Dare To Ask Talk And News About Our Differences - This topic has 12 replies, 13 voices, and was last updated 20 years, 11 months ago by
.
- Posts
As a biracial person, I find it confusing that people continuously want me to “pick” which race I am. I consider myself black and Native American. Has anybody else been in this suitation or another related to being bi/multiracial? How did you deal with it?
User Detail :
Name : Courtney-E, Gender : F, Race : Black/Native American, Religion : Christian, Age : 17, City : Waynesboro, State : VA, Country : United States, Social class : Middle class,I agree with you, many people are overly concerned with defining exactly what race others are, when most people are at least a little mixed, anyway. I also am Black, as well as Cherokee, German, and Welsh. I consider myself African-American because my Black features are most strong, though i embrace my Cherokee-ness wholeheartedly. If anyone asks, i tell them what i am, but most people just assume i am just Black. Otherwise, i just go with the flow…its not their business anyway!!
User Detail :
Name : Rosie29493, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 18, City : Valencia, State : CA, Country : United States, Occupation : student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,Yes, I understand what you are saying. I myself am biracial (Black/white). It is hard because people do try to place you into a race. The way I deal with it is simply by being myself. It is not your job to make others feel comfortable with your identity. Do what you like to do and respect others’ right to do the same. Some people still won’t like it but thats life.
User Detail :
Name : Brent, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/white, Religion : non-religious, Age : 20, City : Ann Arbor, State : MI, Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Lower class,I’m not biracial, but often wondered the same thing. For instance, why is someone whose lineage is only 25 percent black considered black, never white? When a person is half Native American Indian and half white, why does “getting back to his roots” mean going all the way to the Indian side? It’s almost as if “whiteness” doesn’t really count, it just dilutes a “real” race or culture.
User Detail :
Name : Wendlyn, Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, City : Dallas, State : TX, Country : United States, Social class : Middle class,I am a 43 year old bi-racial woman who has found it easier to accept the race that I have been labeled as , as my own. I am over explaining to people that you are not always the race that you most look like it is just a losing arguement. I just think it’s easier to fit in when you accept the race everyone labels you as being. I want very much to be accepted and to be proud of being bi-racial I just think right now that is just not possible.
User Detail :
Name : Rita29690, Gender : F, Race : Hispanic/Latino (may be any race), City : Aurora, State : CO, Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College,I AM A MIX OF BLACK, WHITE, AND NATIVE AMERICAN INDIAN. HAVING TO CHOOSE IS DIFFICULT SINCE PICKING ONE TO IDENTIFY YOURSELF MEANS DENYING OR IGNORING THE OTHER. MY RECOMMENDATION MAY SOUND AWFUL AND MANIPULATIVE, BUT I SAY CHOOSE WHATEVER MAY BENEFIT YOU THE MOST IN THE SITUATION YOU ARE IN. IN HIGH SCHOOL WHEN SAT/ACT TIME ROLLED AROUND, I CHECKED ‘BLACK’ AND RECEIVED MINORITY SCHOLARSHIPS AS A RESULT. SINCE YOU ARE FORCED(IN MOST SITUATIONS) TO CHOOSE, YOU MIGHT AS WELL HAVE THAT BENEFIT YOU!!
User Detail :
Name : Kathleen26636, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/white/Native American, Religion : Atheist, Age : 22, City : Cincinnati, State : OH, Country : United States, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,As a biracial (Chinese/white) person, I too have felt the pressure to “pick” one side/race over the other. I feel, though, that it is impossible to do that without denying a part of myself. We live in a society of boxes and categories. Because we, as biracial people, do not fit clearly into one of these boxes, society does not know what to do with us. This is entirely evident on forms that ask for race – there is no biracial box (I always choose “other”). We also do not fit into the boxes in people’s minds. I can’t tell you how many times I get, “What are you?” because my appearance does not match up with people’s preconceived notions of what an Asian or Jewish person should look like. People who are 100 percent one race/culture have it easy in the sense that they can look to their parents and community as a source of identification. If both your parents are Chinese, there is no doubt you are Chinese. It is more difficult for a biracial person because we have no defined community. I am not entirely what my mother is, nor am I what my father is. You must forge your own identity as “both.” Understand that most people will feel the need to categorize you, but don’t let it get to you. They just need to find a place in their cluttered minds to put you because it is safer for them. Be proud of both sides and do not give in to people or situations who compel you to “pick” -you would be denying a part of yourself.
