Biracial (1990s- ) means that you are mixed race, that your parents come from different races. Like maybe your father is black and your mother is white. Or your father is white and your mother is Asian. Etc. This post is mainly about those who are half-white and half-black, what used to be called mulattoes (a word that has fallen out of favour).
Americans like to fit people into races. “He’s black”, “She’s Asian” and so on. It makes them feel comfortable. It makes them feel like they understand you – even if much of that understanding comes from stereotypes. Race is part of how Americans make sense of the world and each person’s place in it:
- white
- Asian
- Hispanic
- Native American
- black
So biracial people kind of screw this up.
“Kind of” because the races in America have been mixing for a long time, in spite of whatever the Supreme Court has said, particularly between blacks and whites. So certain rules have sprung up.
The main one is the One Drop Rule. It says that if you look part black African at all then you are seen as black, period. The whites will not accept you as one of their own, while the blacks will.
That is why people like Halle Berry, Alicia Keys and Barack Obama all see themselves as black. They each have a white mother and a black father. That makes them biracial, but it is not how they see themselves.
But it is possible to be too black for the whites and too white for the blacks. This is particularly true if you are close to white-looking and grew up in a white middle-class neighbourhood and therefore “act white”.
These people in their school years often have an unhappy time of trying to fit in both worlds, failing at both, all along being unsure of who they are. By their early 20s they give up trying to fit into society’s little boxes and see themselves as biracial.
Rebecca Walker’s father told her that:
being black and white is better than being just one thing and screw people who can’t deal.
That becomes a common conclusion.
Back in Jim Crow days, they would have been black, no questions asked. Because they would have been cut off from their white families and so forced to grow up among blacks.
Blacks often see half-black biracials as denying their blackness, as putting themselves above blacks. That is not what they are trying to do. In fact, many see themselves as being both biracial and black. It is not about hating their blackness but about their different experience of life. Just as there is a black experience, so there is a biracial experience.
Whites often see biracial people as the wave of the future, as a sign that racism is going away, that because of them racism is on the way out. That is a bit wishful thinking that whites like to believe because it lets them off the hook.
See also:
- blogs
- growing up biracial (the black-and-white kind)
- people
- black and white
- black and Asian
- white and Asian
- books
- One Drop Rule
- tragic mulatto
- Jim Crow
- Korean adoptees
Abagond 
G’morning, Abagond,
Interesting post.
I think at the end of the day that things haven’t changed that much from the Jim Crow era, in regards to black being black, no matter what. I mean, it’s much more subliminal, but I don’t think that sentiment has vanished too much on a widespread, insitutional level.
Black is black, really. No matter the color of skin, no matter the class level, or who your parents are. It truly does remain that way, overall.
For prespective, in my lifetime, most of the people I’ve known/observed/read about who were offsprings of black/white unions or black/non-black unions, overall, usually considered themselves as black and were perceived as such.
I notice one thing when this topic comes up: no one scrutinzes white/Asian (“Eurasian”) people nearly as much as those who come from black/white or black/non-black unions. Notice that, too? There’s so many celebrities who come from white/Asian unions, yet they are usually perceived as simply “white”. And their backgrounds are rarely picked apart and analyzed as much as those who are black in someway. What do you make of that, Abagond and other readers out there over the land?
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Hey Abagond,
Great post. It’s a really complicated issue.
I think biracial people, on the whole, either identify themselves as black or biracial (or both) – and rarely as simply white. And I’d make the assertion that the choice has a lot to do with how/where they were raised (which you mentioned in your post).
To mynameismyname’s point, some biracial people are black – in how they view themselves and how the world views them. But some most certainly are not. Perhaps they were during Jim Crow, but now the world has an eye for biracial folks. For example, awhile ago someone told me, “You’re black, but you aren’t REALLY black.” I found that both offensive and a bit comical, because, well, it was somewhat true. I’m not really black, I guess. I’m biracial.
And a sidenote: the idea of being “too white” or “acting white” really bothers me. Am I the only one who feels this way?
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I strongly agree with you, Mynameismyname. Mainstream society is grossly obsessed with race, especially the Black/White thing and they are morbidly obsess with Black/nonblack multiracial people.
Steph
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Good morning (or afternoon, perhaps-LOL), Ryan B
The whole “You’re black, yet not REALLY black” comment is actually a somewhat common comment that a lot of people spawned from black/white unions get from some white people.
It is quite offensive (as well as comical).
Are you a tad bit more acceptable, in that person’s eyes? I bet that the person who said that to you and to other people from black/white unions meant that in the sense of “Well, you don’t act or look what I think a black person acts or looks like”. It’s akin to “You’re so articulate!” or “You’re pretty for a black girl”.
Sideways Compliment Central!
And I’m with you, Ryan, the whole idea of black people “acting white” when they don’t fit the sterotypical idea of what a black person is supposed to match is quite offensive. And racist. Usually all of the attributes of acting “white” are positive (well-spoken, intelligent, tactful, well-maintained, etc.), while the ones attributed to being “black” are negative.
Again, Sideways Compliment Central!
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Black-and-white biracials get more attention because, as Stephanie says, Americans are more hung up on the whole black/white thing. Also because of Obama.
I first heard the word “biracial” in the 1990s. It is not even in my 2003 Oxford dictionary. (Do they have this idea in Britain?) But now because of Obama it is getting way more attention.
I notice some people like to say that Obama is biracial. It is almost always a white person. I think that is one of those sideways compliments.
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What I wonder is if the One Drop Rule is loosening up or if “biracial” is three parts wishful thinking.
I notice that most part-black people who call themselves biracial seem to be in their early 20s. Is that because it is a pretty new thing and society is changing or is it because these people have not had the full weight of white racism fall on them yet? Will they still be “biracial” when they are 30 or 40? Or will they just be black by then?
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Hmm …good question, Abagond, in regards to comment #6.
Yet, ask yourself, do things REALLY ever change? Or do they just merely re-arrange?
And about the question I asked earlier, about the disparity of the reaction that black/white-derived people receive in constrast to white/non-white people …what does that tell us about how blackness is perceived? And doesn’t that confirm that such people (black/non-black-derived) are seen as black, since “biracial” doesn’t really apply to most (or get examined) when blackness isn’t in the picture. Same with widespread perceptions of “interracial relationship”.
To use a celeb example, rarely is the “interracial” aspect of Maury Povich and Connie Chung’s ever explored. Yet can you say the same thing about say …OJ and Nicole? Or Seal & Heidi Klum?
Do you think those same white people would refer to Obama as “biracial” if he loses the election? Or …if he gets accused of committing some kind of shameful act?
Things only seem to get complicated when ‘black’ is in the picture. Think about it.
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i cant but wonder if this is less genetics and bloodlines and more a simple social construct.
alexander pushkin:
Pushkin’s mother Nadezhda Ossipovna Gannibal descended through her paternal grandmother from German and Scandinavian nobility.[7][8] Her paternal grandfather, i.e. Pushkin’s great-grandfather, a page raised by Peter the Great, was Abram Petrovich Gannibal, who was born in Africa.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aleksandr_Pushkin
abram gannibal was a slave brought from africa to russia by peter the great.
is it significant that pushkin’s great grandfather was african?
what really does this mean when persons, ignorant or otherwise, say that pushkin would be 1/16th black.
even if we accept this reasoning: 1/16th black; what significance do we attach to this reasoning.
why would pushkin’s linage be of interest and not gannibal’s.
the whole idea that a person would be some fraction “black” seems artificial and manufactured to me.
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Race is a social construct. It is artificial and manufactured – by the old slave masters. They are the ones who gave Americans their ideas of “black” and “white” and most of the things that go with it.
That is why being black or even just a little bit black is seen as such a terrible stain, why Americans get so hung up on it, as both Steph and Mynameismyname point out.
About a third of Americans who are part black African think they are white. That comes to a tenth of all whites – or about four American presidents.
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Most people who are 1/16th black can pass for white in America, so for them it is just a curious fact. But for those who cannot pass, it is way more than just a curious fact.
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Mynameismyname: I agree, if Obama screws up big time he will stop being biracial. He will just be plain old black.
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And another thing, when Mariah Carey first came onto the music scene, the media speculate on her ancestry just as much as her singing talent. In 1993, the media and politicians made a big deal out of Lani Guinier’s ethnic heritage as equally as her controversial views on race. In 1994-95, the O.J. trial and its subsequent trials brought the issue of interracial relationships, race, and police brutality to the fore. In 1997, Tiger Woods made headlines in the golf world. Again, the media made a big issue concerning his racial identity. Especially after racially-charged comments made by then fellow golfer Fuzzy Zoeller. Around the same year, the multiracial movement was in full gear. They were pushing for the multiracial category to be placed on the 2000 U.S. Census. They could only manage a compromise because many groups and organizations were against it. Instead, they got the two or more races box on the census form.
Debate over multiracials was heated again in 2002 when Halle Berry won the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in the controversial “Monster’s Ball” movie.
As we are heading toward Novemeber election, the mainstream media and society’s fanatical obsession with Barack Obama. It seems that not a day pass without analyzing Barack’s every move, issues, speeches, and, above all, his racial heritage. Steve Sailer is real good about analyzing Barack Obama’s ethnic heritage. He wants to find out as much about his African and White ancestors and family so that his bigoted followers can use them as a weapon against him in the political arena.
I can go on and on about mainstream society’s fascination and contempt of Black/Nonblack multiracials.
Stay tuned for more.
Steph
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Abagond, in Britain biracial is never ever heard or used, we say mixed race(almost always meaning half black/half white) and some use the term half-caste(which I was taught was offensive)
Related vid(kinda);
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La Reyna is spot on.
Intrestingly enough, many celebs like Keanu Reeves, Rob Schnieder, Vanessa Anne Hudgens, Pete Wentz (lead singer of Fall Out Boy) and many others rarely get their racial makeup analyzed or debated about despite the fact that by U.S. policy, they are surely “minorities”, since they all have one East Asian parent (and one white one).
No, they are simply seen as “white”. Reeves or Hudgens’ racial makeup rarely gets mentioned in mainstream media profiles. If it does, it’s an afterthought.
From my personal observations, the same thing happens in real life. There were a few people who I’ve ‘known’ or ‘known of’ who were simply percieved and identified as “white”. Come to find out, they had one East Asian parent. So, therefore, by definition, they were “biracial” yet …they and everyone else didn’t really seem to see it that way.
What do you think this tells us? If Mariah’s father was Japanese instead of a black man from the South, would the media be as interested? What about Tiger? Say, his father was a white man, would they care? Does Tony Romo’s Mexican mother ever come up in the media?
What exactly does this striking disparity in reaction to noted people who come from interracial parentages imply?
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It says that being black is seen as some kind of terrible stain.
