"Hey! It's that BLACK girl!"

[soul_walker]

Metheshrew

My parents taught me from a very young age that I am neither white nor black but both. Under my parents's roof I was always biracial, but when I went to school or any social gathering outside of the house there was always probably a 9/10 chance I would be labeled as black if the subject came up. It doesn't matter if some of my facial features are features that our society commonly associates with white, because my dark skin always makes me black. Now, mind you, I don't mind being identified or described as a black woman and I certainly am not offended by it. It's just something that always made me curious.

This is just not a personal experience, either. I've noticed it with public figures and entertainment. President Barack Obama is half white, but he is most often identified as black. Halle Berry is half white as well, but she is often labeled as black too. I haven't noticed this happening with any other ethnicity besides black, but if you guys know of any please let me know. It seems it doesn't matter if a person is Black and White, Black and Asian, Black and Mexican, or any other ethnic mixture with black. It seems that no matter what kind of features that person has that they will always be seen first as black and only black.

I'm just curious for different ideas as to why this is. I'm going to take a few people who've been on my block list for a while with hopes they can discuss this civilly without name calling, but the minute I see any of that behavior from them I will block them again.

I think it's really just a visual thing. I have a friend who's half-and-half, but when I describe her to people who don't know her, I describe her as my black friend. The first thing people will notice is that the skin is dark; let's face it, it's pretty obvious. I think it's easier in our minds to just label such people as "black", most especially if we don't know their heritage. If I didn't know my friend's mom was white, I'd say she was black and just be done with it. I don't think the assumption does any harm, really.

[I AM R U]

Major Lima Charlie

I AM R U

marshmallowcreampie

With mixed-race people, they're usually identified by whatever race they most resemble. Obama looks more black than white, so people call him black.

Even when he identified himself as "white"?

Weird... I've mostly come across people who give both areas of their background, but to be honest not many people would ask in the first place or even be in a situation when they would have to define themselves...

Are you kidding?

"Where are you from?" is probably the number one icebreaker white people use when first talking to POC.

Well, not in my experience.

[I AM R U]

Metheshrew

I AM R U

marshmallowcreampie

With mixed-race people, they're usually identified by whatever race they most resemble. Obama looks more black than white, so people call him black.

Even when he identified himself as "white"?

Weird... I've mostly come across people who give both areas of their background, but to be honest not many people would ask in the first place or even be in a situation when they would have to define themselves...

Yep! Obama has identified himself as biracial more than once, and it was never a secret that he was raised by his white mother.

Hmmm...maybe I'm living in a place where people are just more forward, but the subject has always seemed to come up a lot for me growing up.

Well, maybe there is just an assumption where I'm from that everyone is from somewhere else, so how about we just get over it?

[Fearherloveher]

I AM R U

Metheshrew

I AM R U

marshmallowcreampie

With mixed-race people, they're usually identified by whatever race they most resemble. Obama looks more black than white, so people call him black.

Even when he identified himself as "white"?

Weird... I've mostly come across people who give both areas of their background, but to be honest not many people would ask in the first place or even be in a situation when they would have to define themselves...

Yep! Obama has identified himself as biracial more than once, and it was never a secret that he was raised by his white mother.

Hmmm...maybe I'm living in a place where people are just more forward, but the subject has always seemed to come up a lot for me growing up.

Well, maybe there is just an assumption where I'm from that everyone is from somewhere else, so how about we just get over it?

Get over what, exactly?

[Fearherloveher]

Kingstonalloy

What's really better, though:

"Hey, it's that white person!"
"Hey, it's that biracial person!"
"Hey, it's that black person!"

Please don't derail this thread. I'm not talking about "what's better." This is just a discussion about why it happens.

[Fearherloveher]

genghis stalin

It's because black genes are dominant.

Jesus ********. Put a white person in a mostly black area, wait 200 years, come back and tell me if you see white people there.

You very well could see people of a lighter complexion such as Thandie. A picture of them is posted a few pages back. Hell, there are people who are 100% African American who are lighter than her.

[tumblrs tumble]

Metheshrew

genghis stalin

It's because black genes are dominant.

Jesus ********. Put a white person in a mostly black area, wait 200 years, come back and tell me if you see white people there.

You very well could see people of a lighter complexion such as Thandie. A picture of them is posted a few pages back. Hell, there are people who are 100% African American who are lighter than her.

With one white person? Maybe if they bred within the family.

[Fearherloveher]

genghis stalin

Metheshrew

genghis stalin

It's because black genes are dominant.

Jesus ********. Put a white person in a mostly black area, wait 200 years, come back and tell me if you see white people there.

You very well could see people of a lighter complexion such as Thandie. A picture of them is posted a few pages back. Hell, there are people who are 100% African American who are lighter than her.

With one white person? Maybe if they bred within the family.

You can't assume that every person would be dark skinned. People of all ethnicities come in all shades. There are people who are 100% African American who are very light skinned and sometimes often mistaken for white. That's where slang terms like 'high yellow' come from.

[tumblrs tumble]

Metheshrew

genghis stalin

Metheshrew

genghis stalin

It's because black genes are dominant.

Jesus ********. Put a white person in a mostly black area, wait 200 years, come back and tell me if you see white people there.

You very well could see people of a lighter complexion such as Thandie. A picture of them is posted a few pages back. Hell, there are people who are 100% African American who are lighter than her.

With one white person? Maybe if they bred within the family.

You can't assume that every person would be dark skinned. People of all ethnicities come in all shades. There are people who are 100% African American who are very light skinned and sometimes often mistaken for white. That's where slang terms like 'high yellow' come from.

