Why Do People Always Seem to Want to Label With Skin Colour?

Question

Why is it if someone is genetically 90% white and 10% black they're often labelled as black, but if they're 90% black and 10% white they're still labelled as black.

There's nothing wrong with being black so why do people have to go out of their way to use that label.

Answer 1

People who are mixed race often label themselves as black. This is because 'black' signifies everything other than white in this society. Within the black community, there is still racism - between Africans and West Indians. West Indians are sometimes still confused (a throwback from their past) - some still view lighter skins as superior, and value white features and physical aspects as better within their own race. A mixed race person will therefore be viewed as higher status in the black community than amongst white counterparts, hence this is the group they will prefer to identify with.

Answer 2

Ok... theres 3 guys sitting in a room. 1 white, 1 black and 1 asian. In this particularly instance just wearing the same clothes. Lets say a suit, white shirt and tie.

Someone is about to go in, and pull the guy called Michael from the room, what would be the easiest way for me to identify to the person entering the room who he should be greeting first if he's never met them before.

Oh thats right.. he can be easily identified by the colour of his skin. Now no one is saying that just because he's dark skinned he's inferior, but its an obvious identifier and people need to stop being so insecure about it.

Answer 3

Well, it beats being compared to a paper bag. Believe it or not, our ancestors, as early as the 1900s, were marked to be "black" by census-takers if they were darker than a paper bag. Read it in an autobiography of a woman who found she had relatives who, during this same period, "slipped" over to the white side of the fence simply by being lighter than a paper bag. Interesting and baffling. Race relations will always titilate and tantalize the masses; we can't get enough of labeling ourselves and our beliefs and our attitudes and our clothing. And stating a person is "black" based solely on a percentage is an old throwback to those times, just like a lot of old racist laws are still on the books. Lynching of blacks wasn't actually made illegal in certain states until recently, and after long and arduous campaign by activist, black and white and other alike. The real test is whether or not you're going to let yourself be defined by the 10% in your blood or by the color you show the world. Or by neither.

Answer 4

I've always catagorized people according to their personality, clothes, preferred music, and things that they may control. People commonly label people because of the majority's click. Here in the Houston area, about 90% of black people call themselves "gangsta," so people tend to associate black people and gangsters, which is a common misconception. Everyone just needs to realize that a person's upbringing is what affects who they become, not their ethnicity.

Answer 5

unfortunately, racism is very much alive in the world. its not over just because we can all drink from the same water fountain.


most interesting of note is that persons of mixed heritage, like you mention, seem to prefer to be called black, rather than white.

maybe its because they are proud of their heritage, no matter how minute, or maybe they think they can get cool stuff by being the new favored ethnicity in this century( thats right, its not whites hate blacks anymore kiddies, its everybody hates the white man)

but heres a more important question for you, why are white ppl called white ppl, were more of a pink than white.

Answer 6

God knows it is stupid, couldn't care less what colour a persons skin is myself.
White people spend their time in the sun trying to turn brown, and then you have Wacko Jacko who went from black to white.
It works both ways though my friend, some people can be just plain nasty, and a lot depends on how/why things are said in the first place.

Answer 7

Maybe nobody wants to be associated with being white anymore. Tends to be bad news nowadays!

Answer 8

As long as our own government keeps making distinctions between races this will continue to be a problem. Also when you fill out forms they ask you your race. As long as it keeps getting thrown in our faces it will remain a problem.