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Thanks Steph for the history and thanks Olivia for the video – which leads right into today’s post on black racism:
https://abagond.wordpress.com/2008/08/08/all-blacks-are-racist/
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Well, now that Obama has won, it looks like a lot of the assumptions here in the comments were wrong. Everybody is jumping for joy about America’s “first black president” – I haven’t seen one article or video proclaiming him America’s “first biracial president.”
As for black/foo pairings versus white/foo pairings – I think it is very simply that having darker skin is immediately obvious with minimal analysis required, while other phenotypically non-white features like epicanthic fold, nose shape, eye color, etc take a while to be noticed. My darker inlaws of indian (dot not feather) origin get (mis)categorized by skin tone all the time. In other words, it is easiest to see (or assume) someone’s ethnic origin based on skin tone than it is any other feature.
Also, I think some of you are shaped by your social circles – you can be sure that among asians Keanu Reeves and Rob Schneider get PLENTY of discussion for being hapa. You may not have heard the terms “twinkie” and “banana” — they are analogous to “oreo.”
I also think your closing paragraph about the growing biracial society as a way for whites to let themselves off the hook to be very offensive to those of us who are hapa. Cultures will never be fully homogenized, but being hapa lets many of us easily move between them without significantly standing out. The only people who regularly get worked up over it are the oldsters, so such bigotry seems to be generational. For the most part, the under 40 crowd of all races is happy to accept us for the part that is the same as them rather than exclude us because of the part that is different from them.
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It is more than just that having dark skin is more noticeable than other physical features. It is that in American society being black carries a much heavier meaning than being any other race.
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Taro Boy:
You should read my post on Korean adoptees and tell me what you think:
https://abagond.wordpress.com/2008/07/10/korean-adoptees/
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My sisters husband is half black half latin – but if asked, identifies himself as black. A friend of mine told me m bro in law wasnt “really” black and I asked her what the heck that ment. He responded to a a call (he is a cop) and the caller was racist..asked why they send a black cop, that he probably hated white people. His response didnt help the situation…he said “I love white folks – I sleep with a white women every night”
I admit I tell people who comment on my nieces beauty that she is mixed – becasue she is so exotic looking.
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“Exotic” is relative.
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Great post. I found it while looking for images of Jennifer Beals whom I knew many years ago as a student. Interestingly enough, she and I felt the same way about ourselves back then. Neither of us felt comfortable in our skins. (I am Creole on my father’s side and Italian-American Indian-Cuban on my mother’s but have always just been considered black.) We looked so much alike people thought we were brother and sister. While I did not know her well my impression on spending time with her was that she was not comfortable being considered black. She was from a wealthy family that lived on the North Side of Chicago and went to a upper crust school with very few minorities at all. (Her father, the black half of the family died when she was like ten as I remember. I met her on a movie set at fourteen. Her stepfather was Jewish) She then rocketed to stardom and refused to “play black” which I think hurt her career.
I can see her point. My career has definitely been hurt by being seen as only black. I think however that she chose the right path for her. She is now more popular and more greatly respected as an actress than ever. She seems at ease with herself now that it no longer matters. It is interesting to note that she never as far as I know ever dated anyone other than white.
Hollywood still cares however. It is too bad that very talented people are shut out because of race, even now. When I was acting, it was always, you aren’t black enough while all the black actresses at the time were light skinned. Seems like all the women had to meet a white standard of beauty while black men had to be the “threatening”, Wesley Snipes type. Very Dark and hard core ghetto.
I must say that I have experienced a lot of hurt just because of my color. The love of my life left me for her very white, very married boss. Her friend told me she never had planned to marry me because her family would never accept it. (She was Egyptian) I never got over that and it gave me a complex. Indian, middle eastern and latin women have all told me the same thing. (more nicely in most cases. ) I never asked to be born in this skin and this might sound harsh but I would trade places with someone white in a second.
All of you out there just remember should you feel a pang of superiority over blacks. I dare say there are any of us that want to be here so stop hating us for something we can never change.
By the way. Her boss never left his wife but she married some other blonde, blue eyed wonder so I guess she got what she wanted.
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Great comment! Especially the part about how Jennifer Beals dealt with race and how black men in Hollywood have to look dangerous. I am not surprised about the love of your life. Plenty of people who are white, or like to think they are white, will date but not marry someone who is black or part black.
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Yeah, Creolefellow’s comment is quite interesting. I swear the internet really gives certain people a really great anonymous platform to reveal some damned compelling race stories.
Beals was seen as a simple black woman by Hollywood standards? Her career never launched, mainly, because like I said in another article’s comment page, she was too “white” for black roles, too “non-white” for white ones. She’s a victim of that too.
I’ve also done some acting (bit parts) and know a lot of people in the industry. A lot of the roles targeted to black men are criminal type roles, but a lot aren’t. Depending on the black man’s “look”, you get readings suited towards that. So, no, black men don’t have to look criminal. Few are lightly-colored tho, I did pick up on that from the experiences I can recall.
Think of all the contemporary black actors you can think of, would you say they look to be in the “dangerous” mode?
I’m also not surprised by Creole’s recounting of his experiences with non-black women. That’s why stories of interracial partnerships involving black people are heavily overstated. The anti-black sentiment in this country is the reason why black folks date/marry interracially THE LEAST in the U.S.
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Hi my names Adam my dad is white and my mum is black, I am 20 and have always been the only coloured guy in the class, I didn’t get bullied because my friends were bigger than everyone ells. I am closer to my mum’s family than my dads but don’t make him any less of a dad. All my friends are white except a few random accountancies. I believe I am a new bread just likes dogs when they mix. Maybe ill live longer. My mum is half Jamaican and half Hawaiian {kewe} and my dad is all English except and bit of Italian with bright blond hair. I am light gold skin with long dark brown hair. I love my life and wouldn’t change for the world. Being mixed raise has given the personality i have come to be proud of. Thank you
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You’re welcome. What is kewe?
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After reading these comments, I would have to say that we are all a product of our environment, regardless of what race. Those who accuse a person of “running away from their blackness” need be careful. Sure we are all aware of the story “Imitation of Life”. To this day, that behavior has not completely dissolved away, yet it is very inappropriate to make such strong accusations without being sure.
When you were born, the doctor smacked you on the bottom and I guarantee that your first words were NOT ,“say it loud, I’m black and I’m proud”. No, you were taught to be proud of that heritage. You were influenced by grandma ‘nem, and those who sat you down and shared with you the stories, the photos, the emotions, the feelings and the wisdom of our rich Black heritage. You were shaped by your aunties, uncles, neighbors, teachers, black entertainment, black music, the wiered guy on the corner, and so much more. Most of us were MAJORLY influenced by the Black Church. You speak ebonics and slang because that is the way people around you spoke. You enunciate your words and speak eloquently, because that is the way people around you spoke. You like the rich foods you eat because that is what you were fed.
A person who has not experienced what you have, is not going to become the person you are. Yeah, we all have a little this and a little that in our blood, but we all identify mostly with the community that reared us. That’s why some say a person of African ancestry may be accused of acting like one of another culture. It’s likely the culture that had more influence on them.
My mix is Black, White and Native American. But I identify as black because that is the strongest heritage I was fed and I have brown skin. I would love to discover my Indian heritage but I have no one around me to embrace me and give me that experience. Unfortunately, I find nothing to be proud of my white heritage. Sorry white people, no offense so don‘t take it personal.
I can tell you stories of my mother who was tied to a chair by her cousins and they cut her hair because her hair texture was fine, long, soft and wavy. Or my sister who was called names because she has light bright skin and long black wavy hair. Or my grandmother who had a car full of her children and told them to duck down in the back of the car so no one would see them, while she goes into the white gas station to pay for gas and get food. All because she could pass as an Indian woman but her children could not. She lived in a town where Indians were left well alone.
A person who was reared in an African American culture are not likely to just run from it. I’d like to say that I feel it’s important to have people of different races and celebrate the variety of this earth and the people herein. Heritage/race is a tie that connects people, uplifts people, gives something to be proud of, something to be remembered. While being human alone should cause us all to behave in a civilized manner toward one another and live in unity and harmony, I do not agree that we should just dismiss the conversation of race and heritage or stop asking people about their race/heritage. We should just stop letting that be a reason to be divided. The conversation of race and heritage should never end. However we should respect whatever a person chooses, or the simple fact if they choose not to choose, after all they are only saying what they know. Just because I identify as black does not mean I reject any other race on earth or even my own mixed heritage. Because, just as stated above, I will gladly discuss all three. There used to be a common practice where the child identifies as the father’s race. So if Mom is Indian and dad is Chinese, then child is Chinese. Times are not that simple anymore and that’s fine.
Regarding Jenn Beals, I don’t claim to know her but I do think the race of her parents have been communicated accurately. With her mother being Irish and father being Black/African American, she is not part white at all, by historical definition, as Irish were not considered white. Rather they were treated as minorities, the same as free slaves. SOME of the Irish chose to take advantage of their light skin and use it to get ahead, so they chose to oppress blacks, the same as whites did, in order to win the acceptance and privilege of whites. See “How the Irish Became White” http://academic.udayton.edu/Race/01race/white13.htm.
There are many races in this country who are accused of acting white and denying their own. There are even examples of people who have in fact done such thing. But I think mostly, anyone who has been truly accepted, taught and allowed to experience love and security within the heritage of their blood line, would not readily deny nor run away from it.
Now we have public information that says her father died when she was young and we have no information regarding any of his side of the family who could have remained an influence to her. So if you want Jennifer Beals to “act black” then maybe you should, throw a fish fry and invite her over. Or you can introduce her to black radio such as Tom Joyner morning show (www.tjms.com and http://www.blackamericaweb.com), Rev. Al Sharpton show (www.sharptontalk.net), Warren Ballentine (www.thetruthfighters.com), Steve Harvey (www.steveharvey.com), Michael Baisden (www.michaelbaisden.com). Or maybe you can invite her to come to church with you. Or maybe you can take her to your grandparents, aunts, uncles or elderly figure of your family and let them share their stories, experiences and pour their love into her. Maybe you should invite her along with you to see the latest Tyler Perry Movie. But if you don’t have enough guts to speak up for her when one ignent (no, I did not misspell ignorant, that‘s just how some black people say it) person says something out of the way to her, then don’t bother her at all. Because I’d bet good money that she has, in many ways, experienced more rejection from every direction than a human would like to know about.
I did not know much about Jenn Beals before LWord and it’s been only a few weeks since I discovered she is biracial. Now that I know that she is part black, I will keep my eye open for her work and try and support every movie, and TV show she’s in. No, not just because she is part black but because she is part black, GOOD at what she does, and deserves more recognition for her work. That’s just what some of us do. I don’t think I need to explain that, we all know what world in which we live.
Every mixed person should be most privileged to have the honor of experiencing and representing the richness of more than one culture. A Jewish-Black-Scottish person should be able to have a Barmitsfa with pride, wear a Kilt with pride and sing the Black National Anthem with pride. However we have reduced them to a tug of war in which they were never willing participants, demanding they “pick one“.
