Vanessa Hudgens is opening up about her heritage, revealing that she is a proud Filipino and addressing the rumor about her being Latina. The 34-year-old actress explained that she understands why people started thinking that at the early stages of her career, and shared her journey as a POC in the entertainment and beauty industry.

“Obviously, I became famous for High School Musical,” Vanessa said during a recent interview with Allure, referring to her character Gabriella Montez. “So everyone automatically assumed that I was Latina, and most people still do,” she continued. “‘And when I tell them I’m Filipino, they’re like, “What?!” You haven’t met my mother. I think that I’m quite ambiguous so people don’t really know.”

Vanessa went on to say that she wants her fans to know she is proud of her heritage. “I am doing everything that I can to let people know, because I am proud,” she declared. The actress also looked back at an uncomfortable moment in her career, when a makeup artist made her skin look lighter.

©GettyImages

“They were about porcelain skin, which is definitely a choice — not necessarily my choice. I want to be a bronze beauty,” she explained to the publication. “The tanner, I am the happier I am, and the healthier I look and feel, so that isn’t my bag, really,” adding that she experienced the “beauty culture shock. ‘I looked in the mirror and I was like, ‘Ohhh!’”

Vanessa is currently planning her wedding with MLB fiancé Cole Tucker, admitting that she is surprised about the many options and decisions she has to make for the ceremony. “It’s wild,” she said. “It’s crazy, the industry of weddings.”