Why Do People Say You Can Pass?

Question

How come when people think that if you have a white father and black mother you will most likely be light skinned or pass as white then havin a black father and white mother you will be brown and pass as black. I was watching I love New York and Mr. Boston and her mom was talking about their baby being able to pass as white if they have one. My dad is white and I look more like my mother than my father.

Thanks for saying that. I am not the type of person who thinks they are only black because they look black and only white because they look white. I love my mother and I love my father and my family. I have both white friends and black friends and I live in a mulicultural community. I just dont get it when people say that if you have a white father you can pass. When I was in high school I told this one girl my father was white and she didn't even believe me.

I hate the word pass too. Even if you could "pass" it still doesn't hide that fact that you are multiracial. And why would you want to hide it?

Answer 1

I'm biracial too, and I've heard that. I don't know, it's one of those really weird old-timey race myths that still circulate for whatever reason. I'm sure it goes back to 1800's racism or something - probably because a black man impregnating a white woman was considered taboo for so long.

Just try to ignore those silly myths. Thankfully it's not 1864 anymore and we don't have to adhere to all that craziness!

Answer 2

May people can "pass" and some take the opportunity to do so. The advantages in a White-biased world are apparent.

However, I think "passing" for the sake of ease when it goes against YOUR personal beliefs about yourself is wrong. I think that if a biracial person feels more drawn towards their White heritage (assuming that White is part of the mix) it is not that bad of a thing. However, I DO think that denying any part of their heritage is, actually, cheating themselves.

Biracial comes in many other flavors than just the Black/White mix.

I am, well, I guess it would be called biracial. I am 3/4 blood Rromani. I, personally, identify myself with my Rromani blood but I am not ashamed of my Gadje blood (Gadje = all races that are not Rromani). My father was half Gadje and he taught me about his Gadje heritage as well. He was not ashamed of it.

I am very, very pale but I refuse to "pass" (my skin is alabaster but my bone structure is very Rromani). I take the consequences of being known as a "Gypsy", and there are many, rather than be thought of as "White". Likewise, I would not try to "pass" as full-blooded Rromani even if I could (there is some discrimination against non-full bloods) because I am not going to deny my father's heritage.

Answer 3

Im not mixed but I'm very light skinned so people always think i'm mixed. I havent heard the white father, black mother thing but i know about people saying you can pass. I dont think their is any truth to it though because up here in minnesota, most mixed people mothers are white and they look pretty white to me lol.

Answer 4

The whole concept of "passing" means that one is hiding something. We really need to start ridding ourselves of that nonsense, person by person.

If it's to your advantage in a given situation (e.g. employment application) to claim one of your heritages or another, then by all means, do it. You have every right and you are being accurate either way. There's no "passing" involved.

Having said that, I have learned from experience that we humans seem to have an instinctive *need* to categorize others. I don't think this is a discriminatory thing by itself, although we often place such a meaning on that need. The need to categorize is simply how we are wired - our brain collects data and it needs to know where to file the information for easy retrieval later. People's outward appearance is an obvious "tag" the brain uses for its "filing system." We add that tag to the other tags about the person: gender, size, age, friendly/unfriendly/not sure yet, accent, context of meeting the person (school, work, vacation, store), socio-economic class, their relationshiop to ourselves, etc.

Answer 5

I guess some people see the world in black and white...literally. Anything non white is black. Unfortunately, more light-skinned black people are favored over the darker ones and it's quite appalling that people will coin the term "pass as white."

It shouldn't matter. Bi-racial people should not have to choose which side they want to follow. They have the best of both worlds.


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Answer 6

We have the same thing among Native people. Being lighter skinned was considered easier because the whiter you looked, the easier you would have it. It could mean the difference between boarding schools (with their legacy of abuse) or a university at that time. My father, who was full Cherokee, had to hide that he was Cherokee as much as he could, but it never worked out.

Answer 7

I haven't heard that phrase ("you can pass") in a while....

They're just ignorant. There are still people that think white people or those with lighter complexions will get farther in life.

Answer 8

"I am not the type of person who thinks they are only black because they look black and only white because they look white."

Perhaps the way that you act, will determine what race others decide you belong to.

Answer 9

you gotsa ta be able to pass the drug tess oyour azz go to da jail house,, word i ant pass no tess in fou years...dat what it meens

Answer 10

I'm filipino but people say I look japanese, vietanemese, puerto rican, mexican, chinese, korean, you name it.