I personally choose to claim anyone who is any part black, who wants to be claimed. PERIOD. I know some people don’t want to hear that but I just believe that the African heritage, the triumph over the Slave experience, and the current strength of the Black community is such that binds us all together and gives us all something to be very proud of. We are such a strong people and I want everyone even remotely associated with it to at least have an opportunity to embrace, know and love what is a part of us all. Now if there are other cultures in your mix, then by all means, love that too and teach your children.
Go Jennifer!
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agreeordisagree that was one long rambling diatribe just to say a lot a nothing. Really.
IMHO.
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Gretting from London every1 I
I have to say I agree with u (agree or disagree) in the sense that I consider my racial I D to be Asain becuase I look Asain.
When I was younger I used to consider myself mixed race this was mainly becuase I was constantly told I had preety mixed features. Then when I was older I went to Asia and I met people (who were not mixed) that had similar features to mine then I began to understand that my features where not mixed they were Asain and I look Asain thats when I started to consider my racial I D to be Asain.
Looking back I think when people used to comment on my so called mixed features what they really meant was your only pretty becuase you have a white father if both your parents were Asain you would be ugly. Another reason i consider myself Asain and not mixed is only Asain looking or other no white looking people call ourselves mixed race and yet there is no pressure on white people to call themselves mixed race to include all there non white heritage. I also dont like the idea of bringing back outdated and disproven attitudes towards race such as you have to be 100% Asain to look Asain or be Asain or be white black etc so thats some of the many reason I consider myself to be Asain.
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G G IS THE WAY FORWARD BI RACIAL POWER
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I really dont understand why it is in the U.S people have such a hatred of mixed race people and call them black in Latin America we embrace and love our mixed race people.
Gilberto Freyre belived the mixing of the races would create a new superior mixed meta race this race would be better and superior becuase it would have a bit of everyone in it. Giberto Freyre wrote very kindly and had respect for mixed race people he had far more respect for mixed race people then people in the U.S do.
Asains, blacks and Amerindians are finsished the meta race and racial democracy are the way forward.
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The U.S. follows the One Drop Rule: if you look at all part black African you are considered to be all black. So there is almost no middle ground between blacks and whites like there is in Latin America.
You said, “we embrace and love our mixed race people.” To me that sounds too good to be true. There have been white people in the States who say how good they have been to blacks, even back in slave days, and it is just not true. Here is one of them:
https://abagond.wordpress.com/2009/05/08/buchanan-on-the-kindness-of-white-people/
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I hope in our day and age with a biracial president, and people such as Tyra Banks, Tiger Woods, Angelina Jolie having children of all races, etc, that these stereotypical attitudes can go away finally. To me, it’s our attitudes that affects things the most.
We stereotype ourselves more than anyone stereotypes us. That is a detriment that we all need to get over. As long as we keep stereotyping ourselves first and foremost, racial attitudes will not ever go away because we’re too self-conscious of who we are, and can’t get over our physical appearance enough.
I’ve lived all over the US. I’ve had friends from every race and walk of life. It amazed me how much South Carolina seemed behind the times and how the other side of the tracks still exists. It’s very sad. When I was there though, this came from people feeding old attitudes and self stereotyping. My sister has blonde hair and light skin and was beat up at school for being white. In Wisconsin for example, that would have never happened, and I have lots of black friends from here, from Africa, from Jamaica, from everywhere.
I think Martin Luther King would be deeply ashamed at racial attitudes that are still being fed, and a lot of it being instigated from blacks and not whites due to harboring ill attitudes, and stereotyping because of feeling different and therefore not as good in their eyes, from their skin being different.
I’ve had friends who’ve had third degree burns all over their bodies, and they stand out, and feel more self consious, but the ones who get bitter and say that everyone’s judging them, pull all of society down, whereas the ones who see standing out from physically looking different as an opportunity, shape, and pull society forward. Those are the type of people that have a ton of friends regardless of looks because they’re able to overcome how self-consious they feel.
What is it that Nelson Mendella said in his inaugural speech “It is our light, not our darkness that scares us. We ask ourselves, who are we to be bright, brilliant, and talented…Actually, who are you not to be? We are born to make manifest God’s glory that is within us. It’s not just in some of us, but all of us. And as we let our own light shine, we allow others to do the same. AS WE ARE LIBERATED FROM OUR OWN FEARS OUR PRESENCE AUTOMATICALLY LIBERATES OTHERS. That is the perspective and attitude we need to focus on, and not harboring these ill feelings. Because guess what.
There’s one argument you haven’t covered. Whites can’t help being born with white skin either, so stop being prejudiced towards them. They can’t help their skin color just as much as you can’t help yours. I almost wish we were all born blind. My blind friends would laugh at this ludicrousy, and old attitude that should be done with already. Old grudges don’t serve anyone. We need to forgive and move on, especially since much of history had to do with people who are not us today. We are not them, and we need to step up to the plate already. All of us. And have Martin Luther King be very proud once and for all:).
One of my favorite books is Roots. I’ve read it countless times. I know that family history is important, but also that progression is mandatory, and the more education we get that way, the more we need to use it, and move forward, and away from these old prejudiced racial attitudes.
I’m from your standards overall white, but am currently dating a couple men from Africa. One grew up in England, and the other in Kenya, who now lives in Kansas. Would you treat him ill because he can’t speak ebonics? That’s similar to a degree of a guy from Florida not wanting anything to do with a guy from New York because they talk so differently.
We all need to grow up a little and get over these old cultured, ill attitudes that don’t serve anyone really, and create more harm than good.
My future children may end up half black half white, and I certainly hope there aren’t these kinds of attitudes being fed and harbored so much still.
Please lets all get over ourselves a little more, and pretend like we’re all blind if needed so we can all grow a little more on the inside because that’s what really counts anyway. For the Lord looketh not on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart. Lets stop judging each other, and take the motes out of our own eyes first. After all, what are the two great commandments? Love God, and love your neighbor as yourself, and our neighbor in this context means everyone including enemies….Do good to those that hate you, pray for those that use you….That we may all be the Children of our Heavenly Father.
I’ve had ancestors murdered, not for their skin color, but for religious beliefs. I could choose to harbor that ill feeling, and hate all people deep down who profess to be Christians because it was Christian mobbers who murdered them. But that would be ludicrous because my christian friends are not reincarnates of them. Those people existed in the 1800s and they’re all dead now. My friends are not them.
We’re all humans. we’re all children at heart. And we all need love, service, and acceptance. Let’s reach out and embrace and focus on what brings us together, focus on commonalities, not on dividing factors. That’s the basis of any good effective communication. Otherwise there’s bound to be unhealthy communication, fighting, and huge barriers put up.
Let’s step up to the plate and prove what we can be to our present society. Let’s prove that we can build communication and respect and tolerance and love rather than continue to tear it down through our own insecurities that we choose to feed and harbor as a priority.
Let’s change our priorities and teach our children by example this way:). Then it will be as though we’re a blind society in an awesome way. It is possible. We just all need to start believing in ourselves more and reach out and serve one another as best as possible without ill or grudging feelings anywhere in our heart or being. Root them out completely and serve and be filled with more love.
I hope for my future children’s sake that this can happen at least a little more….
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I agree: internalized racism is as bad if not worse than white racism.
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I have to say Silva you really do display the classic racist attitude that is so wide spread in latin American society. My mother is from Japan and my father is white I am from Brazil I am guessing that silva you are as well. Latin America does not embrace mixed race people Latin America embraces racail whitening the idea you have to destroy the single race identitys of all non white peoples and make us white.
You notice how silva only says Asains, Blacks and Amerindians are finshed and yet silva does not mention whites why do think that is? The usage of the term mixed race is all about destroying all the non white single race identitys and preserving only one white idetity if latin America embraced its mixed race people so much how come so many Latin Americas call themselves white when all of them are mixed race? The answer for this is the fact Latin Americans dont like the fact there alot of Asains, Ameridians and blacks living there it makes them feel better to call us mixed race instead of Asain or ingore us all toghether.
There is not a single group on earth that is pure we all i repeat ALL mixed and yet its only those that dont look white that call themselves mixed race.
I am part Asain part white but I am Asain because I look Asain if I looked white i would feel the same way. I will give up my single race Asain identity and call myself mixed when all whites do the say until that time comes I am not mixed I am Asain.
To refer to only certain groups as mixed race and not others is racist in itself.
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Its funny really the term mixed race is never used in the U.K media they are always called black. Does any one no why that is?
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^^^
Same s***. Different tiolet. That’s why.
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^^^
Same s***. Different toilet. That’s why.
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I hate when people say “Oh you’re acting white.”
It’s like saying a black person must use drugs, listen to rap, wear their pants down to their ankles or if not, they’re acting ‘white’ because that’s the stereotype they need to be?
Stereotypes are completely stupid and I wish they all died down.
Also I think people need to stop using their nationality as their race. Nationality is not a race. Nationality is where you’re born.
I’ve actually heard people say “I’m not white I’m Italian.” That makes no damn sense.
Anyways if you’re biracial be proud. Don’t disguise yourself as anything else. You can look black and still have white genes in you and make a white baby. You can look white and have black genes and make a black baby and so on and so forth. It will just be who you are.
A lot of biracial people look beautiful. Every race is beautiful, if we were all the same it would be hella boring.
Also try to cut the stereotyping. If you live in a mansion, that doesn’t mean you’re ‘acting white.’
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I cant tell the diffrance between blacks and mixed race people they look so similar. I have a friend in London who is mixed race he is darker then my other friend who is black and I have another friend who is mixed race (Asain mother and white father) and she looks white like me.
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I am a black woman and my husband is white. We have 5 children but our oldest daughter who is 19 is white. I am not her biological mother but she has been with me since she was 2 years old. She has never identified herself as being white and will argue with anyone that she is indeed a balck girl.
We have lived in Romania since we were married although I am not a native Romanian I am a black American. But my husband and our children are native born Romanians. We have never made notice to race in front of our children. Our 16 year old daughter has always called herself biracial.
Since we have moved to the USA our 5 year old daughter has started to notice a diffrence in race between her father and me. She has even asked me things such as, “Do I have to marry someone white like Daddy?” or “Does Daddy know he is white?” I wonder why is that once we moved to the USA that she has began to notice these things. We do address them when she ask. We have since then wondered if our twin boys will notice the race seeing as how they will be raised in the USA and not in Romania.
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Tanktop the reson why you find it hard to tell the diffrance between mixed race people and blacks/whites is becuase the majorty of human diverserty occurs in single races the blacks in Africa are to skin colour what we are to eye colour
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i have this belief that even if everyone was mixed racism will still exist.
because there are so many types of mixes people will discriminate based on the type of mix you are…on top of the fact that people will give you grief over the shade your skin tone is within in your own mix, or the kind of features you have.
racism always finds a way to exist…even in a world full of mixed people.
