Rodriguez blev født [[San Antonio]], [[Texas]]. Hendes mor, Carmen Milady (født Pared Espinal), er oprindeligt indfødt i Den [[Dominikanske Republik]]. Hendes far, Rafael Rodriguez, er oprindeligt fra [[Puerto Rico]] og tjente tidligere i [[United States Army|den amerikanske hær]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.latina.com/entertainment/celebrity/michelle-rodriguez-i-feel-im-being-born-again|title=Michelle Rodriguez: "I Feel Like I'm Being Born Again"|work=[[Latina (magazine)|Latina]]|access-date=2010-11-13|author=Angie Romero|date=2009-04-15|archive-date= 1. april 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120401124716/http://www.latina.com/entertainment/celebrity/michelle-rodriguez-i-feel-im-being-born-again|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Michelle Rodriguez Biography (1978–)|url= http://www.filmreference.com/film/14/Michelle-Rodriguez.html|access-date=2007-12-25|publisher=Film Reference}}</ref><ref>Stated on ''Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr.'', May 20, 2012, PBS</ref> Hun har i alt ti søskende – både biologiske og halvsøskende. Hun blev delvist opdraget af sin religiøse mormor og blev desuden opdraget igennem [[Jehovas Vidner]] (hendes mors religion), selvom hun siden har opgivet denne tro.<ref>{{cite news|title=Michelle Rodriguez: in role after role, she has kicked the stereotype of the token female in the teeth, leaving an imprint all her own.|url=http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1285/is_8_33/ai_106914962|access-date=2007-12-25|date=september 2003|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013132040/http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1285/is_8_33/ai_106914962|archive-date=13. oktober 2007|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Religious Affiliation of Actress Michelle Rodriguez|url=http://www.adherents.com/people/pr/Michelle_Rodriguez.html|publisher=World Religions|access-date=2007-12-25|date=2005-08-11|archive-date=18. februar 2012|archive-url=https://www.webcitation.org/65XYz1kBE?url=http://www.adherents.com/people/pr/Michelle_Rodriguez.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>
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