My mon is white and my dad is black.How should I call myself?

Question

some people tell me I should call myself black. ok what if I call myself blackandwhite. will it make sense. I don't want anyone to call me either black or white. I don't want the society to deny any of my blood. I have both and I want both to be recognised by the society. I went for my passport and the ask me to put black. it's unfair and i think it's brings back the racism mentality. based on my parents how would you call me. why when people have even 5% black in their blood you call them black? please explain

Answer 1

Lucky.

Answer 2

Scientists now know that whether we're black or white most of us have a "few drops" of the other race's DNA from somewhere in the past.

My mother was protestant. My father was catholic. When I was a kid that was actually called a "mixed marriage", and when my parents got married there were a couple of relatives who weren't too happy about it.

I was raised in the religion of one of my parents. I figured that's what they selected for me, so I went with it. When I got old enough I dropped it all together, but I still call myself what I did when I was attending church.

There are times when you have to fill out a form and there's no space on it for whatever really describes you. People with grayish/green/blue eyes have to check off "blue" because usually there's no space on forms for a mix. For the purposes of forms, especially for a passport, check whatever the color the mirror says you are. You're not denying your other half. You're just checking the easiest thing. Passports are for identifying what you look like - not necessarily what you are.

I think when it comes to anyone's asking what you are you should proudly state "I'm both black and white" or "I'm mixed". Don't say just one or the other because the fact is you're not just one or the other.

I don't get the thing with the 5% either. If someone has such a small amount you'd think they'd go with whatever they see in the mirror; but there are black people with - like - 20% white who look and call themselves black. Who knows.

Its very nice that you want to make sure to acknowledge both halves of your background. Its nice that you want to make sure what you are is well established. Don't worry too much, though, about "society denying your blood". You know what you are. Society cannot deny that even if once in a while it mistakes you for something you aren't quite.

(Your mom and dad must be proud of you, you thoughtful and strong individual.....)

Answer 3

Let's start simple.
What's your name?
That what you should call yourself.
OK, that aside.
Let's keep it simple.
To start with, What color are you?
Are you white? Black? Brown? I would think that's got a lot to do with it.
And if one parent is white and the other black technecially your both but there's no racial name for that mixture.
Granted, the exsisting system is antiquatated and in bad need of changing.
Seventy-five, sixty, even fifty years ago color or race and even nationalities were more easily defined. Newly arrived immirgrants naturally gravitated to nieghborhoods where their languages were spoken and their customs and religions practised.
This of course created areas divided by nationalities, language and color. For the most part these areas not only went unquestioned but were fought for..fringe areas often became filled with tension.
Very little to almost non-exsistant mixing of races, colors, etc,etc, exsisted.
A lot, if not most, of the seperation and segregation we're still dealing with today, was, in fact brought on by ourselves. It would appear that history, rather than being learned from, instead, chooses to dies hard.
It was the children going to school that both the inter-social mixing of races, colors and the more immediate friction began.It was our parents and their parents that have carried these earlier tentions.
Finally, but certainly not least, is this.
Read your statement carefully. Pay particular attention to your last couple of lines.
The " 5%, why should", part. Here's a life's reality...
Still today, there are Irish kids, Italian's, white kids, the Chinese kids, the Japs, Jew's, the black kids, the Mexicans, Indians, the PR's and God only knows how many more names that are still common place.
Hey, so what.
We're all part of a whole. Blacks have history dating to the Independance of our country and are part of it's roots. You may even have ancestors that fought in the Civil War.
Change your outlook. Be proud of who you are.
Celebrate it.
Always try to keep a sense of humor.
If there exsists an elite, hell, look at it this way, you have both sides covered.
Obviously your young and concerned and unfortunately your learning that it's not as easy as pushing that button "Staples" advertizes
All of us. White being the majority of our population, by shear numbers, appear, and to a large degree,are the worse violators. Sorry about that.
But in a sense, by yesterday's standards, your kinda a victim of circumstance today.