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I agree. Brazil is way more mixed than America. You would think it would be post-racial from just the looks of it, but it is not.
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comment 5 says:
“Will they still be “biracial” when they are 30 or 40? Or will they just be black by then?”
I am one of the “they” you refer to. I am African American,Caucasin, and Native American.I choose to call myself biracial because the racist history of America splits people into “black” or “white” like people have to pick one,even if they have some of both. Some people jump all over bi racial people, demanding to know what I’m mixed with.When I use to say I was black to black people-it wasn’t good enough!So then I came to understand I am not purely “black”, but do have other races in me.However, I would define myself as black if people have to act like black and white are the only two races which exist.I guess the point is if you want to say I’m just black,I don’t have a problem with it.I accept and am proud of all the races I’m made of. Why do I have to pick one? Maybe I should claim all of myself…maybe I can be more than the color of my skin!I define myself as bi-racial because many darker skinned black people act as if I’m not black enough therefore I have to explain to them how someone can fall outside the “black” and “white” boxes which people ignorantly cling to and define themselves by.
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I agree about the boxes. In most of America blacks and whites will try to put you in a box like that and expect you to act a certain way. So if you just try to be yourself, they will think something is wrong with you. It is utterly senseless. I think the whole race thing has made Americans hyper conformist.
But like Rebecca Walker in the post, at some point you just got to say “Screw it: I am going to be myself”.
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I am sick to death of these Asaincentrics and Afrocentrics claiming biracaial peoples as black, Asain etc
If your not part of our 100% pure white Aryan race then your biracaial if your not part of that pure negro race then your biracail if your not part of that pure mongol race then your biracail simple
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People like an eliment of predictability. Putting people in a box is easy. It makes them feel as if the know you, but they don’t. It’s too much work to see people in terms of individuals.
I find it extremely annoying when whites have seen me as a exception, not an individual.
I was fortunate enough, and brave enough, to take advantage of opportunities presented to me.
Racism is easy. Inclusion can be difficult.
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Taro Boy Says:
Sat 15 Nov 2008 at 05:18:19
Well, now that Obama has won, it looks like a lot of the assumptions here in the comments were wrong. Everybody is jumping for joy about America’s “first black president” – I haven’t seen one article or video proclaiming him America’s “first biracial president.”
I can’t recall anyone using the word biracial when talking about Obama. But, it’s so obvious there are a LOT of people perched like vultures, waiting for him to ‘f*^k’ up. Personaally, I find it inspiring to have a president that knows the English language and can speak in complete sentences.
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Ramblinrick & Taro Boy,
I think it’s fair to call Obama America’s first Black president because that’s how he identifies–as Black. His reasoning is that if he were to do something negative, like commit a crime, society would identify him as “the Black man who robbed the corner store”. So, he wants his positive achievements to be recognized as having been achieved by a Black man.
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Let’s white people off the hook? What white people? The same white people who knew slavery was wrong and so they died in the Civil War to free African-Americans? What about white people who walked along side the great Martin Luther King Jr in the Civil Rights Movement? Or what about white people like myself who were raised to love everyone no matter what their race or background, and then end up in the Job Corp where caucasions were the minority and terrorized by African-Americans daily? While I was there, large groups of African-Americans would cut in front of white people who had been standing in lines for long periods of time. They did this every day I was there. If white people objected, they were jumped by African-Americans who outnumbered them. I once saw one white guy get jumped by about fifty black guys. This is just one example of many horrible things that took place while I was there and they happened on a daily basis.. It reminded me of atrocities committed against African-Americans by Caucasions before the Civil Rights Movement. It was wrong when white people did it, it’s wrong when African-Americans do it. I had no where else to go so I had to live like that for nine months. African-Americans often disregard what white people have to say because supposedly, we don’t know what it’s like to be black. Maybe not. But I know what it’s like to be oppressed by one race because of the color of my skin. I hated African-Americans for a year after my experience in the Job Corp. I had become a racist. But then I realized that hating an entire race of people because of a few was just as wrong as those who hurt me. I realized that they don’t speak or act on behalf of all African-Americans and so I refused to be shackled down by the vicious cycle of racism. Racism is not racist. It strikes in the hearts of men and women from all races and backgrounds. It is a disease. The only cure is to realize that the world we live in is filled with a variety of people that has less to do with the color of their skin and more to do with whether or not they want to make a positive or negative impact on society. Which one are you?
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U.S.A today
Human genetic research shows that mitochondrial DNA and Y chromosome haplotypes in Europeans are mixed with African and Asain ancestry so by your own definition the enitre white race is mixed race but i dont see white people rushing out to call themselves mixed race so why should I?
Pure races dont exist so how can u justify calling a select few mixed race and not humanity as a whole?
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White Hoggy Hogg says,
I had become a racist.
-But then I realized that hating an entire race of people because of a few was just as wrong as those who hurt me.
-I realized that they don’t speak or act on behalf of all African-Americans and so I refused to be shackled down by the vicious cycle of racism.
-It strikes in the hearts of men and women from all races and backgrounds. It is a disease.
-The only cure is to realize that the world we live in is filled with a variety of people that has less to do with the color of their skin and more to do with whether or not they want to make a positive or negative impact on society. Which one are you?
laromana says,
Thanks for this honest, insightful comment and for sharing the important truths you’ve learned about racism.
In my life I,too, have learned that racism is a problem that affects ALL human beings to varying degrees regardless of “race” (invented construct).
We’re ALL responsible to HONESTLY challenge our INSTITUTIONAL/INDIVIDUAL RACIST attitudes/actions.
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can someone please help me w/ this….why does it seem like…I’m more likely to see a black woman in an abortion film than a Victoria secret commercial????
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What is the definition of a biracial?
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It is defined in the first paragraph of the post along with examples:
“Biracial (1990s- ) means that you are mixed race, that your parents come from different races. Like maybe your father is black and your mother is white. Or your father is white and your mother is Asian. Etc.”
“Race” is not according to haplotypes or anything like that. It is according to how other people place you.
If you go back further than parents then something like three-fourths of blacks and one-third of whites in America are mixed race – they are not pure black or pure white, but have people of other races in their family trees.
And, of course, if you go back even further we are all 100% black.
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Thankx for clearing up my confusion I thought biracail meant something diffrant because I met a girl from the U.S who said she was biracail (a term i have never heard) and both of her parents were black and she said she was not really black and that people like Beyonce,Tyra Banks etc were not really black because like her they were mixed from distant heritage where as here in England your only mixed if you have one black parent and one white parent or one Asain parent and one white parent etc
So i thoguht bi racail meant something diffrant.
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Biracial is an American term. The British counterpart is mixed race.
It sounds like the girl you met was trying to avoid calling herself black. By her definition most black Americans are biracial, so it is not a useful way to define the word unless she was trying to make a point about how the races in America are not pure.
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hank a Biracial is any one with light skin light skin blacks are biracil blacks need to let go of the one drop rule if you have one drop of non black blood in your not black your biracail
Biracial are the futre
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Tammy skin colour is one of the least valued ways of detecting mixed admixture somebody can have black/black parents and be lighter skinned then someone with black/white parents and the same vice versa.
I do see more and more people claiming to be mixed who have two parents from the race(usually black) very strange.
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The sad truth of the fact is that blacks are being dealt with the same way as Native Americans they are simply being
defined out of existence via double standard definitions.
Luigi Luca Cavalli-Sforza the world round geneticist states that as Europeans or whites we are a mixed race people who came into existence from the mixing of a mostly Asain and African population how many people do you see arguing as white people we should be thought of as mixed race?
One drop of white blood in a non white no matter how small makes you mixed but no amount of non white blood in whites makes makes us mixed does that sound logical? or racist?
Swapping one one drop rule that makes you black for another one drop rule that makes you mixed is not progress.
Either we as human beings advocate that all peoples should be thought of as mixed race or we except people as being white, black, Asain etc
Remember as human beings we all fundamentally of the same blood no group is pure we are all mixed.
That is my own point of view thank you for takeing the time to read my post.
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Great post Garry i wish more white people were as well informed as you.
It really anoys me when I here blacks moaning about the evil racist one drop rule that gave you and preserved a black identy. I only wish as Native people to these Americas we had been the victims of the evil one drop rule as opposed to the reverse one drop rule that mercilessly striped us of our native American identys. All of the so called whites in my country are mixed race and yet they would never call themselves mixed mestizo mulatto no they would not and even worse would those who call themselves mixed would they call whites mixed? no they would not dare.
I am proud of my dark Native American skin am i pure Native American? no of course I’m not are whites pure no your not so dont be calling me mestizo unless you call everyone mixed. If you call yourself mixed and then you proceed to call others white, Indian etc then you are a racist hypocrite guilty of your own misery.
I would never call anyone mixed becuase i dont call myself mixed if i did i would call everyone mixed not pick and choose like nasty black American mixed race people do who i hate with a passion for their hypocrisy you are going to end up like the nasty blacks of South America most of whom dont call themselves black living in favelas calling yourself hundreds of diffrant complexions as opposed to black which is what you are.
It seems like blacks the world over are embracing the reverse one drop rule silly people may you root in hell with your racist white masters.
I’m sorry if my words sound harsh but the one rule for whites and another rule for every else world that so called mixed and mixed only people wanna live in makes me sick. The moment you start saying its o.k for white people to make judgments about us as non whites that they would never make about themselves you are inviting racsim trust me i know.
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Yes garry you are right refering to some people mixed but no everyone is slightley racist. I do think as people become more educated about the subject of race and the very mixed nature of all human beings their will be a biracial backlash.
How can u moraly say to one group whether it be blacks, Asains, Native Americans your mixed race when as whites we are not pure.
whats the reverse one drop rule?
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The reverse one drop rule is the opposite of the one drop rule the two stand side by side as polar opposites.
The driver behind the reverse one drop rule is to decrease or totally eradicate the single race of the non white population and to maintain white hegemony
The reverse one drop is the belief that one drop of non black blood or Native American or Asain blood makes you mixed but no amount of non white blood in a white makes you mixed.
Technically no human group is pure so all people could be identified as mixed however the reverse one drop rule only applies to people who identify as a non white single races your not Asain your mixed your not black your mixed etc
The reverse one drop rule was widley practised in South America but has its roots in the Arab world in Brazil for example most of the population is recentley mixed but most call themselves white this a conquence of the reverse one drop rule it effectively strips non white single races of a black, Asain or Native American identity but preserves the white identity.
The reverse one drop rule is gaining support in the U.S were the one drop rule still holds sway.
The great irony of the reverse one drop rule is the effect it has on the white population although the white identity it self is preserverd the white population becomes increasingly mixed race because only non whites are identity as mixed as a result of this non white non European blood frequently flows into the white population makeing the self styled white populace increasingly mixed race as a consequence of this many whites loose the ablity to produce European looking children for example it is not unncommon for whites in South America to display African or Native American traits.
