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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.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lilly1224
This is all very confusing and it seems politically driven.
I think people of combined African American and Caucasian ancestry stand out insofar as physical appearance more than most other mixes of Caucasians and other groups. Some of it may be politically driven, but I think the aforementioned reason is the major one. I can usually tell if someone has some African American Ancestry. I can usually not tell if someone has Western European and any of the following: Mexican, Native American, Middle Eastern, or Eastern Asian ancestry. I have a friend who was born in Pakistan with very dark skin. I can easily tell he's not African American. I know a partially Arabic girl and a partially Mexican girl. I had assumed both of them were Caucasians, possibly with some Native American ancestry. I don't recall ever meeting someone with part African American ancestry when I couldn't tell that beforehand.
Another factor, in the U.S. at least, is I have read somewhere that most African Americans have some Caucasian ancestry
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.
That's very true, but the European percentages are even greater now amongst light skin mixed race African Americans, since many have one white parent.
I think people of combined African American and Caucasian ancestry stand out insofar as physical appearance more than most other mixes of Caucasians and other groups. Some of it may be politically driven, but I think the aforementioned reason is the major one. I can usually tell if someone has some African American Ancestry. I can usually not tell if someone has Western European and any of the following: Mexican, Native American, Middle Eastern, or Eastern Asian ancestry. I have a friend who was born in Pakistan with very dark skin. I can easily tell he's not African American. I know a partially Arabic girl and a partially Mexican girl. I had assumed both of them were Caucasians, possibly with some Native American ancestry. I don't recall ever meeting someone with part African American ancestry when I couldn't tell that beforehand.
Please refer to the pictures in my original post. In all honesty, would you be able to tell that Karyn Parson's children have African American Ancestry, or that Solded's children have a black Hispanic grandmother? Also, when you look at WentWorth Miller's pic, do you see a black, mixed race or white man?
Unfortunately, the govt probably has alot to do with what lot you get sorted in. With colors we have black, white and gray. Technically gray is a tint of black.
If you go by brown, white and tan again you got a tint of brown technically. Yeah the whole race sorting is certainly "political" in nature.
Interesting, since in the chromatic world we have more names for colors than you can ever imagine. I think there is also a "eugenic" undertone with genetics in there also. I mean heck England still has a "queen" and a song worshiping her.
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.
The only confusing part is that people don't seem to know the difference between race and ethnicity.
The only confusing part is that people don't seem to know the difference between race and ethnicity.
ME! ME!
I Know .. ask ME!
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