What is Bruno Mars's mother's ethnicity?

Bruno Mars’s mother’s ethnicity is Filipino. His mother, Bernadette San Pedro Bayot, emigrated from the Philippines to Hawaii and had Filipino and Spanish ancestry.

Mars was born Peter Gene Hernandez in Honolulu and grew up in a strongly musical family. His mother was a singer and dancer, while his father performed music and played percussion. His parents met while performing in a show, making entertainment part of Mars’s family background from the beginning.

The answer can cause confusion because Mars himself has a mixed heritage. His father was of Puerto Rican and Ashkenazi Jewish descent, while his mother’s background was Filipino and Spanish. Thus, “Filipino” is the standard quiz answer, although it does not describe every part of her ancestry.

Mars’s multicultural upbringing also exposed him to many musical styles, including rock and roll, reggae, hip-hop, and rhythm and blues. Those influences later became part of his broad pop, funk, soul, and R&B sound.