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SOCK PUPPET ALERT: Comments 52 to 64 are mostly likely the work of a few people who know each other.
1. Hank, Susan, Tammy and Lucy are all probably the same person.
2. Craig and Razer are almost certainly the same person (they are on the same computer and have the same sort of spelling mistakes: slightley, widley).
3. It is strange how Craig and Nush knew that Not Another One Drop Rule’s name is Garry (it is in his email address, which I can see but they cannot).
4. It is strange how so many commenters on this thread are misspelling Asian as “Asain”.
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“3. It is strange how Craig and Nush knew that Not Another One Drop Rule’s name is Garry (it is in his email address, which I can see but they cannot).”
I wondered about that as well, abagond. I thought,”Who’s this Garry that they’re referring to?” You don’t see this poster’s name on this thread at all. Somebody’s busted. lol!
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Sock Puppets. 😀
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I found great intrest in reading your post. I am Biracial, mixed with Black & White. Its important to aware others on a topic that is barely spot-lighted. -Erica
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@6 abagond Says:
Thu 7 Aug 2008 at 16:14:56
W”hat I wonder is if the One Drop Rule is loosening up or if “biracial” is three parts wishful thinking.
I notice that most part-black people who call themselves biracial seem to be in their early 20s. Is that because it is a pretty new thing and society is changing or is it because these people have not had the full weight of white racism fall on them yet? Will they still be “biracial” when they are 30 or 40? Or will they just be black by then?”
I have to raise my hand here. I’m in my 40’s and I’ve always used mixed simply because that’s what I am. I’m not just white or black, but also native american.
I used to work with a girl who was really truculent about being biracial, to the point where she would say loudly,at least once a day,”I’m an oreo. My mom named me Shena after some white woman raied in the jungle!”. Oh yeah, her mom was white and her dad was black.
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Ack, my spelling got the better of me! that was raised in the jungle. lol
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I can still see my self as an old lady being proud of who I am. For the simple reason that I am asked so much about what I am. For the longest time I was very insecure about being a mixed child when I was younger, because I was the minority every where I went. & I think in our present and future definately the Biracial Community is growing faster each day, because it is more accepted in society than ever before. Years go it was look at as “tainting ones race”, if two couples of opposite races wanted to be together. & its really not that long ago that it occured, because my mother had problems being a black woman wanting to date my father a white male. My dads father did not accept that, and I dont think he ever did. Its not right by far, thats why I am proud that people of opposite races can mix, we are not segregated and should not be segregated by some kind of mental state…where we think we have to be with only our race.
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Check out the new film, MULTIRACIAL IDENTITY, at Portland State University on Wed. March 3 @ 6:30 pm in the Multicultural Center (SMU 228) 1825 SW Broadway, Portland OR.
This new documentary explores the social and political impact of adding a Multiracial Category—the fastest growing demographic in America—as a stand alone racial group on the US Census. Different racial and cultural groups see multiracialism differently. For some Whites, multiracialism represents the pollution of the White race. For some Blacks it represents an attempt to escape Blackness. And for some Asians, Latinos and Arabs, multiracialism represents the dilution of the culture. Preview this 88-minute film, followed by refreshments and join the discussion with filmmaker Brian Chinhema; Ethan Johnson, PSU Black Studies; Sarah Ross, Director, HONEY (Honoring our New Ethnic Youth) Inc.; Thomas Wright, Director, Oregon Council on Multiracial Affairs; and Dana Stone, Adjunct Faculty, University of Oregon Couples & Family Therapy.
Preview of film: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehhxGC0cd4E
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It’s disheartening for outsiders to see that things haven’t apparently changed that much in the US and especially that the UK seems to slowly follow suit. As far as I remember views about ‘race’, ‘racial mixing’ etc were more progressive in the 80s and 90s in the UK as they are today. There’s been a regression in the last 10 years or so. I can see more and more self segregation of certain groups, bizarrely also in music and creative fields which is really a shame. It wasn’t like that 20 years ago. Pivotal new music genres were born out of collaborations of mixed artists, like Hip-hop (the real stuff the way it used to be), House and Drum&Bass.
Back then I saw more mixed couples in the streets than monolithic couples of ethnic minorities. I just hope the attitudes won’t slip into the dark ages where people of different ethnics are segregated.
I reckon the obsession with ‘race’ (it is, biologically speaking, still controversial if race even exists in humans) is some sort of irrational fear, a universal excuse for all sorts of conflicts. It’s instilled from an early childhood on through brainwashing and not by letting nature take its natural course. After all, we’re all genetically as different from the person next door as we are from someone living on a different continent. No human is born with a natural instinct to segregate themselves according to physical features. It’s not naturally in us as it would be detrimental for the survival of the species. Humans are group animals, so every helping hand, every kind of talent is needed to get through and be successful as a species.
A good friend of mine from Paris was born blind. His mother is African and his father European. ‘Race’ was rarely discussed in his family and the environment. Paris is very mixed anyway and there are more pressing problems than shallow discussions about someone’s ethnicity. Of course his first concern is always to get through life with his handicap but he considers himself just human. He sometimes said for certain issues in life it’s actually bliss to be blind…
Having said all that, it would be interesting to know how those who are in fact obsessed with race in humans see other countries where it’s not an issue that controls virtually every aspect of life. But I’m sure the ‘obsessed’ will always find parallels that ‘prove’ their point as they see everything through their ‘race’-tinted glasses.
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Just on a side note…
Enjoy your freedom
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lol She is blabbing and the guy wants to make out!
I know that’s not the point of the video but still, it’s funny.
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But I’m sure the ‘obsessed’ will always find parallels that ‘prove’ their point as they see everything through their ‘race’-tinted glasses.
I’m sure they will. What’s your point?
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Femi –
I touched on the census classifications and other types of “fill in the blank” forms regarding race & ethnicity over in the Afro-Latino forum. (Race is a man made construct)
It seems like the more racially diverse the U.S. (also the UK) becomes, the more it ‘feels’ like the government or other organizations want to pigeon hole people into specific categories. (I guess part of the dilemma also is that there can be benefits for society by doing this.)
“J” – had posted a comment that the UK was moving towards a “bi-racial” check box on the census there. I thought that was odd. Were you saying the U.S. is also moving in this direction?
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“Check boxes” regarding “race” might be ok for animals but not for humans.
I honestly don’t know what the UK is cooking up as I don’t live there but if it is true what you’re saying it would be absurd. Speaking for myself, I would openly protest against such nonsense.
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Just an addendum:
I’m still looking for a logical (ie. biologically/genetically plausible) definition for “bi-racial”.
“Bi” in mathematically terms means 1/2 + 1/2.
What about those who are 3/4 + 1/4? Like myself for instance. (according to those who choose to dumb it down by their standards). In fact, I have grandparents of 4 different ethnic backgrounds. Lithuanian/Jewish, Camerounaise, Polish and French. Try to put any of those into the same pot and you’ll run into a couple of problems. I know people who have great-grandparents of 8 different backgrounds.
Confusing, isn’t it?
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Ó Dochartaigh, your questions from the “colourism” post:
Okay ladies I have another question. It seems in America that bi racial children tend to consider themselves black I don’t have a %, but it seems that way to me.
I wouldn’t say that. I know a fair amount (as can be said from the small amount that I know) that consider themselves “biracial/mixed.” America is still very much black and white, but there is starting to become a definite gray area in between.
How does this effect the bonding between them and the white parent? If they consider themselves black, they accept black culture, and they look more black than white what is the relationship like?
I don’t think because the child is identifying as black that they are necessarily rejecting their white lineage. Our president considers himself a black man of mixed heritage. From what I could glean from his biography and other sources, he was/is close with the white side of his family.
My own biracial cousins are as close to their white mother as they are to their black father (my father’s brother). Two of them identify as biracial, one identifies as black. Their mother is Swedish, so they participate in aspects of Swedish culture, such as cooking Swedish dishes and having get-togethers. Their parents raised them with both cultures, rather than forcing them to choose one side and I think that was the key.
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To follow up on what Natasha said, I think one issue is that White American people don’t see themselves as having a culture or a race (unless they are fairly recent immigrants or Jewish, for example). So if White people don’t think they have a culture to pass on, the child will be raised with only the “Black” side of things. So it makes sense for him/her to identify as Black culturally, because that’s what was imparted by the parents.
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Ó Dochartaigh,
Jasmin brings up a good point about white American’s believing they don’t have a culture, thus leaving the child to identify more with their black side. However, you are Irish and follow traditional Irish culture, correct?
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Your definition of just whom is bi-Racial is a bit skewed…Lena Horne, who just recently passed on, for example had two parents that were neither all Black or White, and she is as White looking as one can be, so Your categories stating that one parent has to be of a different Race is somewhat incorrect…I am also very light skinned and can pass for anything other than Black, however neither My Mom nor My Father are White but Our Grandparents are,So if this definition is correct I’m not mixed but Black only…
I have grand kids that have one Black and one White parent but they look more Black than Me..There are many People that are mixed Asian and Black and there are some that are Native American and Black and many, many more combinations so You see there is absolutely no clear definition…
The bottom line is that This issue of Race is a European concept meant to categorize people of non European extraction. So It would be better if We ignored it completely and Classified People By ethnic origins and or association..Now there is Differences between People within the same Racial group like the Italians being different than the Swedes or the Mulatto and the Black Man but on a Grander scale there is no Pure Race and there never has been
Augustine/Comeaux
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“Whites often see biracial people as the wave of the future, as a sign that racism is going away, that because of them racism is on the way out. That is a bit wishful thinking that whites like to believe because it lets them off the hook.”
Multiracialism won’t cause perceptions of racial differences to go away, but I think it will change how race is percieved. The growth of the mixed population (both biracials and Hispanics) is closing the phenotypical discontinuity between whites and blacks. This could lead over time to the erosion of the notion of discrete races and the expansion of the idea of a color continuum.
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Hasn’t in Brazil. We have both: a color continuum AND the notion of discrete races.
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Thad, I though you said race is fluid and contextual in Brazil.
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Yes it is. These multiple axises of definition are part of what MAKE it fluid and contextual and part of what drives Yanks to distraction.
Americans want a clear-cut set of rules on racial identity. We have SEVERAL and they’ll change according to who you talk to, what you look like and what the surrounding context is.
Black and white exist as polar categories set up in opposition to one another and these can be referenced if and when they are needed.
But most people situate themselves in most situations somewhere along a continuum between those two extremes and they’ll float from side to side along that continuum as the situation demands.
So let’s say some drunk Italian-Brazilian from São Paulo is up in Bahia and starts ranting about how slow and lazy Bahians are and how it’s all due to their excess African blood. Certain Bahians listening to him might categorize themselves as black, him as white and take umbrage accordingly. But the same Italian-Brazilian listening to a white Brit yammer on and on about how Brazil is corrupt and un-western and inferior may very well situate himself as a mestiço and call the Brit a racist pig. And his Bahian opponents, faced with a set of French exchange students waxing annoyingly lyrical about Brazil’s “primitive”, “romantic” and “unspoiled” nature might call the kids to account for presuming that Brazil isn’t part of the west and might even say something like “What the hell do you think this is? Africa?”
