Adriana Salonia is a dancer/singer from Puerto Rico, who has gained widespread popularity in the United States and Canada. Her status as an illegal alien has kept her from appearing on popular TV shows like Idol, but she has managed to build a fan base nonetheless. Adriana’s biological parents are both born and raised in Puerto Rico, which means that her identity is tied closely to that of her Puerto Rican nationality. Despite being born in the United States, Adriana does not speak English and she was not raised with other Hispanic children her age in her country of origin. As a result, many Americans and Canadians feel very close to her because of her distinct nationality and race, even though she considers herself a very private person. She was raised with the intention of giving up her American citizenship, should she ever have to give birth to a US citizen.
Adriana grew up in New York City, attending Catholic school. Her biological mother is Puerto Rican and her biological father is Mexican. Growing up in such a diverse environment early in life and living in both the United States and Canada gave her the perspective and appreciation for the cultural differences that separated them when they were young. It was this very awareness of her cultural differences that helped her appreciate the differences in the two countries’ cultures while growing up as an American. The fact that her biological mom was an illegal immigrant gives her a unique perspective on what it means to be an American in that respect. Adriana’s musical talent was nurtured as a result of her mother’s struggle to find success in both her job and her musical career.
While growing up, Adriana repeatedly told her parents that she wanted to become a dancer or a singer, but her biological father discouraged her from pursuing either of these careers. Instead, she pursued a course of studies at a college in mathematics and physics and then did a two year stint as a research assistant in molecular biochemistry in her native Puerto Rico. Later on in her career, her biological father took her to New York City to pursue her dream of being a performer, and so Adriana spent some time performing at various open circuit shows for local musicians and then finally landed a role on Broadway. While in New York she discovered her true calling, playing lute and classical Spanish flamenco and then she slowly worked her way up the ladder performing different character types in different plays. It was in this process that she would finally be cast as Coraline’s (voiced by Anne Hathaway) main love interest, Coraline’s guardian angel.