Answer 4

Throughout Human History...You are what your Mother is. Ask any Jewish person! Personally? I would not worry about it...People are stupid. As you get older you will realize how MANY are stupid...

Were you born in the United States of America? If so...then just check the box that says 'Native American'!!! After all...If you were born here...you are Native to America! lol

The Real answer is going to depend upon whose dominant features you received. If you LOOK black...with darker skin etc... You should probably say you are black...if nothing else just to avoid the arguments with people if you LOOK black and say you are White!... If you are light skinned with mostly Caucasian Features I would say you are white. Either way...it makes no difference in the REAL world what race you are. However, If you are applying for a Government job, or college admission it will be advantageous for you to check the box that says black due to Racial Quotas in Hiring and admissions. Great Question...it really made me think while typing here...

Answer 5

Ithink Meestathim's point that if someone is a little black, then they are entirely black, is a little fishy, since you could just as easily say if you are a little white, you are entirely white.

They need more catagories to define people like you when dealing with things like passports, but until their are more people in the world dealing with the same problems, this won't change.

And you're right, labelling you as black if you have any black in you seems a little suspect.

I would be curious to know if black people characterized you as black or white, even though it has nothing to do any of this.

Answer 6

For some reason in our neighborhood we don't have any black people. Just white or "mixed".

I don't think I'd ever refer to the "mixed" kids as black. They are clearly half & half. They have a tan complexion & caucasian features.

However, if they looked black, whether or not one or both parents were white, I would call them black. So I don't think it matters what your parents are, but what you look like.

You mention "some people tell me I should call myself black" ... that gives me an indication that you look black... so that's probably what you want to think of yourself (for paperwork), but it's fine to consider yourself 'mixed' which is awesome.

As far as the passport goes, you can't be a "little" caucasian. You are either caucasian or you're not. You can't be caucasian if your Dad is black.

Answer 7

this is a touchy subject, and one I have not had to deal with personally.
But here's how I see it.
If you are half black, then you are black. You can't be just a little black. Either you are or you aren't.
It's equivilent to being gay, if you think about it. Nobody is a little gay... Either they are or they aren't. And don't give me the whole "bi" line either. If you are gay at all, you are gay all the time.
No, this is not a slam on black people or gay people, just a simple explanation.
I would think you would be proud to claim black on your passport and embrace it. Racism creeps up on people that allow it to do so. The more it bothers you, the more racist you probably are. Maybe a solid period of self examination is in order here.
Good luck.

Answer 8

Caucasian is the controlling classification interior the western international, and because little to no ability could be wielded over caucasian peoples, then no, i will not be able to come across it to be extraordinarily racist. it rather is showy, trollish, and interest whoring however. If black human beings ran u . s . a ., and have been interior the ordinary public, and a few white human beings from a minority of white human beings spoke racial epithets, it could have some distance much less impact than it does now. Racism is ability.

Answer 9

You are human. Call yourself however you wish. Do whatever you want, but recognize if your features are essentially those of a black person that is how you will be recognized. The information on a passport is to assist in recognition.

You are normally not required to disclose racial or ethnic details, other than to help describe you if a description is required.

Answer 10

I worried a lot about whether I was leaving one of my races behind... but now, we got brave and decided to check OTHER and then wrote into the blank: refrigerator people. It's an old hippie thing. I was angry at them even thinking one person was different than another so I would write a new race to me every time I filled out an application. The last one I remember didn't have anymore races for me to try to claim so I wrote Venus. You are a wonderful product of loving parents. To have power of our dream that we are unique and belong. Fill in the blank as a beloved. We are forming the new clan Beloved and we would love to claim you and your family. There are no papers, no place, borders, but it's a powerful clan. Welcome beloved.

Answer 11

why wouldn't you want to identify being black? If you have 1/4 of black blood in you, you are considered black. Black is dominant so more than likely you look closer to black than white. I can't stand mixed people whining about they want to be known as mulatto or biracial. Technically you are biracial. But in the world, you probably look black. Hell, Halle Berry is biracial but you don't see her acting confused. She says she is a black woman.