In short, Brazilians will pretty much take any position they can if it meets their interests at the time and they’ll move from one to another as those interests change.
So given that it’s occasionally of interest to situate oneself as white or black, those two categories are indeed very much alive here in Brazil.
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One last post on this topic …
Many of the comments I’ve made on this blog about multiracialism have been admittedly hot headed. I didn’t aknowledge that the growth of multiracial identity is a morally complicated issue due to the persistence of racial inequality in American society. However, I just wanted to get across that it’s unreasonable to expect everyone between 100% and 1% African-descent to identify as black American. Individuals of African ancestry who are predominantly white have legitimate reasons to adopt a mixed or even white identity, ones which have nothing to do with racism or colorism. First, it’s natural for people in general to want an identity that reflects the bulk of their genetic heritage and their physical appearance. Second, lighter mixed people often have an easier time gaining social acceptance as white than as black these days.
It’s understandable, though, that some are worried about the state of the African American ethnic group in a time of high levels of intermarriage. For those concerned, here is an insightful piece written by a Dominican analyst of multiracialism about how black Americans can retain the loyalty of the emerging mixed population:
http://web.archive.org/web/20010409211059/interracialvoice.com/javier15.html
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FG,
That’s good of you to say so – to be honest I have not read any of your comments.
With regard to this link, I had a quick read of it but I do not understand it.
I understand that Domincan Rep. has a different racial classification to the US, something I knew before, but as for the link, I am none the wisier what it is suggesting??
Would you like to clarify?
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J,
It’s strange that you say you haven’t read any of my comments because you have responded to some of them.
The article isn’t about DR’s racial classification. It concerns the proper basis of identity or peoplehood. The author is saying that arguments for black identification based on risk of oppression are weak and unappealing. Mixed race individuals are more likely to embrace black ethnicity if it’s presented as a rich cultural heritage instead.
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FG,
Forgive me then – perhaps I should have said I do not remember any ‘hot-headed responses’ on your part.
No wonder I could not understand it. Since it was not discussing bi-racialism as ‘determined’ by a society, but rather:
“It concerns the proper basis of identity or peoplehood.”
Cheers for the clarification.
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“Forgive me then – perhaps I should have said I do not remember any ‘hot-headed responses’ on your part.”
Well that’s good to know.
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Interesting article FG! ! ! I’m actually reading more of William’s other material now.
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“Interesting article FG! ! ! I’m actually reading more of William’s other material now.”
It’s cool that you fine those articles interesting! I’m a bit surprised that some here took the time to read them and the Backintyme essays which I linked to a while ago. Those pieces seem pretty niche to me, but it’s a good sign that those who aren’t of heavily mixed background would take an interest in the subject.
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CONTINUED FROM “BLACK WOMEN THAT WHITE MEN LIKE” THREAD:
Jasmin: “By your definition, I am mixed–what up, cuz?”
Me: “I seriously doubt that.”
Islandgirl: “Yeah, I sensed the condensending nature of that comment.”
Well Islandgirl it’s just that I rarely hear of actual mixed people (regardless of which race they identify with) that dismiss other mixed people’s reports of social troubles, advocate hardcore application of the One Drop Rule, and promote the idea that European-looking mixed people are genetic frauds who “pass for white.” That’s all.
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FG,
That would be a good point–if I ever said any of those things. I’m sorry you hate yourself, but that’s your issue, not mine.
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Lol.
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FG,
I consider myself mixed. Imagine that! 😉
We all understand your need to construct your identity, and nobody can prevent you from doing it… But it’s not really productive to turn every single post into mixed people discussion and to assume everybody is attacking you when, as far as I can tell, nobody cares.
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“We all understand your need to construct your identity, and nobody can prevent you from doing it… But it’s not really productive to turn every single post into mixed people discussion and to assume everybody is attacking you when, as far as I can tell, nobody cares.”
I disagree that nobody cares. In the US, attacks on mixed people and mixed identity have been appearning constantly in the press, “academia”, and on blogs like this for years. I’m afraid you aren’t very perceptive.
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I disagree that nobody cares. In the US, attacks on mixed people and mixed identity have been appearning constantly in the press, “academia”, and on blogs like this for years. I’m afraid you aren’t very perceptive.
I’m not saying your experience is worthless or that you lie. I don’t know what you’re facing in real life. However, do think nobody here cares. Nobody was attacking you, or other mixed individuals (at least none of the regular commenters).
The truth is, you do make all of the discussions about mixed people, regardless if it’s about them or not. Furthermore, you make everybody look like they are against you or biracial people, even those who never said anything of the sorts*.
So you can’t blame commenters who lost their patience with you.
*You can’t really count the fact not many people here believe biracials are superior to monoracials. Befause, after all, nobody said biracials are inferior to monoracials, remember?
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“I’m not saying your experience is worthless or that you lie. I don’t know what you’re facing in real life. However, do think nobody here cares. Nobody was attacking you, or other mixed individuals (at least none of the regular commenters).”
First, you need to understand that a great deal of racism in the US is expressed through coded language. Racism towards mixed people is no different. Words like “one drop rule”, “passing for white”, and “self-hatred” come to mind in this regard. Sometimes it’s more overt, like when Natasha starts questioning the validity of mixed race identity by putting scare quotes around the word. I’m not trying to shut you out of discussion, but you may be having trouble picking up on this because you’ve never even visited the US.
“The truth is, you do make all of the discussions about mixed people, regardless if it’s about them or not. ”
I’m only reacting to what other people say. I rarely bring up the issue out of the blue.
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FG:
Where have I ever attacked biracials?
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Racism towards mixed people is no different. Words like “one drop rule”, “passing for white”, and “self-hatred” come to mind in this regard.
True, I don’t live in US (like you often remind me). But I honestly thought none of the things you mentioned had anything to do with problems of biracial identity. “One drop rule” was hardly invented by blacks to prevent biracials to identify as such instead of black (like you seem to see ODR). “Passing for white” is self explanatory- it has nothing to do with blacks per se, but the way whites see you. Alternatively, you may be white but can’t pass as such. In any case, you must admit the way whites saw you was more important than how blacks or any other group saw you.
As for self-hatred, I don’t understand how that is connected to the biracials specifically.
I’m only reacting to what other people say. I rarely bring up the issue out of the blue.
Eh… Your mileage may vary here.
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Now, I must say in theory, it should not be difference between black and white (ha!), in a way that biracials (black/white ones) can freely choose the way they want to identify themselves. So just like Obama chose to identify as black despite having a white mother, another biracial can identify as white despite having a black mother.
But… It’s not the same. It is more “difficult” for a biracial to be recognized as white than black. You do understand this, but you seem to blame blacks for it. I might not have any experience with the life in the US but I don’t really buy it.
PS-What is true is that blacks were more ready to accept biracials as one of their own, regardless if they looked like Obama or Wentworth Miller. It’s also true that whites rarely saw biracials as one of their own. Whites would (maybe?) accept only Wentworth but not Obama. You seem to get angry when blacks see “white looking” biracials as one of their own.
Sorry it this sounded like psychoanalysis or ad hominem.
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Do you have issues FG? Serious question. Very serious. Not issues like your car broke down, but serious psychological issues.
You must have. I don’t know WHAT happened to you to make you so paranoid, negative, and petulant, but it might not be irreversible. FYI, I put quotes around a lot of things. This is not mean to “scare” (see… there it is again). Perhaps if you got out of the 24/7 focus you have on this topic you’d realize how irrational you’re being.
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I’ve been reading your blogs for a while now, first time posting though. I agree with what you’ve said, because biracials are put in the category “black” all of a sudden it’s like they have to choose to be one or the other and they should be allowed to embrace both cultures.
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Princess,
Biracials should have freedom to identify any way they want, just like other people. Nobody can tell you how you should feel, or to force you to see yourself as X if you feel more like Y.
However, the tricky part with any identification is that it’s about the way others see you as much as it is about the way you see yourself. So while nobody can force you to see yourself in a way you don’t want to, you can’t make others see you the way you want to be seen. It doesn’t work that way.
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@Mira,
Sorry, I don’t think you know what you’re talking about. I’ve been pointing out this entire time that the biracial experience is heavily dependent on physical appearance, so I don’t understand why you feel the need to point that out. You also seem to not understand the purpose of the so-called “outing” of and “passing” accusations directed towards mixed white people like Jennifer Beals and Anatole Broyard.
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What part of my comment didn’t acknowledge that biracial experience is dependent on physical appearance?
Also, you do seem to accuse black people way too much for the suffering of biracials.
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“What part of my comment didn’t acknowledge that biracial experience is dependent on physical appearance?”
No, you seemed to imply that I didn’t aknowledge this, but I have the entire time.
“Also, you do seem to accuse black people way too much for the suffering of biracials.”
I’m shedding light on an issue that has recieve almost no attention in discussions of social problems. There’s nothing wrong with that.
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I’m shedding light on an issue that has recieve almost no attention in discussions of social problems. There’s nothing wrong with that.
Of course not. However, you seem to a) completely underplay white people’s role in this and b) attack random people on this blog who never spoke bad about biracials.
That is what often makes discussion with you impossible. I can see many commenters gave up. I don’t know why I’m still trying to discuss these issues with you. Maybe I sympathize with you because I see myself as mixed and often have identity problems.
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Racism towards mixed people is no different.
You are quite correct. Unless the ‘biracial’ has a white phenotype, they will be perceived as black. Hence the racism directed at them. When a ‘biracial’ with a white phenotype apprises people to the fact that they have recent African ancestry, people’s attitudes towards them changes. I have seen this. I have seen this on numerous occasions, speaking in anecdotal terms of course. Another form of racism directed at ‘white’ looking ‘biracials’, is that of the third party sort. That is, the racist name calling and jokes directed at blacks. You see, the whites doing this may not realize that the person who looks ‘white’ is of partial African descent. These situations effect two things; 1.The person becomes outraged at this behaviour and lets the perpetrator know this. 2. Does nothing at all, and may even join in the fun, thereby further internalizing their own racism. It does not matter if they perceive themselves as ‘white’ but ‘mixed’ or identify themselves as ‘black’. It is how they react to such racist behaviour. So yes, they are affected by racism, but not in the way you suggest.
As for the notion of self-hatred, many people suffer from this. It can manifest in many ways. Perhaps the feel they are too skinny, fat ,short, tall, etc etc. In this instance, it manifests itself in the socially constructed notion of race. Most racialized people suffer from this in various degrees. Obviously some more than others. The trick is to recognize it for what it is and be honest with oneself. It is only then one can come to terms with one’s identity. It’s like being an alcoholic, you will always be one. When you become aware, you can combat this internalized racism. You are an individual, but keep in mind that there is a difference between how you see yourself and how others see you regardless of your phenotype, once it is revealed that you are who you are. Of course you can always hide who you are. By the way, it appears that you may have a crush on Natasha, admit it!
