Why do some teenagers lie about what race they are?

Question

An example being, a black girl I know told me she was hispanic. Come to find out after asking her family, she isn't.

Answer 1

Why do you think??

Black is the likeliest race that a person (especially a multicultural person) would want to disown.

It's sad but true....based on the way that blacks are commonly percieved in the media and in society as inferior "minorities"----for some people, claiming that you have black heritage is like claiming a "weakness".

Perhaps the girl you are talking about decided that she wanted to identify herself with a slightly "less ridiculed" race than black.

You know what I'm saying.....claiming that you are hispanic is slighty "better" than claiming that you are black.

It's a sad world of racism that we live in.

Answer 2

Because teenagers have a strong desire to fit in with peers of like nature, maybe she felt more comfortable with her peers that are Hispanic, or felt she would not fit into a peer group if she was black?
My daughter grew up with mainly Hispanic peers.......she is white, although she has never denied she is white, (her blond hair and blue eyes give her away) she feels more comfortable around Hispanic peers more than white peers.
She also at age 20 has a difficult time understanding that in the collective world she is categorized white by the color of her skin, even called a "racist white B****" when this is something that had never been a factor in her childhood.
She is just now learning prejudiced. Which I think she has a healthy attitude about. She says she can't change who she is, because if she dose then that would be racist, if I feel another person has become offended because somthing I have said as a white person I will just have to let them know......that's not me, they will either except it or they won't!

Answer 3

Maybe it's because they aren't educated on what ethnicity they are.

For example, when I was younger I always thought that I was caucasian. I lived with both my parents. I found out when I was about 13 when I was doing my family tree for a class project that my family is native Hawaiian. I always knew that my mom looked different and had a dark complexion but I guess I never asked and she never talked about it.

I found out that my mom was born in Hawaii and that my nana & papa brought the family to the mainland when she was 7. I always wondered why my grandparents talked funny, lol now I know.

Answer 4

Because most people tend to look up to other people. To them being certain races is more popular @ can gain more respect than being the race they already are. This happens especially to teenagers.
We should starts being proud of our own race regardless of what people think about it.
We are what we are. It does not depends on our race.

Answer 5

It is impossible to tell the difference between the races through gene testing,

Answer 6

They probably feel insecure about their race and lies to fit in with the crowd.

Answer 7

I don't understand why someone would feel compelled to lie about something so stupid in the first place.

Answer 8

my family is mostly Native American but weve always told people we were white so people wouldnt make us work construction or at casinos - so dont tell anybody

Answer 9

May be she is ashame or not happy to belong in that race.

Answer 10

because they are ashamed of who they are like this girl i known she say's she's half black and mexican because her her is super nice it's not nappy or anything than another day she says she's black,white and indian.i'm like why don't you just say your black and white that's what she loook's like .