What we call "race" is only a spectrum of different features which we attempt to pigeonhole in order to distinguish ourselves culturally.

I'm pretty sure we're on the same page, but my point is that recessive traits are generally bred out over time.

[Fearherloveher]

genghis stalin

Metheshrew

genghis stalin

Metheshrew

genghis stalin

It's because black genes are dominant.

Jesus ********. Put a white person in a mostly black area, wait 200 years, come back and tell me if you see white people there.

You very well could see people of a lighter complexion such as Thandie. A picture of them is posted a few pages back. Hell, there are people who are 100% African American who are lighter than her.

With one white person? Maybe if they bred within the family.

You can't assume that every person would be dark skinned. People of all ethnicities come in all shades. There are people who are 100% African American who are very light skinned and sometimes often mistaken for white. That's where slang terms like 'high yellow' come from.

What we call "race" is only a spectrum of different features which we attempt to pigeonhole in order to distinguish ourselves culturally.

I'm pretty sure we're on the same page, but my point is that recessive traits are generally bred out over time.

We probably are, but I like discussing this. smile

Hmm...things like eye color, though, are funny. There are black people that have little or no white genes whatsoever but have blue, green, and even grey eyes. We usually think blacks to be restricted to one eye color (brown) and if they have any other eye color we assume them to be multi or biracial (I've been guilty of this in the past), but in reality no ethnicity is restricted to any eye color. I hate to throw in something personal here, but I used to have a friend who's parents were both black and she had green eyes.

[I AM R U]

Fearherloveher

I AM R U

Metheshrew

I AM R U

marshmallowcreampie

With mixed-race people, they're usually identified by whatever race they most resemble. Obama looks more black than white, so people call him black.

Even when he identified himself as "white"?

Weird... I've mostly come across people who give both areas of their background, but to be honest not many people would ask in the first place or even be in a situation when they would have to define themselves...

Yep! Obama has identified himself as biracial more than once, and it was never a secret that he was raised by his white mother.

Hmmm...maybe I'm living in a place where people are just more forward, but the subject has always seemed to come up a lot for me growing up.

Well, maybe there is just an assumption where I'm from that everyone is from somewhere else, so how about we just get over it?

Get over what, exactly?

The obsession with race...

[Stale Humor]

Honestly, I have found that it is those of mixed race that define themselves to only one race.

I had a conversation where I asked a black guy if he was part white.

"Yes."
"So then, you are white and black."
"No. I am black."

While I am white, I just consider myself to be American.

[123ImwithstupidABC]

Fearherloveher

My parents taught me from a very young age that I am neither white nor black but both. Under my parents's roof I was always biracial, but when I went to school or any social gathering outside of the house there was always probably a 9/10 chance I would be labeled as black if the subject came up. It doesn't matter if some of my facial features are features that our society commonly associates with white, because my dark skin always makes me black. Now, mind you, I don't mind being identified or described as a black woman and I certainly am not offended by it. It's just something that always made me curious.

This is just not a personal experience, either. I've noticed it with public figures and entertainment. President Barack Obama is half white, but he is most often identified as black. Halle Berry is half white as well, but she is often labeled as black too. I haven't noticed this happening with any other ethnicity besides black, but if you guys know of any please let me know. It seems it doesn't matter if a person is Black and White, Black and Asian, Black and Mexican, or any other ethnic mixture with black. It seems that no matter what kind of features that person has that they will always be seen first as black and only black.

I'm just curious for different ideas as to why this is. I'm going to take a few people who've been on my block list for a while with hopes they can discuss this civilly without name calling, but the minute I see any of that behavior from them I will block them again.

Don't quote me on this, Iv'e heard this before but isn't Jessica Alba half white and black? But most people see her as white? I'm not sure, It's what I've heard. I'm white and Ive been told I don't look fully white. I have really dark hair and almond shaped eyes. I have a little Cherokee native american in my roots but never thought it reached me, maybe I was wrong. I don't know lol.

[Fearherloveher]

I AM R U

Fearherloveher

I AM R U

Metheshrew

I AM R U

marshmallowcreampie

With mixed-race people, they're usually identified by whatever race they most resemble. Obama looks more black than white, so people call him black.

Even when he identified himself as "white"?

Weird... I've mostly come across people who give both areas of their background, but to be honest not many people would ask in the first place or even be in a situation when they would have to define themselves...

Yep! Obama has identified himself as biracial more than once, and it was never a secret that he was raised by his white mother.

Hmmm...maybe I'm living in a place where people are just more forward, but the subject has always seemed to come up a lot for me growing up.

Well, maybe there is just an assumption where I'm from that everyone is from somewhere else, so how about we just get over it?

Get over what, exactly?

The obsession with race...

When people are no longer racist or generalize all people of any sort of ethnicity people will no longer obsess with race. Race is a topic that I like to talk about because I've experienced and witnessed racism.

[I AM R U]

Fearherloveher

I AM R U

Fearherloveher

I AM R U

Metheshrew

Yep! Obama has identified himself as biracial more than once, and it was never a secret that he was raised by his white mother.

Hmmm...maybe I'm living in a place where people are just more forward, but the subject has always seemed to come up a lot for me growing up.

Well, maybe there is just an assumption where I'm from that everyone is from somewhere else, so how about we just get over it?

Get over what, exactly?

The obsession with race...

When people are no longer racist or generalize all people of any sort of ethnicity people will no longer obsess with race. Race is a topic that I like to talk about because I've experienced and witnessed racism.

I'm not saying it shouldn't be talked about. I often discuss it too, having witnessed and been a victim of racism myself. My point is, however, that the question "so where are you from" doesn't often come up unless it is bleedingly obvious the other person isn't a local...