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“Of course not. However, you seem to … b) attack random people on this blog who never spoke bad about biracials. ”
I think they were talking bad about biracials. Sorry, I like reading 18th century political tracts and I’ve picked up the acerbic rhetorical style that’s often found in them.
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Everyone has a crush on me! I take it as a compliment that people notice me or the things I do. I have to take a day off soon to figure out why I’m so fabulous.
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You are an individual, but keep in mind that there is a difference between how you see yourself and how others see you regardless of your phenotype, once it is revealed that you are who you are.
Exactly!
In FG’s defense, he claims he never hides his African ancestry. But I believe he said whites never change their attitudes towards him; blacks do (FG, correct me if I’m wrong here). I must admit I find this rather confusing.
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I think they were talking bad about biracials.
Ok, I guess you can say we disagree on this one…
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Herneith doesn’t know what she’s talking about. On previous occasions, she’s spouted the “anything but black” codeword, so take what she says with a grain of salt.
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And remember that white-ish biracials are rare in the US and probably even rarer in Canada, so it’s unlikely she’s even encountered one in real life.
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Natasha,
I think guys like smart girls who are into sciences (even though they don’t want to admit it 😉 ). Plus, you have a really beautiful name (I love it!) So these might be the reasons…
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Mira,
“Of course not. However, you seem to a) completely underplay white people’s role in this”
Sure enough. But he downplays the role of whites in anything bad in America. Seriously. Even whites don’t give whites as much of a pass as he does. Then he says he doesn’t get the concept of internalized racism. LOL! Look in the mirror: it’s staring right at you.
“and b) attack random people on this blog who never spoke bad about biracials.”
“Attack”? I call it throwing a hissy fit. In my mind, I can see the legs kicking in the air.
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Ha, thanks Mira. And I think you might be right about the sciences/”smarteh” thing. My SO did say he found my debate style attractive. But he’s attracted to mean women.
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FG,
My cousins and several friends of mine are “whiteish” biracials, it’s common in the city where I live. (I am from Canada BTW
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“You are an individual, but keep in mind that there is a difference between how you see yourself and how others see you regardless of your phenotype, once it is revealed that you are who you are. ”
Based on my own personal experiences and those of other biracials, most people (even in the US) judge you by what you look like. The idea that one’s true identity is determined by invisible ancestry is part of the dying ODR ideology.
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“My cousins and several friends of mine are “whiteish” biracials, it’s common in the city where I live. (I am from Canada BTW”
I’m probably a bit older than you. There seem to be very few in my cohort.
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It’s not like it doesn’t make any sense, but someone’s phenotype doesn’t have to match that person’s ancestry in any way (you said people tell you you look Mediterranean or Latino, right? Which you are not, am I correct?). So how do you feel about people seeing you as, say, Mediterranean guy?
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“It’s not like it doesn’t make any sense, but someone’s phenotype doesn’t have to match that person’s ancestry in any way (you said people tell you you look Mediterranean or Latino, right? Which you are not, am I correct?). So how do you feel about people seeing you as, say, Mediterranean guy?”
Ummm … stereotypical-looking Latinos and Mediterraneans are mixed, not necessarily with Sub-Saharan African, but definitely mixed.
Even I’m getting bored with this topic.
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Natasha,
Haha, weren’t we just talking about internet stalkers?
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Ummm … stereotypical-looking Latinos and Mediterraneans are mixed, not necessarily with Sub-Saharan African, but definitely mixed.
So, you believe you are seen as mixed? Then I honestly don’t see the problem: that is how you see yourself, and that is how others see you. Problem solved?
Even I’m getting bored with this topic.
Please, don’t! Finally, this is the right place to discuss biracial issues and you are bored? I thought you wanted to talk about it (all the time, actually), so here’s the chance.
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Herneith doesn’t know what she’s talking about. On previous occasions, she’s spouted the “anything but black” codeword, so take what she says with a grain of salt.
Yes, take what I say with a ‘grain of salt’, and I will afford you the same courtesy. As for not knowing what I am talking about, I can assure you, you are quite wrong! The anything but black is not a code word dear. It is exactly what it says.
And remember that white-ish biracials are rare in the US and probably even rarer in Canada, so it’s unlikely she’s even encountered one in real life.
The whitish biracials are rare in the States and even rarer in Canada? Now who’s taking things with a grain of salt? “Whitish” biracials in the States have historically hidden their African ancestry, hence, many people may not be aware of their mixidness. Many passed for ‘white’. They ain’t that ‘rare’. They just choose not to apprise people of this fact. They may not even be aware of it. You could choose to do the same as you appear to have a problem with people who choose to identify as they wish. If they are ‘mixed’ and choose one identity over another, particularly black, you are up in arms. Sh#t or get off the pot. As for black Canadians, which is a very tiny group in Canada, I DO know what I am talking about. 80 % of the escaped slaves were males. Who do you think they married or bred with? Natives for the most part in the early days. Most multi-generational black Canadians have a high degree of Native admixture, and I am not speaking of a mysterious great-grandmother ten times removed. Secondly, many bred with whites. There were whitish biracials as you call it. Some assimilated into the white community, willfully forgetting their African ancestry.
There are and I know, many whitish looking biracials and blacks. Many of which are contained in my family and others. My family members run the gamut from the darkest to the whitish as you call them. I am familiar with the various black communities around Ontario and visited most of them. MY brother in law for example, has many family members who are ‘whitish’. Woe betide the fool who mistakes them for anything but black! Hence my term ‘anything but black’. Race is a social construct as is culture. These people for whatever reason, retained a black identity due to this socially constructed culture. Many of them returned to the States and sought out family for whom they were separated during slavery. Many moved to the States in recent times so they could find mates(the pickings were slim in many communities unless you were not adverse to marrying a cousin), My father’s oldest sister married a Georgian for example. In fact, a lot of the Black Canadian women did this and continue to do this to this day, I have several cousins, male and female, who have moved to the States and consequently married. There are black communities sprinkled throughout Canada such as Nova Scotia. As for the aboriginal heritage, I can register as an Ojibwa, or a Chickasaw and on the American side Cherokee(that one is iffy though as far as registering is concerned), as several family members have. I haven’t. You know why? Because I was raised from an early age with a black identity. I am quite aware of my ancestry in all its facets. I don’t deny them if pressed. It depends on the motives of those asking. This mixed phenomena is fairly recent. I think it is another facet of racism, yes, anything but black. So shoot me for being a proud black Canadian!
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Herneith, don’t get me wrong, but… You go, girl!
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“This mixed phenomena is fairly recent. I think it is another facet of racism, yes, anything but black.”
No it isn’t recent. The One Drop Rule wasn’t even legally institutionalized in the United States until the early 20th century. The “mulatto” category appeared on the US Census as late as 1930. Of course there are alot of people like yourself who want to convince everyone that it’s an ancient and immutable tradition. And no, I don’t think recognition and celebration of mixed race identity is racism. In fact, I think anyone who supports the ODR of whatever color is a racist. Give it up. We all know it’s a hoax to keep mixed people down.
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“They may not even be aware of it. You could choose to do the same as you appear to have a problem with people who choose to identify as they wish. If they are ‘mixed’ and choose one identity over another, particularly black, you are up in arms. ”
Actually, I’ve never criticized mixed people for their identity choices, regardless of what they choose. In fact, you’re the one who below this statement referred to mixed identity as “another facet of racism.” So you’re not even making a coherent argument.
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“In fact, I think anyone who supports the ODR of whatever color is a racist.”
I should have said “is guilty of racism.”
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Well, there’s racism and then there’s racialism, FG. the two aren’t exactly the same.
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This says it all:
We all know it’s a hoax to keep mixed people down.
Keep them down from what?
I have to LOL at a lot of you comments FG. On one hand, if a biracial, especially a famous one, decides to adopt a black identity, per you, they are succumbing to the forces of anti-mixed racism forced upon them by blacks looking to “keep them down”(still have no idea what this means). However a mixed individual that adopts a white identity is progressive and bravely bucking the racist one-drop-rule.
Also you made a point on bringing up Jennifer Beals and Anatole Broyard. I have never heard or read anything from anyone accusing Jennifer Beals of being a “genetic fraud” or “sellout”. I dont know where you get this BS from. I have, however heard Anatole Bayard called out. Surely you know why….. Apparently Bayard say himself as a “genetic fraud” and impostor of whiteness and thats why he felt the need to abandon his black wife and child, and keep them a secret til his death, same with his sister Shirley. Surely you know Broyand wanted to pass so his works could be rendered ‘raceless’ and we already know you have to be considered WHITE in the US before you can officially be “raceless”…
But forgive us blacks for seeing Broyard as a self-hating piece of trash and not romanticizing him as a progressive mixed-white looking to rock the boat of racial identity in the US…
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To me, saying you are mixed is saying that you are proud of BOTH of your races, not denouncing one race over the other. We have 3 mixed daughters and we say mixed proudly. If they were to call themselves black it would be to say that I (their white mother) did not give birth to them. If they were to call themselves white it would be to say that their black father did not help create them.
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Cheryl–
To me, saying you are mixed is saying that you are proud of BOTH of your races, not denouncing one race over the other. We have 3 mixed daughters and we say mixed proudly. If they were to call themselves black it would be to say that I (their white mother) did not give birth to them. If they were to call themselves white it would be to say that their black father did not help create them.
RDKirk–
How old are they and what is your racial environment like? Would you be unable to understand if, in the future, they make a specific “identification” in order to have a table to sit at in the cafeteria? That’s a school metaphor, but it’s applicable in corporate society as well.
With the election of–hmm–a bi-racial president, the US has become more obviously racially polarized than it has been for the last 30 years. Like standing on the line in the middle of a highway, attempting to straddle both lanes gets you run over by traffic in both directions.
There is REASON why Obama identifies himself as black, and it’s not because he disrespects his mother or his grandparents.
That may change in the future, but I’m afraid that’s going to be a future beyond my lifetime.
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“I have to LOL at a lot of you comments FG. On one hand, if a biracial, especially a famous one, decides to adopt a black identity, per you, they are succumbing to the forces of anti-mixed racism forced upon them by blacks looking to “keep them down”(still have no idea what this means). However a mixed individual that adopts a white identity is progressive and bravely bucking the racist one-drop-rule. ”
First, I have never expressed any disapproval of biracial people identifying as black. What I have criticized are attempts to impose black (or non-white) identity on mixed people.
