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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.
Last edited by Lilly1224; 08-29-2012 at 10:38 PM..
Not to attempt to answer your question because I don't know, but I'm surprised there isn't an accepted descriptor. All the ones that come to mind are considered inflamatory. Do you have any suggestions?
Why does anyone "label" anyone? I will answer the question though because my nieces are 1/2 black and they look black with darker skin, they do not look white like my brother. One niece has kinky hair which is the same as her Mother's and my other niece has smooth hair the same as my brother.
I have friends whose children are 1/2 Nigerian and they all look white even though their Grandfather had very dark black skin tone. If you do not know they are 1/2 Nigerian you would never guess it because of their skin tone. So their Grandfather was labeled as 'black' but they are labeled as 'white'.
I'm half black. I label myself black(a majority of the time) because that is the group identify with. The same goes for my sisters. In terms of society, well I know just as many people that refer to biracial children as mixed, that I know that refer to biracial children as "black". There are some black folks that are quick to associate a person that looks black(but that is mixed with another race) as a black person, i.e. Obama. And there are some black folks like yourself that draw a distance. Nowadays, I know more and more people that refer to biracial people as just that. I also know more and more biracial people that at one point would've called themselves black, that want to identified as "biracial". I will say that biracial people that look closer to black or that look black(i.e. Obama) seem to be lumped in with black people. The ones that look like Karyn Parson's children are often the ones that will call themselves biracial and may even identify more closely with those that look closer to themselves. Of course this is all observation and personal experience. My skin tone is no different than a light skin black person's, the only thing that might reveal that I'm not all black is my hair.
They should be labeled American. But, There are so many shades of black in this country, they tend to just get lumped into one category. There are tons of light skinned black people that have parents that are both darker than them and they sometimes look more mixed than someone who actually has a black and white parent. Also you need to take into account the historical BS that has been going on. But, you can just label them American.
Its ok to just say "mixed" if you just have to bring what race is into the conversation..what difference should it make. If one is an american for example it is in very poor taste and not patriotic to ever put anything in front of the word american. Say I am an american citizen. Dont say I am mexican american. or afro american or irish american...There are no such things,,Say I am an american of african decent or I am an american of irish decent..then its ok.Now if you are an illegal alien here you dont have a recognized status. You cant say I am an american of mexican decent because you are still a mexican first. You would have to say I am a mexican who is not suspose to be here.
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