MONICA RAYMUND
Mixed (English, Ashkenazi Jewish, Dominican)
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Monica Raymund — heritage & background
Quick answer: Monica Raymund is of mixed Dominican and Jewish heritage. Her father, Steve Raymund, is of English and Ashkenazi Jewish (Eastern European) descent, while her mother, Sonia Lara Raymund, is Dominican and originally from Santo Domingo. Raymund identifies as Dominican American and was raised in the Jewish faith, celebrating a bat mitzvah.
Is Monica Raymund Mixed Race? Is She Biracial?
Monica Raymund is genuinely mixed race, with two very distinct ethnic backgrounds converging in her family. Her father comes from an Anglo-Jewish American family with roots in England and Eastern Europe, while her mother is Dominican, originally from Santo Domingo in the Caribbean. This combination of Ashkenazi Jewish and Afro-Caribbean Dominican ancestry makes Raymund biracial in the broadest sense — she bridges two very different cultural and ethnic worlds.
Raymund has been open about her mixed identity throughout her career, particularly as she has taken on roles that reflect her Latina heritage. When she played Jackie Quinones on Starz's Hightown, she described the role as a proud moment for queer Latinx representation on television. At the same time, she was raised in the Jewish faith, observed Jewish religious traditions, and attended a Reform Judaism temple — meaning she has lived both sides of her heritage in a deeply personal way. Her identity as a Dominican American woman of Jewish upbringing gives her a unique dual perspective on culture and community.
What Is Monica Raymund's Ethnicity?
Monica Raymund's ethnicity is a blend of English, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Dominican ancestry. On her father's side, the Raymund family is rooted in the British Isles and Eastern European Jewish communities — traditions that brought the family to the United States, where they built a significant business legacy. On her mother's side, she carries the rich cultural tapestry of the Dominican Republic, a Caribbean nation shaped by Indigenous Taíno, West African, and Spanish colonial influences.
Born and raised in St. Petersburg, Florida, Raymund grew up in a household that was shaped by this cross-cultural heritage. She participated in Jewish religious life, had a bat mitzvah ceremony, and attended a Reform Judaism temple. At the same time, she was raised with awareness of her Dominican roots, identifying publicly as "Dominican American" in interviews and on her social media.
Raymund trained at the prestigious Juilliard School in New York City, where she earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drama — one of the most competitive acting programs in the world. This rigorous training, combined with her culturally layered background, helped shape her into a versatile actress capable of portraying a wide range of characters with authenticity and depth.
Her breakthrough roles have often allowed her to explore her Latina identity. As Gabriella Dawson on NBC's Chicago Fire (2012–2018), she became one of the most recognizable Latina characters on American network television at the time. More recently, her lead role as Jackie Quinones in Hightown gave her the opportunity to play a complex, flawed Latina protagonist at the center of the story — something she has described as personally significant.
Father's Side: English and Ashkenazi Jewish Roots
Monica Raymund's father is Steve Raymund, a prominent American businessman who served as board chairman and retired CEO of Tech Data Corp., a major distributor of computer components and software based in Clearwater, Florida. Steve Raymund is of English and Ashkenazi Jewish descent.
The Ashkenazi Jewish heritage in the Raymund family traces back to Eastern European Jewish communities — the communities that migrated primarily from Central and Eastern Europe, including countries like Poland, Russia, Romania, and Germany. Ashkenazi Jews developed a rich cultural and religious tradition in the diaspora, and many families immigrated to the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, building new lives and often achieving significant success in business, academia, and the arts.
On his English side, the ancestry connects to the British Isles. Monica has noted in her own words that her father's heritage is "German and Eastern European," suggesting the family also carries some German lineage, consistent with the broader pattern of Ashkenazi communities that often resided in German-speaking territories. Steve Raymund's success in the technology distribution industry built on the entrepreneurial foundation laid by his father, Edward C. Raymund, who founded Tech Data Corp. — now a multi-billion-dollar global corporation.
Monica's religious upbringing reflects this paternal heritage directly. She was raised Jewish, had a bat mitzvah ceremony marking her coming of age in the Jewish faith, and attended Reform Judaism services — all of which placed her squarely within the American Jewish community despite the Dominican roots on her mother's side.
Mother's Side: Dominican Roots
Monica Raymund's mother is Sonia (née Lara) Raymund, a community volunteer and the co-founder of the Soulful Arts Dance Academy in St. Petersburg, Florida. Sonia hails from Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic, and is Dominican by nationality and ethnicity.
The Dominican Republic is an island nation sharing the island of Hispaniola with Haiti. The Dominican people are of mixed heritage, historically combining Indigenous Taíno, West African (brought through the transatlantic slave trade), and Spanish colonial ancestry. This means that Monica Raymund's Dominican heritage carries within it layers of Indigenous Caribbean, African, and Iberian history — a rich blend that characterizes so much of Caribbean identity.
Sonia Raymund's roots in Santo Domingo connect Monica to one of the oldest continuously inhabited European-established cities in the Western Hemisphere. The cultural richness of Dominican society — its music, food, language, religion, and traditions — forms part of Monica's personal background, even as she was primarily raised in the Jewish faith through her father's family.
