AFROFILIPINA

Marpessa Dawn  was born in the United States of African American and FIlipino heritage. She traveled to France to find opportunities and was discovered at a night club at the age of 24. From there, she landed the leading role in the Brazilian adaptation of Black Orpheus. She enjoyed a wonderful career but led a primarily private life. She had 5 children and 4 grandchildren and she died in 2008 at the age of 74. She and the leading actor of Orfeu Negro both died the same year 45 days apart and both died of a heart attack.

We have been discussing the origins of Filipinos and why some people feel connected with Pacific Islanders and some feel connected with their Asian or South East Asian roots.   There is a reason why people are feeling this way, and part of that reason has to do with how we recieved these names in the first place. None of these are our original names and there are migrations that connect South East Asians with Pacific Islanders.