Teenage actress/singer Bella Thorne refuses to listen to criticism about her lack of Latin roots just because she doesn't boast dark hair or speak Spanish.

The Shake It Up star, whose late father was Cuban, faced a barrage of negative comments in 2012 after she decided to have a traditional coming-of-age quinceanera party to celebrate her 15th birthday, because many people had no idea she was part-Latin.

However, Thorne, who gets her red hair from her mother's Italian and Irish ancestry, insists she pays little attention to the criticism as she does not need validation from others to embrace her cultural background.

She tells Latina magazine, "I know I'm Latina. I don't think speaking Spanish or having dark hair is what makes you Latin. That's ridiculous and it irritates me when people question it. Having a quince (sic) made me feel closer to my roots and closer to my dad."