As for my argument that the ODR is a strategy for suppressing multiracials, perhaps I should provide a bit of context. As we all know, the US population has traditionally been divided into two social conflict groupings: “blacks” and “whites.” The barrier to social interaction between the members of the two sides is known as the “color line”. A recurrent issue is on which side of the line mixed race people belong. Those who espouse ODR want to push the color line as far in the white direction as possible, so that individuals such as Jennifer Beals who are predominantly white in ancestry and phenotype are considered to belong to a social grouping opposed to whites. However, under such a regime, near-white mixed people would not only be unable to integrate into white society but would also have great difficulty integrating into black society due to the substantial phenotypical and cultural differences between them and actual blacks. But this is the entire point. Those who espouse ODR want to push mixed whites into the shadows of American society.
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Thankfully the starkly dichotomous racialism that I’ve described appears to be going the way of the Dodo. I was surprised when I began reading the comments on this blog that some people are still pushing this Jim Crow BS. I’m rather old by the standards of those of mixed parentage, yet I can’t remember ever encountering individuals who applied such thinking to me. ODR has been steadily morphing over time from unquestioned orthodoxy or “doxa” to merely a desperate political ploy by insecure people.
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My mom refers to herself as multiracial now. She doesn’t care who agrees or who doesn’t.
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Good on your mom! She shouldn’t!
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thanks Thad. Btw, I checked out your blog and found it really good and interesting. 🙂
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@ Mei Ly
Your mum knows best what she is. That’s the bottom line. Even if she was unsure, what difference does it make? I think it takes a lot of arrogance when people classify someone they know nothing about, simply judging by their looks. If someone looks “ambiguous” or “unclassifiable” then it’s just that. Unclassifiable. End of story. Who cares?
If “ambiguously” looking persons choose to reveal their heritage, outsiders have to accept every bit of it, not just the bits they see fit into their judgement and ideology.
Having said that, those silly checkboxes might as well be abolished where they still exist.
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Both sides of my family are multiracial but on my moms side we claim it more. but i think most people in this country can. honestly i don’t really care what people label me. if they ask me i will say. and I agree with your words Femi, who cares. Of course I do understand when people ask out of curiosity. I at times ask. Not because I “care” but because I am a very curious person who really likes different cultures and such.
Question. Should the checkboxes be completely abolished? Do you think there are instances when they could be used for various data?
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@ Mei Ly
I usually also assume that asking out of curiosity on a direct interpersonal level is benign and probably innocent. Especially when it’s asked by people in a friendly, informal context you have a good vibe about. I was brought up that way and with just a couple of exceptions throughout my life it never backfired.
My mother was often asked casually if she was antillaise, métisse or even 100% African. To people she had good vibes about she would tell them the whole story. To others that didn’t seem trustworthy she would just say “I’m me. All that counts is what I’m saying, no?”
However it might also happen out of not so innocent intentions. For instance to gain ground for stereotyping or even ad hominem attacks (here we go again). “Ha! you see I knew it. Typical to think like that for a …… ” (insert ignorant stereotype).
And even that is still nothing compared to what can be done with the data in the hands of people you haven’t even met and most likely never will. You don’t even know where your personal data goes and how many people have gained access to it.
Call me paranoid but thinking about it, I will always find more potential misuse than benefits in collecting ethnic, and also religious data.
Speaking about the countries that do collect ethnic (“racial”) data, there is one big contradiction in it. It’s mainly those countries where many citizens (possibly the majority in some of them) are from mildly to deeply mistrustful of their own government. There are a lot of proponents of “the less government the better” or “the government has too much control over the people”, “the government misuses the information it has” etc. But when it comes to the “race” checkboxes, everybody seems to agree. Suddenly all the worries about governmental interference are gone. About what could be done and what already has been done with that data without the people’s knowledge.
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It’s also interesting that some frame mixed race identity as inappropriate racialism but nevertheless are conscious enough of mixedness to point out that not all white men “go for light-skinned women with long, straight hair” and rely heavily and unquestioningly on a dichotomous “black”/”white” distinction. If “race” doesn’t or shouldn’t matter, why designate some people as black and some as white at all?
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@Femi,
The potential effect of government collection on “racial” data goes beyond the misuse of the data. The listing of the categories on the US Census and other government forms act to create the categories in people’s minds (“socially constructs” them). The average person does not think critically about these issues. If they see just the options of “white, black, Asian, and Native American” on the forms, they’ll be inclined to conceive of all people as belonging to one of those categories. There is no “multiracial” or “mixed” category due to pressure from “minority” advocacy groups (though sometimes multiple boxes can be checked), so perception of racial ambiguity is dim. Ubiquitous government collection of racial data combined with the lack of multiracial categories thus promote the sharply divided racial structure of American society. This state of affairs is obviously not conducive to the social flourishing of racially ambiguous people. But that’s the entire point!
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Umm my name is Cherno and I was born in Sweden to a Swedish mother and a Nigerian father and I consider myself white because I am closer-related to my Swedish relatives and deeply accepted by them, none of them have ever turned me down!!! SInce I moved to Canada, I have visited Sweden almost every summer and everyone there speaks to me in Swedish, it’s not like they think I am “totally” different, so I think you guys need to stop calling Mulattos/biracials/white/black BLACK! Like seriously, you guys need to get a life, I do not consider myself black at all, nor do I want to be called that in any way, I would NEVER tell someone I am black, over my dead body! As a matter of fact, I hate my black side and I am sorry for my father but this is the truth, I identify and am much closer to my mother’s family and my relatives! I would literally change myself if I have to to look “more white” even, even though people can still tell I am mixed and that the Swedish is there.
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test—————————————
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@abagond:
You said:
…….”Whites often see biracial people as the wave of the future, as a sign that racism is going away, that because of them racism is on the way out. That is a bit wishful thinking that whites like to believe because it lets them off the hook…..”
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I say:
Read below over the squabbling when it comes to ANYBODY mixed with BLACK. I don’t know how old you are or what BS bubble you are in- I am getting kind of sick & tired of reading all this crap about how bi-racial kids being just fine- maybe the ones who are mixed with ANYTHING besides Black,. Tell the truth-
WHITE people do NOT see (1/2 Black kids) as the wave of the future-
BLACK people see 1/2 black, 1/2 white kids that way-
to shield them from the white people/build a bridge with white people. MANY many black people use 1/2 black children for this cause and that my friend is WRONG.
Because these kids suffer even worse than if they were JUST Black or JUST White. And THAT is what that man who would not marry the Bi-racial couple is TALKING ABOUT.
All other mixtures just get accepted into white culture AS IF they were white- mixed with Asian, mixed with Jewish, mixed with anything besides black.
Sorry, but tell the truth.
And Black-be MEN- men-hold up your black queens instead of trying to assimilate with these poor 1/2 mixed up babies.
These kids don’t ask to come here and shouldn’t be charged unwittingly & insidiously with fighting battles they did not ask to come here to fight.
Just stop it.
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Marci asked:
Marci
@6 abagond Says:
Thu 7 Aug 2008 at 16:14:56
“……………W”hat I wonder is if the One Drop Rule is loosening up or if “biracial” is three parts wishful thinking.
I notice that most part-black people who call themselves biracial seem to be in their early 20s. Is that because it is a pretty new thing and society is changing or is it because these people have not had the full weight of white racism fall on them yet? Will they still be “biracial” when they are 30 or 40? Or will they just be black by then?”……………….”
La Reyna said:
“…………………As we are heading toward Novemeber election, the mainstream media and society’s fanatical obsession with Barack Obama. It seems that not a day pass without analyzing Barack’s every move, issues, speeches, and, above all, his racial heritage. Steve Sailer is real good about analyzing Barack Obama’s ethnic heritage. He wants to find out as much about his African and White ancestors and family so that his bigoted followers can use them as a weapon against him in the political arena.
I can go on and on about mainstream society’s fascination and contempt of Black/Nonblack multiracials………………”
Stay tuned for more.
Steph
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Furthermore-
Racism is ALIVE and WELL-
To be “Color-blind” and all this other non-sense is just IRRESPONSIBLE in today’s society.
See Obama’s campaign and see why SO many ‘bi-racial’ people just GIVE UP on all the ‘fluffy white cloud’ I can respect & embrace both sides- America TELLS them “YOU ARE BLACK”. Period. At the end of the day.
If parents do not teach their “bi-racial” children to be BLACK and PROUD of that, then the children are headed for TROUBLE emotionally throughout their lives.
There are too many bi-racial kids who have expressed this- on-line. in person., famous, (Mariah, Halle) not-famous—and it was VERY PAINFUL for them.
Do you think they are all MAKING THAT UP?
It isn’t right.
Raise your bi-racial kids as BLACK, healthy and PROUD. Don’t try to make them white kids, because they, ultimately, are NOT.
And white society will TELL THEM THAT TRUTH one day- if they are not prepared, they can be potentially confused and in a screwed-up mind-set.
Life is hard enough. There is no reason for that kind of crap on top of it.
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This topic makes me angry.
I do not mean to bash black men, but they are NOT doing their jobs as men, in terms of A LOT of things.
Their minds are still enslaved.
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Well, I never understood that “biracial” concept, that is if race is understood as something biological, “Bi-” inplies two wholes. So somebody claims being fully black and fully white as well, to me that sounds rather oxymoronic.
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I never understood the biracial label. Why can’t they just be labeled as mixed? It doesn’t make sense that just because Halle Berry had a white and black parent that she is biracial, but Vanessa Williams is just black. I understand that in our society, mixed people ‘mess up’ the racial status and fuse the lines, but mixed people have forever existed and are only growing more and more day by day. We, as a society, just need to acknowledge that some people are mixed. It will be a very long time before that happens, especially with half black and half white people. Always considered black unless they look very very white.
Of course, why label at all?
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Mixed races are “blacks” coz the white man doesnt want them near his master race.Blacks didnt create the first mixed-races,whites did!They raped millions of africans women and the result is all these shades within the black communities all over the world.It doesnt make sense for someone who has white genes to be called black.Black should be reserved to true african people as white is reserved to european,The common concept of “blackness” does not add up!Why can collin powell be “black” and not white?This nonsense must end!
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kossinaa
There were many “mixed race” people long before the ascent of the Europeans. On another thread we were discussing the mixed race of the antique Egyptians.
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I know this is an old post (I am fairly recent to Agabond) but pretty soon being biracial, multi-racial or mono-racial will all be moot. The younger generations take it for granted and the issue will be one inter-racial butterfly.
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if your not black or white or look maybe one or the other your mixed iif you like it or not latinos are mixed with black asians india etc bottom line all over the world wether mixed people frizz there hair excepct your you are alive thats all that matters
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“The U.S. follows the One Drop Rule: if you look at all part black African you are considered to be all black. ”
Except, like all U.S. hegemonic racial projects, this only applies when it serves the interests of white supremacy, and is flipped when it doesn’t. Ballerina Misty Copeland has two Black (half Black half white) parents, calls herself Black, and publicly criticizes the lack of people of color in professional ballet. Her white critics who don’t want any disturbance of the status quo give her sh*t along the lines of “she’s not even that Black.”
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