Christina Aguilera Addresses 'Not Latina Enough' Criticism, Opens Up About Her Hispanic Heritage And Estranged Father

Christina Aguilera says she's been criticized for not being Latina enough.

"I've dealt with that [criticism] my whole life," she said in an interview with Latina Magazine. "I don't speak the language fluently. And I'm split right down the middle, half Irish and half Ecuadorean. I should not have to prove my ethnicity to anyone. I know who I am."

In the magazine's March issue, Aguilera opens up about her Hispanic heritage, her turbulent relationship with her father, and her role in the reality talent show "The Voice," which is starting its second season.

"I wouldn't be questioned [about my heritage] if I looked more stereotypically Latina," she said. "Whatever that is. All I know is no one can tell me I'm not a proud Latina woman... I dove headfirst into a Spanish-language album for that reason and I'm planning another one even though I don't speak the language. I'm sure that doesn't sit well with some people."

The platinum blonde, who was born in Staten Island, New York, first publicly explored her Latin roots in 2000 with her album "Mi Reflejo" ("My Reflection"). The album won Aguilera two Billboard Latin Music Awards and one Latin Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Album. In 2011, she again returned to her roots with the song "La Casa" ("The Home").

In the magazine article, Aguilera also talks about her relationship with her estranged father. The last time the singer met with her dad was in 1999 after not seeing him for 12 years, according to The Celebrity Cafe.

In the past, Aguilera has alluded to her "pretty nonexistent" relationship with her father Fausto Aguilera, referring to instances of alleged emotional and physical abuse. This time, it seems Aguilera is ready to forgive. "I've talked about how rough things were for me and I'm sure he's heard it. He can't be thrilled about it. So maybe one day we can do lunch…I'm 31 years old now. Maybe it's time," she said in her interview.

Aguilera also discussed the rigorous schedule in her role as judge for NBC's "The Voice." She appeared with fellow judges Adam Levine from Maroon 5, Blake Shelton and Cee-Lo Green in a SuperBowl commercial.

CHECK OUT WHAT AGUILERA HAS BEEN UP TO LATELY:

Loading Slideshow

• Video Shoot For Maroon 5

  LOS ANGELES, CA - JULY 08: Singer Christina Aguilera performs at the Maroon 5 video shoot for "Moves Like Jagger" on July 8, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Christopher Polk/Getty Images for A&M/Octone)

• Disney Christmas Day Parade

  ANAHEIM, CA - NOVEMBER 06: In this handout provided by Disney Parks, Christina Aguilera poses with Minnie Mouse following the taping of the 2011 Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa on November 06, 2011 in Anaheim, California. The performance aired on Christmas Day (December 25, 2011).(Photo by Paul Hiffmeyer/Disney Parks via Getty Images)

• Christina Aguilera And Her Son Max

  LAKE BUENA VISTA, FL - APRIL 11: In this handout photo provided by Walt Disney Studios, Grammy Award-winning singer Christina Aguilera poses with her son Max at Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park at Walt Disney World Resort on April 11, 2011 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. In the early 1990s, Aguilera starred in "The New Mickey Mouse Club," a musical variety series taped at Walt Disney World. On April 26, 2011, Aguilera debuted as one of four musician coaches on the NBC vocal competition series "The Voice." (Photo by Matt Stroshane/Disney via Getty Images)

• At Press conference For NBC's "The Voice"

  LOS ANGELES, CA - MARCH 15: Singer Christina Aguilera arrives at NBC's press conference for the show "The Voice" on March 15, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images)

• At The 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards Show

  LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 13: Singer Christina Aguilera performs onstage during The 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards held at Staples Center on February 13, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

• Video Game Launch Party

  LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 08: Singer Christina Aguilera arrives at the official launch party for the highly anticipated video, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, at the Belasco Theatre on November 8, 2011 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

• Presenting Her New Fragrance

  MUNICH, GERMANY - JULY 13: Singer Christina Aguilera presents the new fragrance "Royal Desire" at the Upside East Lounge on July 13, 2011 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Hannes Magerstaedt/Getty Images)

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Comments

[Hakulanni]

10:44 AM on 04/30/2012

Unfortunately, her Dad was a complete TRASH bucket to her and her Mom... not a very good impression to have of your Dad and his heritage. The fact that she even makes an attempt to her Latin heritage is significant. I'm not sure others in her position would. I am personally thankful that she does not blame her Latin background for her Dad's inexcusable behaviour. As in other cultures, there are bad Dads and good Dads in every ethnic grouping. I do hope she has kept him away from her money. He doesn't deserve a Penny of her success. Only her Mom does.

[krsims20]

10:10 AM on 04/30/2012

As an Ecuadorian, I agree with her. 'Not Latina Enough????' Really? So now you have to be, act and look where your are from? That is so stupid!

[Thomas Platt]

08:45 AM on 03/16/2012

She's mixed race, and being mixed race confuses people (see also: Obama, President Barack)

[meokuok2]

01:30 AM on 02/10/2012

Don't forget the Moors, or more specifical­ly the "black moo­rs" and "tan moors­" who were part of the Spanish Armada and left their black genes and surnames upon the Irish. Like "Black," "Blackmor­e," "Blackman," Blackmon" Brown," "Tannamore­," "Moore," Moorehead," "Morehouse," "Moreland" etc,. Ah, those "Black Irish."

[Dick Stone]

11:24 PM on 02/09/2012

Only one child, speaks English, and is a legal citizen, fully supports her self, no public assistance. Those from her culture should aspire to emulate her instead of criticize her..

[Dominic87]

08:15 PM on 02/10/2012

You obviously don't know any hispanics other than the ones you see on TV. What a sad existence you and the majority of our country lead. Programmed by the tv to hate people you know nothing about.

