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Booty Tickle
I'm black and Native American, my cheek bones and reddish tint of skin show that. When people ask I just say I'm black because everyone claims to have Native American in their blood. And I don't feel like going into a speech on how I really am half. I also hate when people assume my hair is fake because its long and soft.
    This except my families are creole and Chinese, making my ancestry of African, European, and Asian decent.

Noob

Fearherloveher
biracial.


Stopped reading right there.
Stay in school, Hitler.

Homicide Hunter's Significant Otter

Green Explorer

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I'm asian and white, people think I'm either white, asian, or hispanic. Nobody ever asks if I'm mixed, they just assume I'm one or the other, or something I'm not.

Iusually identify myself as asian since my mother is 100% asian and my dad is a small bit asian...I was raised with mostly asian culture. I will identify myself as mixed race sometimes, but a lot of documents don't have a mixed option to check off/fill in, or they used to not be like that anyways. Or I'm not interested in explaining to a random person that asks what race I am, so I just say asian instead or rambling on and on.

Angelic Husband

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Larry Matasareanu
Larry Matasareanu says: People will judge you based on skin color. What race can show up more then black?? Im half Mexican but my HS asked my dad for ID because he's all w*****k and I'm paper white.

How much darker is he that they would think he was not your dad?

Angelic Husband

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I knew a girl in 9th grade who was Half-Cherokee, Half-White. She could have easily passed for white, though, and some people though she might be Hispanic or a Caucasian-Hispanic mix
Botmed
Fearherloveher
biracial.


Stopped reading right there.
Stay in school, Hitler.


Excuse me? Using the term that I am from two ethnic backgrounds means I'm like Hitler? Do me a favor and stay away from this thread. If not, I'm going to be forced to block you. I don't call myself 'mixed,' 'hybrid,' or a 'mulatta.' If you don't like it go complain somewhere else.

Friendly Friend

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they see your skin before they see your facial features. and thus sub contiously
"She's a black girl.... with white facial structure...."
Where as if you were still half and half but had white skin but a black persons structure. people would call you white. because again, the skin tone comes first
"She's white, but she has a black persons face"

also most people care not for what you actually are. or your facial structure. all they see is skin color. if it's white, YOU'RE white. if it's black. YOU'RE black.
This is the world we live in.

Eloquent Elocutionist

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People always focus on the differences. If the group is mostly 5'5" then everyone's going to notice the "tall girl". If everyone's struggling with a new subject they're going to resent the "smart girl". Black people remain a minority in most parts of the US and so identifying them by skin color is the easiest, albeit tactless, way of pointing them out.

It's not really offensive but it's not very polite either.
People respond to colors they see. If they see dark brown skin, they're going to assume you're black. There's nothing wrong with that; just correct them, they'll understand. From someone with disabilities and has heard it all, from intentionally offensive to accidentally offensive... Develop a thick skin quick, or you're going to end up hating people.

Gekko

Them ignorance.

Invisible Conversationalist

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Honestly, if you want to identify yourself as being mixed/biracial then that is your choice. On first impressions people will assume your race by your skin color.
Race and self-identification are always going to be difficult for people of mixed backgrounds. There is a need in most cultures to have lines that clearly define the "us" and "them" in terms that can be recognized quickly and efficiently.

I once met a man who looked entirely like a south indian (read 'from india') and he was always having little old ladies from the indian part of the city try to set him up with their daughters. They would talk him up and he would tell them "Look, I'm sure you're nice but I'm not Indian" and they would laugh at him like he was making it up. His background wasn't even close to Indian. He mother was of Croatian decent and was born in the Czech republic and his father was from the Caribbean.

Tipsy Sweetheart

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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.



It has a lot to do with the one drop rule . It was an idea instilled in society in the early 20th century because the racists wanted to keep their blood, 'pure'. It's an idea that people have latched onto and kept because they don't know any better.

As far as half anything, I am a firm believer that you are BOTH. No matter if your features are more black or more white, you cannot rule out an entire race of being that makes you up.

I've always hate when people say that Barack Obama is the first black president, because he isn't...a lot of people forget that his mother is white and that he was raised by his very white grandparents; he didn't even have a relationship with his black family!

If you're black and white, black and asian, black and whatever else, embrace both sides of your identity--don't continue the ignorance.
I too, feel that the worlds current view race is a bit twisted and concrete. No matter what, people will think what they want and be influenced by any and everything. I am African American and Asian, but all I ever get is "that black guy who acts white". I mean, you cant really hate people for their ignorance, ya know? People are going to be like that regardless, I just kinda facepalm and move on.

Inaqtuk's Wife

Salty Sweetheart

OP: I've often wondered this myself, especially in the case of President Obama.
He is championed as "the first black president," but he's half white . . . right? *scratches head*

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