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Please... the "one drop rule" was designed to keep people out of schools and on the back of a bus. It has no place in modern society.
Identify yourself in the manner you see fit. You don't owe anybody anything.
While this is true what do you do with forms with predetermined answers where you have to pick a category. While I think more are identifying mixed I have yet to see one.
And before anyone has a cow over these form type questions one instance of why this may be asked is many businesses are given consideration and a ratio break for contract awards with the goverment if they have a certain amount of minorities also loans and especially project grants.
I think this is a FINE question -- not because what you identify yourself as is important but because we see trends and people HAVE the idea that how you identify yourself is important.
My wife is a high school teacher and in the course of helping her out sometimes I've encountered a lot of kids; and invariably, mixed children (African-American/anything) identify themselves as black, even the ones who barely look like they have ANY feature which might be thusly identified.
The question underlying the one posed -- "What do you identify yourself as" -- is WHY do you do so?
Partially, I suppose, it's because on official forms race is still listed and there is no "Mixed" block to check. As far as I know none of my ancestors are specifically from the mountainous region in Russia and Southwest Asia (the Caucuses), but that's my block to check, and at 1/16 but looking like the most soda-cracker white boy alive, I'd get flak for checking "Native American".
And silly as it is, people take it way too seriously.
A tall, blonde acquaintance of mine from South Africa was trying to get her driver's license locally and checked African-American since she's now a citizen.
The black woman behind the counter refused to take her application and this went through several days of argument with management, who finally TOLD her she needed to check Caucasian just for the sake of expediting the process, if she'd be so kind.
Her response: I'm more African than you are.
When people correct me to African American or Native American, I correct them to Scottish/Irish/Welsh/Native American and ask that they refer to me thusly in the future.
A black friend of mine back in Japan corrected me when I'd corrected myself to the new "African American", telling me "Dude, I'm black. I've never been to Africa."
I have a friend who is bi-racial. Her Dad is black/ Mom is white.
She said that she has had it really rough growing up, because she never really fit in to either.
I say, just be proud of who you are!! Hold your head up high, and smile!!
While this is true what do you do with forms with predetermined answers where you have to pick a category. While I think more are identifying mixed I have yet to see one.
And before anyone has a cow over these form type questions one instance of why this may be asked is many businesses are given consideration and a ratio break for contract awards with the goverment if they have a certain amount of minorities also loans and especially project grants.
Yes exactly! Its easy to say claim both but from a business standpoint that really isn't an option.
Shysister, it's a fine, fine point and the only thing I can say is write your congressman and encourage your friends to do so as well. It needs to change.
I have a friend who is bi-racial. Her Dad is black/ Mom is white.
She said that she has had it really rough growing up, because she never really fit in to either.
I say, just be proud of who you are!! Hold your head up high, and smile!!
It is tough especially when someone ask you your race and are all excited to meet you then you say you're Black and their smile turn into a frown then they start to question that you don't look Black and basically want you to tell them you're apart of another race so they won't have a dislike for you but at the same time you don't want to deny being Black.
It is tough especially when someone ask you your race and are all excited to meet you then you say you're Black and their smile turn into a frown then they start to question that you don't look Black and basically want you to tell them you're apart of another race so they won't have a dislike for you.
If that's someone's attitude then screw them. If they have a dislike for you over it you don't want them around anyway.
This is what causes me grief for my son. He is bi-racial. I have always identified him on school records as multi-racial because he is not "one" race. It's important for him to identify with both parents ethnic backgrounds.
It is tough especially when someone ask you your race and are all excited to meet you then you say you're Black and their smile turn into a frown then they start to question that you don't look Black and basically want you to tell them you're apart of another race so they won't have a dislike for you but at the same time you don't want to deny being Black.
If you're meeting someone and they're ASKING you about your race, you should look them dead in the eye and say "Human." And you should move on without looking back.
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