Can Lupita Nyong'o, a Kenyan American, pass for a standard African American?

[Sikeliot]

Yes or no?

Or does she look distinctly East African?
Could she pass in the Hispanic Caribbean i.e. a black Cuban? How about Haitian or Jamaican?

http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1469419/thumbs/o-LUPITA-NYONGO-570.jpg?8
http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1469411/thumbs/o-LUPITA-NYONGO-570.jpg?8
http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1469433/thumbs/o-LUPITA-NYONGO-570.jpg?7
http://i.huffpost.com/gen/1469443/thumbs/o-LUPITA-NYONGO-570.jpg?8

[Carlito's Way]

yeah i think she can pass for an african american

[loggedin]

I saw 12 years a slave and was blown away by her. She is so striking. To me she looked atypical for an African American or other new world black, although she could of course pass as one given the diversity within these groups. She just looks very Kenyan to me. Although mainly new world black populations descend from west african ancestors, they were from all over south of the Sahara africa.

[Smeagol]

Looks Kafrid with Nilotid influences, I would say no.

[Roy]

She's far from how Black people from America generally tend to look. She looks like typical Kenyan woman, could be Maasai for sure.

[Siberyak]

No, Most afro american are not that dark

[Rastko]

One thing always bothered me. Why a lot of African blacks has a red marks around their iris?

[NORWORLD]

Yes, she could pass. Ordinary everyday African Americans are less mixed on average than those you see in the entertainment business. There are also regional differences. When I travelled in the south for instance, the majority where darker skinned with strong African features like the youngsters who are interviewed in these clips:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8ZvuQ0GD9s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSlvdf33rrs

[loggedin]

I don't think it has anything to do with how mixed or not African Americans are and whether or not she could pass as "typical". The fact is, the majority of ancestry of African Americans and other NWBs is from western africa and Lupita is from Kenya. So to those familiar with the phenotypes of these groups would likely discern that Lupita isn't "typical" of NWBs and more than likely to be Kenyan but still she is within the range of african american phenotypes. The two are not mutually exclusive.

This nigerian actress would pass more easily than Lupita:

http://www.onlinenigeria.com/member/images/content/genevieveN1.jpg

[Fincher]

West Indian.

[Virtuous]

Kyengoid

[dude]

She looks pure african. She would pass in any latinAmerican pure black community. She does not look mulatto.

[tamilgangster]

Yes, any african except nilotes, Malagasys, Sans and horners can pass as aframs

[Tooting Carmen]

She looks too dark-skinned and Bantu in features to look typical for an African-American imo.

[Siberyak]

No, Very rarely do afro americans look like her

[Leto]

She looks too dark-skinned and Bantu in features to look typical for an African-American imo.
I agree. Aframs usually have some Euro admixture. According to this chart, they are like 20-25% Euro on average. It's better to pay attention to the states with 3 asterisks (more representative samples)
http://i.imgur.com/I6OXehP.png

[Gaston]

She doesn't look like an Afram and she obviously doesn't have European admixture. She doesn't look like a West African slave either facially and her body proportions are a bit off. She's clearly of Nilotic "race", not West African.

[rhiannon]

No. She doesn't look Afram to me at all.

[SupaThug]

She looks like an real african,a real black.I've seen some african-americans that look smillar to her but she looks nothing like african-brazilian,even the purest ones look quite different than her.

[Itarildë]

She looks very Kenyan to me! I think she's absolutely beautiful and a fabulous actress.

[Alchemysta]

Typical afro? No,atypical i agree with Roys and Deidara

@UP hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

[RenaRyuguu]

https://youtu.be/0cy_Ia3HCvQ