science_officer.jpg) was [Mexican](http://www.imdb.com/media/rm1747029760/nm0001280?ref_=nm_phs_md_2)? [James Cameron](https://revoemagblog.wordpress.com/category/movies/) did. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2014, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-race-was-james-coburn-was-he-part-asian/579251/89 "2014-09-01T16:20:52Z")
> [@Irishman](#): > > Movie magic can do wonders. Who would have [thought](http://wwsick.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/42.png) [this](http://www.wearysloth.com/Gallery/ActorsG/6694-19125.jpg) [woman](http://en.memory-alpha.org/wiki/Jenette_Goldstein?file=Enterprise-B_science_officer.jpg) was [Mexican](http://www.imdb.com/media/rm1747029760/nm0001280?ref_=nm_phs_md_2)? [James Cameron](https://revoemagblog.wordpress.com/category/movies/) did. Actually, Jeanette Goldstein did. When she heard they were casting for a movie called “Aliens,” she thought it was a drama about illegal immigration, and showed up for the audition dressed like blue-collar Latina. Hudson’s joke at the beginning of the movie is a direct reference to this. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-race-was-james-coburn-was-he-part-asian/579251.md?page=4)