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I hope this thread is not too controversial, but for quite sometime, I've noticed that mixed raced children (with one black parent) are often labeled as black. Mixed race children who are white/Asian, Hispanic/Asian, Native American/White, Arab/white, or any other combination are however, viewed as 'mixed,' and not solely labeled as one race.
I'm black American and I clearly understand the history of slavery, etc and the "one drop rule," but what I don't understand is the insistence on continuing to keep the "one drop rule" alive. In truth, I've heard a number of blacks state that a black/white person is black, I've even heard black guys and white women state that their children are black. And of course, we all know that the majority of white & black Americans view Obama as black, despite the fact that his mom is white. I'm very perplexed by this, because from my understanding, it takes two black people to create a black child, just as it takes two white people to create a white child.
What does this say about the black American identity, if a black/Asian, black/white, black/etc, are labeled by society as black? Is it merely political?
On another note, are Soledad Obrien's children black as well, since her mom is a black Hispanic? Are they mixed, since Soledad is half Australian and half black/Hispanic, or white since her husband is white, and the children have mostly white lineage?
Recall Karyn Parsons from the "Fresh Prince of Bel Air." Karyn is mixed (half black/half white), but are her children black? Or are they white, since her husband is white and they clearly favor the father.
Is Wentworth Miller (Actor) black as well, since he has one African parent & one European parent?
This is all very confusing and it seems politically driven.
Those children would be considered by many/most folks as white based on appearance. On the other hand many/most mixed race (white/black) folks don't look like your examples. For what it's worth I'm given to understand that in africa most american blacks would be considered white. No I have no link for that assertion but having met some nigerian sailors in athens once I can understand just how that "might" be true.
For those of you so much in love with racial classifications, do you really want to go down the road of casta? Seems like a lot of trouble for no benefit at all. Of course we just call all the people in that article Hispanic
Quote:
Other fanciful terms existed, such as a torna atrás (literally, "turns back") and tente en el aire ("hold-yourself-in-midair") in New Spain or a requinterón in Peru, which implied that a child of only one-sixteenth Black ancestry is born looking Black to seemingly white parents. These terms were rarely used in legal documents and existed mostly in the New Spanish phenomenon of Casta paintings (pinturas de castas), which showed possible mixtures down to several generations.
Most half black half white people look much closer to black than they do white, so I think that is why they still get the black label. The pictures you posted are not the norm. I have one friend who has just one black great grand parent yet he looks very black. I found out just yesterday that one of my awuaintences was half white. Obama looks much more black than white. My own half brother is half white yet looks entirely native American. That is more of the norm.
Disagree. Most biracial people look mixed. It's just that most people are so used to identifying biracial people as 'black' that they forget what real black people look like. If you were to put me next to a mixed person, you'd know the difference between someone who is mixed, and someone who is authentically 'black' (which is me)
Even "light skin blacks" have lots of dark relatives. About 3/4 ths of African Americans are at least 12.5 European, and about half are at least 25% European. Even those who are half European (Condi Rice, Henry Louis Gates) are darker than lots of "unmixed" blacks.
Nope, you don't know what the hell you're talking about. I am darker than condoleeza rice and I am an unmixed black. Really tired of people acting like black women like me don't exist. the entire black race in america is not all high yella and mixed
I think it depends on what the person looks like. For example, my good friend is half Black and half White. However, he looks very White. He doesn't look like he has a drop of Black blood in him despite the fact that his father is a Black man with a dark medium brown complexion and dreadlocks. My friend also grew up partially in a pretty much entirely Black environment in DC in the 80's and early 90's. However, I have heard him describe himself as "White" because he looks so White. Because of this, he also doesn't dress like the stereotypical brother from the hood wearing the latest Nikes and snapback/fitted caps with stickers attached to brims etc. He styles his hair and dresses more like an average White dude because he would look like a White wannabe dressing that way in the town we live in. If you saw this guy and he told you he was half Black, you wouldn't believe him unless you met his family. Some people would probably even get mad if he told them he was Black and might hurt him because they thought he was lying. Since society sees him as a White guy from his overwhelmingly Caucasian features, he identifies as White in certain social contexts. The other day, he was complaining that he never had a Black girlfriend because most Black women he likes won't give him the time of day and have called him "Whiteboy" and such despite the fact that he is half Black and was raised in a very Black environment by a Black father. It all has to do with appearances. For example, Barack Obama did not grow up in a Black environment and he was often the only Black person around in his household, neighborhood and the schools he attended in Hawaii and Indonesia. Yet, people label Obama as Black simply because he looks the part. If Obama was more like my White looking mixed race friend, much less people would be willing to label him as a Black man.
Agreed. Many real light skin "Black" people wouldn't be safe in many Black ghettos, especially those who have white skin, straight hair, thin noses and lips.
My grandson passes as black not as white. He is a very handsome young man with a heart of gold. His dad doesn't know what he has missed out on, he is very talented with any sport he has attempted to play. Been playing baseball since he was 3. I stay in touch with his dad he and my daughter just end up yelling at each other. No matter his genetic background, he is my grandson and the joy he has brought to our family is priceless.
08-31-2012, 07:06 PM
2K5Gx2km
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Quote:
Originally Posted by ovcatto
The Supreme Court recognized 1/8th as being good enough for them, see Plessy v. Ferguson, 163 U.S. 537 (1896)
As for being racist, well that's up to you isn't it?
Is that still in effect? If so can I legally say on forms that I am 'black' even though I don't look one bit African American? This could get interesting.
08-31-2012, 07:09 PM
2K5Gx2km
n/a posts
Quote:
Originally Posted by MrsMo
My grandson passes as black not as white. He is a very handsome young man with a heart of gold. His dad doesn't know what he has missed out on, he is very talented with any sport he has attempted to play. Been playing baseball since he was 3. I stay in touch with his dad he and my daughter just end up yelling at each other. No matter his genetic background, he is my grandson and the joy he has brought to our family is priceless.
Is this some stereotype being displayed - subconsciouly of course? Or are you just giving some tid-bit info about him?
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