Biracial identity is a pendulum. There will be times when you feel you may identify with one side more than the other. I guarantee you the pendulum will continue to swing back and forth throughout your lifetime.
User Detail :
Name : Aviva, Gender : F, Race : Chinese/white (Jewish), Age : 22, City : New York, State : NY, Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class,I come from Hawaii, and many of us are taught to be proud of what we are. So when it comes time to say what we are, we can say at least two to eight different ethnic backgrounds. I always say four of them. I grew up being taught that I was Filipino and Hawaiian by my father and the rest of the family. After 18, when I got to know my mother, who is Hawaiian, she told me her mother was Hawaiian, Portuguese and Chinese, which later I traced. Many people can have one grandparent of a different background, and in the end, you cannot say that you are one or the other. When registering or filling out surveys, I do my best to break every rule possible and fill in all that pertains to me. In the 1990 census, I had a hard time, because when I called them to question the racial part, they asked ‘What do I consider myself’. I already told them what I considered myself. I have a Hawaiian first name, a Basque surname, Portuguese features, Filipino features, Chinese complexion and Portuguese complexion, and can speak Hawaiian and Portuguese. What am I to consider myself?
I’d say just put both. If anything, they’ll just overlook that or decide for themselves which one should be marked.
User Detail :
Name : Kalani26982, City : Glendale, State : CA, Country : United States,Well, everyone is a mixed race in America. No one is a pure race anymore. Because of today’s society, being half black and any other race, normally they choose black. I’m Looked upon as a black female, And I’m proud. But If anyone asked me my nationally, I would say mixed, cuz I can’t deny the rest of my heritage.
User Detail :
Name : Lilkoko, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Lesbian, Age : 22, City : San Francicso, State : CA, Country : United States, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,I’m a simple person, Courtney, and simple people like simple things. Bottom line, don’t make it an issue. If someone REALLY wants to know if you are black or Native American, what they are really asking you is about your ethnic background. Unless you want to participate in the promotion or continuation of racism, all you have to do is smile and say ‘I’m American’. Your ethnic heritage is your business. I love Tiger Woods’ response when reporters asked him about his ethnic background, he responds that he’s ‘cablinasian’. If you aren’t aware, Tiger is basically a self-contained United Nations. He’s Chinese, American, Black, Indian and Asian – cablinasian.
User Detail :
Name : Pete S., Gender : M, Age : 51, City : Orlando, State : FL, Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College,I consider myself thoroughly both, not either/or, and there are times and situations when I definately ‘lean’ toward one heritage or the other. I’m sometimes apparently percieved as ‘too white’ or as ‘too Indian’ for some people’s comfort, rather than as both. Two of my children are adopted, one is of Asian/European heritage, the other is Native/African/European; they are generally seen as being Asian & black, respectively; my ‘home-grown’ children are generally seen as white. I used to check the ‘other’ box, for myself and for my children, but a school district secretary told me that ‘others’ were always put into the white/caucasian category when the district compiled it’s records and statistics – is this a common thing?
User Detail :
Name : Ann S, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Disability : mildly learning disabled, Religion : Native American, Age : 50, City : Ann Arbor, State : MI, Country : United States, Occupation : childbirth educator/mom, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,I am mixed black, white, Native American, Irish and German. That’s too many ethnic backgrounds to go by. I consider myself black because black is the dominant color. If you are mixed with any amount of black, that’s what you are. You don’t have to pick which race you are, but when you fill out a job application, they don’t have Black/Native American.
User Detail :
Name : Jennifer30896, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black, Religion : Christian, Age : 23, City : Columbia, State : MD, Country : United States, Occupation : College student/retail, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class,I have had problems with people asking me what culture I am. I feel that I have to go into a long explanation about my cultural identity. For me my race is more of a cultural thing then a colour/physical thing. See, biologically I’m Native American on my biological father’s side, and then on my Mother’s side I’m British, English, Scottish, Irish that is. I celebrate these cultures both equally. However, when I was 4 I was adopted by my Dad, now, (my biological mother is still my Mommy). My Dad is German and Ukranian. Although I don’t have the features of a German or Ukranian I celebrate the culture and rigt now I am grieved at what is happening in the Ukraine. I feel that if someone asks me on a job application what race I am I don’t want to respond and I don’t. It doesn’t matter what race I am when applying for a job.
User Detail :
Name : Courtney, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Native American/British/German/Ukranian, Religion : Christian, Age : 18, City : Toronto, State : NA, Country : Canada, Occupation : University Student, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class,
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.