[MexAm101]

10:18 PM on 02/09/2012

Ok, so she was born in the USA. She has lived her whole life here. Her education was in the US. She speaks English primarily and she doesn't speak Spanish. She's never lived anywhere in Latin America or Spain. So, she doesn't sound Latina. But so what? Who cares? Isn't being an American enough? Why does she have to be hyphenated or "prove" that she's Latina? Or why does she have to be "Latina enough"? Big deal! I say being an unhyphenated American is good enough.

[Coloboricua]

09:30 PM on 02/09/2012

I wonder if this sterotype is due to people thinking like... liberal vs conservative viewpoints or class struggle poor vs successful people. Does it always has to be some extreme thought and no middle ground. This is old viewpoint.... latin enough or black enough etc. Christina is a great singer period.

[edejan]

07:19 PM on 02/09/2012

I never thought of her as anything but Latina. Someone is always finding criticisms of celebrities.

[Deborah H]

10:27 AM on 02/09/2012

I LIKE CHRISTINA, AND SHE CAN SING HER BEHIND OFF, WE ALWAYS TRY TO BOX PEOPLE IN AND DEFINE THEM THE WAY WE WANT! SHE IS A PROUD LATINA, CELEBRATE HER SUCCESS!

[cynthia 1]

09:35 AM on 02/09/2012

Shut up already!!

[IndependentTogether]

01:34 AM on 02/09/2012

"Not Latina enough"? What the heck does that even mean? Considering that the only way she could please her critics is to act out racial stereotypes, I'm at a loss...

[mira chancleta]

03:08 PM on 02/09/2012

...and once she looked at that long line of "La Tina" losers, she said..."No Way" and moved on to be HUGELY successful, rich and admired...she has had the last laugh and she is all the better for her courage and strength against these "La Tina" idiots who just can't stand to see her stand on her own merit and not on some flimsy political soap box with George Lopez or other "La Tino" clowns who have no other place to go but to "La Tino" slams in Hollywood bistros...

[cuteliberalchick]

01:31 AM on 02/09/2012

Latina enough means you have to have jet black hair,brown eyes,tan skin,accent,parents who are born in US or Immigrated as undocumented,you must come from poor family and neighborhood.You must be curved as well and love beans and rice.You must be uninformed submissive,catholic.

[Nuyorican21]

09:37 AM on 02/09/2012

As a male growing up in a family of them and participating in non-profits all my life, plenty of Latina women are anything but uninformed and submissive.

[ms.understood]

03:04 PM on 02/09/2012

she's not saying that they are. she's using sarcasm as a way of pointing out how dumb this argument is.

[mira chancleta]

03:09 PM on 02/09/2012

fine tune that picture on the Big Screen again...
the "picture" you're watching is not coming in too clear.

[Alpha Nerd]

03:53 PM on 02/09/2012

You mean kind of how like when some people say that I'm not Black enough because every 10th word out my mouth isn't "na mean", don't act thuggish and I talk as if I actually paid attention during English class in school?

[cuteliberalchick]

07:00 PM on 02/09/2012

Yeah you might be true.Not black woman enough means I am not dressed as hoochie mama,I do not have long cheeped nails painted orange,I have a master degree,I speak Midwest standard English the one used in broadcasting,I exercise,I have a job,I do not live in a ghetto,I have traveled outside the country,I wear small and classy jewelries,I was raised with my father,My mom is college educated and she was married and have a job,I drive a car,I have a clean condo and cleaned and furnished very well. I have a man in my life and I did not do abortion or have kids when I was a teen neither drop out of school.

[jstanavgguy]

08:52 PM on 02/09/2012

My wife gets the same reaction. She grew up in the projects, and people would tell her she was not black enough, or was trying to be white.

[slack027]

01:17 AM on 02/09/2012

This reminds me of Obama, black father white mother, yet Obama calls himself African, even though Obama was raised by his white mother and her family, his black father split on him, yet he writes a book wanting to be like his father, weird... Christina was raised by her white mother as well...

Yet both are attacked for different reasons her for looking white whatever that means, and Obama for denying his white side the side that raised him,

[cuteliberalchick]

01:24 AM on 02/09/2012

Obama can identify as biracial which he is but one drop rule continue to persist in our society.So if you walk down the street and you see Obama walking down the street let say he was not famous as president will you say that is a white guy?probably you will clutch your purse or move to another side of the road.

[slack027]

09:53 AM on 02/09/2012

There is no such thing as a one drop rule, and that rule today is way out dated, Obama is as Miuch white as black, he's the son of a white women and will always be. no matter the politics people play with race.

[jstanavgguy]

08:55 PM on 02/09/2012

The one drop rule, to put it simply, sucks.

When my oldest daughter went to register for college, she had intentionally left her college application blank where it asked for race. They tried to make her classify herself as black. When she told them that she was as white as she was black, they did not want to hear it.

Her response was to write 'human' where it asked for race, and she walked out.

[eletryxx]

06:04 AM on 02/09/2012

If he stood on stage and declared he was a white man, he would be laughed off that stage by white people. Period.

[Dustee]

09:43 AM on 02/09/2012

and black people too. He doesn't 'LOOK' white. I think Christina can pass for white in looks more so then Obama.

[slack027]

09:57 AM on 02/09/2012

He does not have to declear he's a white man, but that fact is he's biracial, without his white mother he would not be who he is today, it would be like a man a black mother saying im white European, it would be an insult to his black mother...

[valmach]

11:54 PM on 02/08/2012

Good Girl

[sacmom3]

11:01 PM on 02/08/2012

Sounds like xtina was raised the way I raised my own children. Never let anyone put you in a box, to make themselves feel more comfortable. You are what you are . No more of one than the other.