Monica has spoken about her Dominican roots with pride, describing herself as "Dominican American" in public statements. The Soulful Arts Dance Academy co-founded by her mother in St. Petersburg reflects the cultural richness that Sonia brought from her Dominican background to her life in Florida.
Grandparents: A Complete Picture
Monica Raymund's paternal grandfather was Edward C. Raymund, a businessman and major philanthropist who founded Tech Data Corp., which grew into a multi-billion-dollar global technology distribution company. Edward C. Raymund was of Ashkenazi Jewish heritage and built a family legacy of business success that was continued by his son Steve.
Her paternal grandmother's name is [Not publicly known], though she was part of the Anglo-Jewish American family through which Monica inherited her English and Jewish ancestry.
On the maternal side, Monica's grandfather and grandmother from the Dominican Republic — through her mother Sonia Lara — are [Not publicly known]. Their names and specific backgrounds have not been published in any accessible public record.
| Branch | Person | Background |
|---|---|---|
| Paternal grandfather | Edward C. Raymund | Ashkenazi Jewish, philanthropist, founder of Tech Data Corp. |
| Paternal grandmother | [Not publicly known] | English/Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry |
| Maternal grandfather | [Not publicly known] | Dominican (from Santo Domingo) |
| Maternal grandmother | [Not publicly known] | Dominican (from Santo Domingo) |
DNA & Genetic Ancestry
Monica Raymund has not publicly shared DNA test results as of 2026. Based on documented family history — her father being of English and Ashkenazi Jewish descent, and her mother being Dominican — her heritage is a blend of Eastern European Jewish, English/Northern European, and Caribbean Dominican (itself a mix of Indigenous Taíno, West African, and Spanish) ancestry. Without a confirmed DNA test, this assessment is based on documented genealogy rather than genetic testing.
Nationality vs. Ethnicity
Monica Raymund's nationality is American. She was born in St. Petersburg, Florida, and is a citizen of the United States. Her nationality reflects the country where she was raised, educated, and built her career.
Her ethnicity, however, is multinational in character. She carries English and Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry from her father's American-Jewish family, and Dominican ancestry from her mother's Caribbean family. This distinction is important — being American by nationality does not determine one's ethnic or cultural roots. Raymund is living proof that American identity can encompass a wide range of heritage, from the synagogues of Eastern Europe to the streets of Santo Domingo.
Monica Raymund in Her Own Words
Monica Raymund has spoken directly about her heritage on multiple occasions. In her own words, she stated:
"I am Dominican American. My father was born and raised in the US and his heritage is German and Eastern European, and my mother hails from Santo Domingo." — Monica Raymund (via BrainyQuote)
This quote reveals how she personally identifies — centering her Dominican American identity while acknowledging the European-Jewish heritage on her father's side. She has also been vocal about the significance of representing Latina and LGBTQ+ communities on screen, particularly through her work on Hightown where she played a queer Latina protagonist.
Relationships and Children
Monica Raymund was married to Neil Patrick Stewart from 2011 to 2014. Following her divorce, she came out publicly as bisexual in February 2014 via Twitter, making her one of the more prominent actresses to be openly bisexual in Hollywood. She has since been in a relationship with Tari Segal.
Monica Raymund does not have any publicly known children.
Her relationships have contributed to an intersecting heritage context — though no information about her former or current partners' specific ethnic backgrounds has been documented in a way that directly affects heritage discussions.
Is Monica Raymund Alive?
Yes, Monica Raymund is alive. As of 2026, she is 39 years old. After her acclaimed run on Chicago Fire (NBC, 2012–2018), she went on to star in and produce the Starz crime drama Hightown, where she plays Jackie Quinones, a marine fisheries agent turned detective. The show has received positive reviews for its depiction of addiction and queer Latina identity. Raymund has also expanded her work behind the camera, directing episodes of television. She lives and works in Los Angeles.
Sadly, Monica experienced personal loss when her younger brother Will Raymund, a graduate of Berklee College of Music and a sound and lighting engineer and music promoter, passed away in August 2015.
Visual Family Tree
Monica Raymund (English, Ashkenazi Jewish, Dominican)
Steve Raymund (English and Ashkenazi Jewish descent)
Edward C. Raymund (Ashkenazi Jewish — founder of Tech Data Corp.) · [Paternal Grandmother] (English/Ashkenazi Jewish ancestry)
Sonia Lara Raymund (Dominican)
[Maternal Grandfather] (Dominican) · [Maternal Grandmother] (Dominican)
Sources
- https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2834669/bio/
- https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/monica_raymund_895753
- https://www.legit.ng/1425567-monica-raymunds-biography-age-ethnicity-partner-net-worth.html
- https://mabumbe.com/people/monica-raymund-age-net-worth-biography-family-career/
- https://www.heyalma.com/18-things-to-know-about-monica-raymund/
- https://tvovermind.com/monica-raymund-facts-things-you-didnt-know/
- https://chicagofire.fandom.com/wiki/Monica_Raymund
EthniCelebrity Research Team
Ethnicity & Heritage Writers
Our team specialises in researching and documenting the ethnic backgrounds, nationality, and ancestry of public figures — drawing on genealogical records, interviews, and verified biographical sources.