Highlights

• Olivia Rodrigo embraces her Filipino heritage and celebrates it in her life and music, inspiring young girls of the same ethnicity.
• Olivia's father is Filipino, and she grew up with Filipino traditions and food, with her grandmother making Lumpia for Thanksgiving.
• Olivia hopes to bring her concerts to the Philippines, as she finds the people there welcoming and awesome.

Please note: this article was updated in November 2023 with more recent information about what Olivia Rodrigo has said about her heritage.

Olivia Rodrigo, 20, has never been one to shy away from discussing her personal life, including her Filipino roots. For example, the Good 4 U singer did a Q&A with V Magazine with SNL's Bowen Yang in 2021, when she was just 18 years old, she revealed what it's like being an Asian American Star.

When asked if her ethnicity factors into how she approaches her career, she said, "It's something incredible to think about." Olivia then went on to say how she has got DMs from young fans thanking her for breaking barriers in the industry.

As Olivia explained, "I sometimes get DMs from little girls being like, 'I've never seen someone who looked like me in your position.' And I'm literally going to cry." Then she added, "like just thinking about it. I feel like I grew up never seeing that. Also, it was always like, 'Popstar,' that's a white girl."

When asked about her Filipino roots, the songwriter replied, "I think that Filipino people are some of the most wonderful, loving people on the planet, and they've been so welcoming and kind to me."

This wasn't the only time Olivia opened up about her background. Here is everything Olivia Rodrigo has said about her ethnicity.

Is Olivia Rodrigo Filipino, And How Does She Feel About It?

Olivia Rodrigo has a lot to be proud of. One thing that she's especially happy to represent is her family heritage. Rodrigo is Filipino-American through her father's side of the family. She has spoken admiringly about her great-grandfather's immigration to the United States. Apart from passing on her family story, Rodrigo continues to celebrate her heritage in her own life.

She clearly takes a lot of strength from her family and from the background they've given her. This is why when asked about the importance of Filipina-American representation, the Deja Vu singer got very emotional and shared the sweet messages that young girls of the same ethnicity have sent to her.

There's no doubt that Olivia is an incredible model of a modern American dream with a cool past and an undeniably bright future. The singer has travelled the world thanks to her successful music career, but she recently said she hopes to bring her concerts to the Philippines. “People there are so welcoming and hospitable and awesome," she told Rolling Stone in September 2023.

Olivia Rodrigo's Father Is Filipino-American

Olivia Rodrigo started her career as a Disney star. Nevertheless, her biggest break happened when she finally dared to write her own music, bringing the public the 2021's smash hit Drivers License, which broke internet records and topped the music charts.

Since then, Sour made Olivia Rodrigo a superstar overnight. The singer grew up with a Filipino father and an American-Irish mother When asked about her favorite Filipino dish, Olivia revealed that her grandmother always makes Lumpia for Thanksgiving. Since Olivia and her mom aren't big meat eaters, the star's grandmother adds tofu to the dish.

Olivia's father, Ronald, is Filipino and is a doctor by profession. The star's great-grandfather moved from the Philippines to America as a teen.

That's why Olivia and the rest of the family grew up knowing Filipino traditions and food. Both parents share a tight bond with a stellar daughter and are incredibly proud of her success.

On the other hand, Olivia's mother, Sophia, has Irish and German roots. Sophia works at a private hospital as a receptionist.

Olivia Rodrigo Is A Proud Filipina Pop Star

Olivia Rodrigo was born in Murrieta in 2003. There's no doubt that her parents have invested in her artistic career since she was a child. While in kindergarten, the future star began taking vocal lessons. Soon after that, she learned to play the piano.

At the age of six, Olivia started taking singing and acting classes. In addition to all that, she joined theatre productions at Lisa J. Mails Elementary School and Dorothy McElhinney Middle School.

Being a very creative person, Olivia likes listening to music, especially country music. That's eventually how she got passionate about songwriting. Olivia first appeared on television in a commercial for Old Navy at 12 years old. Then, in 2015 she debuted on the big screen, acting in a film called An American Girl: Grace Stirs Up Success.

After that, she relocated to Los Angeles and got a role in the popular Disney TV series Bizaardvark. Her other well-known television projects include New Girl, Saturday Night Live, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, and more.

Aside from her rapidly developing career in the movie-making industry, Rodrigo is also making big moves in the music industry. She released her second album Guts in 2023 to critical acclaim and fans can't wait to hear more music from the singer, though no details are known if a third album is in the works yet. But as she promotes her new music, perhaps she'll take her performance to the Philippines after all.