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Joan Smalls |
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Joan Smalls |
Joan Smalls Rodriguez was born and raised in Hatillo, Puerto Rico. She is the daughter of Eric Smalls, an accountant, and Betzaida Rodriguez, a social worker.
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Joan Smalls |
Education
Joan graduated Magna Cum Laude from the InterAmerican University of Puerto Rico with a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology, then made the move to New York City to become a model.
Identity
On an interview with Fashionista.com Joan clarified how she identifies as.
“There’s been some debate in the media about what race you identify yourself as. Can you clear the air?
People always try to claim you, and I think that’s amazing —
Claim me all you want. I DON'T like specifically being in ONE category because I come from a family that’s diverse and multi-racial. My mother is Puerto Rican, she’s light skinned, but if you know what a Puerto Rican is, it has African, it has Taíno Indian and it has Spaniard, so I’m all of that. My father is West Indian from Saint Thomas. I’m just an island girl. I’m West Indian, I’m Puerto Rican, I’m African, I’m Taíno, I have some Irish in me, I have some Indian, so I’m just a