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I see the legacy of the one-drop rule as something that is largely self-imposed today. After all, there is no longer any legal requirement that a person born of one black and one white parent be considered black, but they typically self-identity that way. Are they not saying to the world that their "blackness" somehow overrides their "whiteness", just as racist laws once did? I am actually heartened by the recent trend among young biracial people to fully embrace both halves of their heritage, and hope to see more of it. People can't really be themselves if for whatever reason, they think that they need to subtly or overtly reject half of their genetic inheritance.
I don't think the is true at all. It really has nothing to do with legalities even though the census still has the unnecessary race categories to check off. The one-drop rule was imposed by society. Many people still think that way. As an example, Obama could not identify as same race as his white mother. Society would reject that. If he was walking along just about any street (and no one knew him), they would decide he is black because of his phenotype.
I have a first cousin whose mother is black and father white. She passes for white. Furthermore, she married an Italian and have 2 adult children. Both of them identify as white and look mostly that way. If you take a second look, you can see a few negroid features.
KA, Are you saying that because that child refers to him/herself as black they are excluding and rejecting their European heritage? My heart certainly goes out to you if they've rejected you because you and their relatives have white skin.
Some basic anthropology courses can clear up the messy distinctions many make and more importantly enhance a sincere person's outlook on life and others. If just one ancestor in our lineages were altered (among other chance occurrences), we'd have missed the boat on life.
If he was walking along just about any street (and no one knew him), they would decide he is black because of his phenotype.
^ So true. Suffice it to say that there are plenty of folks walking around who look like Obama, Halle Berry, Meghan Markle, Tiger Woods, or some variation of the above. In the right setting, or in a crowd of other AAs, or in a description given to the police, they would be "black" and their heritage not given one pittance of consideration. But depending on whose doing the selling and what they're trying to sell (be it their beauty, intelligence, competence) they are described as "biracial".
What's talked about less often is the fact that there are just as many bi/multi racial folks who are dark, have rich features, and/or tightly coiled hair walking about w/o much fuss because they are not easily identified as "mixed race" or having white parentage.
I don't think the is true at all. It really has nothing to do with legalities even though the census still has the unnecessary race categories to check off. The one-drop rule was imposed by society. Many people still think that way. As an example, Obama could not identify as same race as his white mother. Society would reject that. If he was walking along just about any street (and no one knew him), they would decide he is black because of his phenotype.
I have a first cousin whose mother is black and father white. She passes for white. Furthermore, she married an Italian and have 2 adult children. Both of them identify as white and look mostly that way. If you take a second look, you can see a few negroid features.
I am not espousing that they identify instead with the race of the other parent. I'm saying that they should be free to identify (and be accepted) as a mixture of both. If every time someone called Obama "the first black President" to his face, he had countered with, "Well, actually I'm the first biracial President" that would have gone a long way toward raising awareness for biracial identity. I don't like that anyone, even the President of the United States, feels it necessary to reject, diminish, or disregard half of his parentage in order to embrace and be embraced by the other half.
I am not espousing that they identify with the race of the other parent. I'm saying that they should be free to identify (and be accepted) as a mixture of both.
If every time someone called Obama "the first black President" to his face, he had countered with, "Well, actually I'm the first biracial President" that would have gone a long way toward raising awareness for biracial identity. I don't like the idea that anyone, even the President of the United States, feels it necessary to reject, diminish, or disregard half of his parentage.
Good point. I often wondered why his mother never seemed to take offence on that.
For instance, it is hurtful to me for one of my four children to basically reject her European heritage (and anyone in the family who looks to be of European ancestry) and to go full bore so to speak with the whole "I'm black" thing. Yes, she certainly has African heritage as well as European heritage but she is AMERICAN - not just "African American."
As the mother of four multiracial kids, I never expected or encouraged any of them to eschew any part of their heritage, so it hurts my feelings for her to basically exclude half her heritage. But that's her thing, it's her life, it's not my life. If it's how she identifies then so be it.
It just doesn't seem that difficult for the other three kids to fully embrace all of who they are.[/QUOTE]
You just have to accept that she is just different from the others, and that's not unusual. It's not uncommon for one child to be vastly different from their siblings, I see that often. As long as you have raised her to be a decent person, that's all that really matters.
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Oops. I guess I posted before I really thought about it.
