Babe Ruth's ancestry is German, and he spoke German as a child. Even though he was born white, Babe Ruth was made fun of as a child because he was darker than most boys he studied with “stereotypical” extensive facial. He attended school at an all-white reformatory. Extra attention to his appearance seemed to be a result of the era before the 1920s.
Many people questioned his background and ethnicity because he was often rumored to have been hanging out in Harlem with Black athletes and having an affinity for Black women.