There's nothing random about it. I went to undergrad in MA and I have a lot of friends and associates in Pioneer Valley. Lupita graduated from Hampshire College in '07. When she started hitting it big, stories came out. She had a white girlfriend while she was in school and it caused a scandal within her family. Her family, especially her father (who was into the political scene), were very much against it.
Despite how prim and proper she acts now, she used to be very wild, care-free and rough around the edges.
Here's a video of her that was taken less than 2 years after she graduated.