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I remember that book. I took it out from the library when I was a teenager. Both the one by the guy (it was later made into a movie) and her's. The woman said that she had to constantly fight off getting raped whenever she passed as black, native american or hispanic maid. She said it appeared the men believed they had a "right" to have sex with her whether she wanted to or not and the wives were very well aware of this. The wives would conveniently be "out" while the husbands were alone with her.
Another book of the times was Lois Mark Stalvey's "Education of a WASP." That was a case of a white woman taking up a black cause in the 60s to eye-openingly disastrous end. She and her architect husband lived on the west side of Omaha which was then closed by real estate practice to blacks.
She had met a black couple (two teachers) who lived on the lower-income north side of Omaha searching for a better neighborhood. She naively attempted to help them find a house in her neighborhood...and got a very rude "education" that resulted in her husband being fired and them being run out of town.
Mixed ancestry has started to matter only very recently. Earlier than the 90s, "biracial" or "mixed" meant nothing in American society except that you weren't white.
It doesn't mean much today, either, when you're pulled over by the police. It really only matter for getting on television.
I wasn't saying that at all. Of course it matters. I was only saying it should not. For example, even though President Obama had a Caucasian mother from Kansas, he looks like a Black man and his life experience has been as such. In fact, his presidency should prove to everyone how racist our country really is. There are still people who believe he is foreign born and a Muslim.
The difference with Ms Dolezal is that, according to her parents, she has no African ancestry and is Caucasian, not that she is a mixed race. If I were Black, maybe I would feel as if she's made a mockery of my race because she obtained her position with deception and lies.
So my previous comment wasn't saying it doesn't matter, I was saying it shouldn't matter. There's a difference. People judge you by your appearance. Why else would anyone care that a teenage homicide victim was wearing a hoodie?
If the police officer who hauls you out of your car thinks you're black, then you're black.
Right! I guess either I misunderstood your other comment or you misunderstood me. I suppose that's one disadvantage of not having a verbal dialogue. When I posted, I thought you were saying "it doesn't matter" meaning that society treats both races equally. I was saying if you see a person who has the features of a Black man or woman (skin, hair) you are automatically going to assume he/she is Black. Until last night, I didn't know Melissa Harris-Perry was biracial and I never cared. I just figured she was a Black woman.
I wasn't saying that at all. Of course it matters. I was only saying it should not. For example, even though President Obama had a Caucasian mother from Kansas, he looks like a Black man and his life experience has been as such.
Hmm, not really....
He basically spent his entire childhood with either his White mother or White grandparents.
Most of his childhood was spent growing up in a well off White subdivision in Hawaii
[LIST=1][*]He basically spent his entire childhood with either his White mother or White grandparents.[*]Most of his childhood was spent growing up in a well off White subdivision in Hawaii[*]He also spent some time as a child in Indonesia[/LIST] I would not call this typical at all.
I should stop belaboring this, since we've all gone way off-topic. However, you missed my point entirely. Obama isn't typical of ANY person, Black, White, Asian or Hispanic. After all, there have been only 44 men since 1732 who have service the United States as President. He also is a Harvard Law Graduate and was president of the Harvard Law Review.
So, yes, Obama is not typical. However, he was always a Black man in the eyes of society and, if you read one of his books, you'd realize he struggled with his identity. In any case, if he sneaked away from his Secret Service agents, put on everyday street clothes and was walking down a city street, he would look like any other African-American man.
Anyway, I don't see your point. Are you saying people don't use racially offensive language when talking about Obama?
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