Danny Trejo is left 'overwhelmed' after discovering the truth about his ancestors

Many people recognize Danny Trejo for his iconic roles in Hollywood, but his journey to fame was far from glamorous. Growing up, Trejo faced a tough childhood with his mother largely absent, leaving him with little understanding of his maternal family’s background. On his father’s side, the stories he did know offered him little hope or encouragement. But in a remarkable twist, Trejo unearthed a powerful family discovery, which he revealed during the January 23 episode of PBS’s Finding Your Roots on YouTube.

Reflecting on his roots with host Henry Louis Gates Jr., Trejo shared how most men in his family ended up in construction, a path they took reluctantly, often complaining about it. His only close connection was his Uncle Gilbert, a figure who stood out for his lack of complaints but led a dangerous lifestyle as a drug dealer. Inspired by Gilbert’s influence, Trejo began dealing heroin himself and joined a gang, which led him to start committing robberies by the time he was just 12 years old.

Life was quite turbulent for Trejo, with his uncle passing away a few years later and multiple jail visits. Everything changed when he managed to get the attention of a casting agent on a chance visit to a Hollywood set. He probably would have ended up like his uncle if he had never seriously got into acting. He had very little idea of his family's origins then and continued living and working as an actor. Gates helped Trejo take a deep dive into understanding who his ancestors were to give him a better understanding of where he came from.

Trejo learned from him that his great-grandfather, Cirilo Garay, moved to America from Mexico in 1918. He went to work on a farm in Texas, barely making ends meet. But his great-grandfather persevered and, by 1930, could buy a house and a grocery store. Seeing how his hard work paid off, the actor felt deeply grateful and "proud" of him. Gates also provided Trejo with some vital information about his family on his mother's side. Josefa Garcia, his maternal grandmother, moved to the US from Mexico in 1904, going on to become an American citizen.

She was born on a ranch located in San José del Cabo, a popular tourist spot in Mexico's Baja California area. His fourth great-grandfather was granted a huge 4337 acres of land, which is how he started the ranch. Trejo had visited Cabo before and always felt a special sense of love towards the place. The actor is very happy to have known that his ancestors owned such vast stretches of land in Cabo San Lucas. The actor said, "I think it's shined a light on who I am, where I come from, and who I come from. I'm proud of the whole deal."

This article originally appeared 8 months ago.