Why are Bi-racial kids of 1 white parent always considered black ?

Question

I'm speaking about 1 parent is white and 1 parent is black. Like Halle Berry, Alicia Keys, Barack Obama, Mya the singer, Tia & Tamara Mowry Even Tiger Woods who's mother is Thai. Black people claim them as African Americans, Why can't white people claim them as European American ?

Answer 1

* LONG, BUT THE TRUTH *

1. Bi-racial children are not white/ European american in heritage. They ARE indeed of mixed heritage. And it would be an insult to overshadow either without reason.

2. Reason---> Many biracial children consider themselves to be black because you identify with the people who accept you. Historically backs have always taken in the mixed children starting with those who have resulted from a slavemasters relations with a slave, willing or forced.

Mixed children were often not claimed or raised by white parents, but thrown in to be raised by and sometimes as slaves. If a biracial person was grateful to the people who raised them, and recognized the racism against them, why try to identify as anything else? Regardless the opportunity white heritage(passing as white) MIGHT (rarely) have presented.

But more over opportunity was withheld from even mixed people because there was no loyalty in blood lines from white parent to mixed child because...

3. Because they are not "pure" Racism stemming from slavery days still grips the consciousness of many white americans. It is widely known that it blackness is presently associated with negativity, ignorance, grossness, wildness and violence as if it were genetic. A bi-racial child is considered to be, if not a inheriter of these so believed "black" features, at least tainted by virtue of association to their african american parent and their family.

Even into the mid 20th century great measures were used to denote a person of having any black blood because of these negative beliefs. There were laws (Jim Crow, started in slavery) passed to uphold the exclusion of ANYONE with any black blood called the one-drop rule that required people several generations away from their black ancestor to be marked as black. Mulattos were 1/2 and 1/2. Quadroons, Octaroon, and even down to quintroons (1/16 aka down to the great grandparent) were damned for being black! (Obviously these people probably did not even look black, but what the hey, right?)

The seperation of blacks out of white society has been useful in the preservation of opportunity for white americans and their family. It makes them more economical powerful by socially condemning everyone else. For example, if you do not have to treat a balck person as equal, you can give that job, that vote, that freedom to someone you know and make yourself and your family more powerful.

I think it is best for a bi-racial child to identify as black if they decide that they need to identify with a particular culture, so that they are raised with an awareness of the obstacles that will face them regarding perception of themselves by nonblack individuals (including other minorities too. Its not like we all get along just cause we arent white.)

It is a fallacy and injustice to the child to raise a child to believe that they will be judged solely by the content of their chracter in a nation that was a corporation based on the business of denegrating people of color for profit and pleasure before it was even formed as a country. That evil value opportunism by critically definig race is inseperable from the countries existence, evident in how people still debate it today overcoming racism today 388 years from the sale of the first American slave, 142 years after the end of slavery and permitted legal castigation of Blacks, 53 years since overturning the practices of seperate but equal....


About you entertainers you listed, white people had the opportunity to claim these individuals for their works but did not want them until they were immensely successful- as though the had to earn their recognition. Like they do almost every mixed person in the media, until he won that first green jacket Tiger was a phenomenal black child. Then because he was succesful it was worth pointing out his other heritage, because there's no way that could just be the black in him. Barack was touted amazingly eloquent for a black guy, and when he kept up the good work , then they decided to acknowledge his white mother.

It's all shady biz, love.

Answer 2

Because in a population that is mostly white, black stands out. The color that is different among the majority will be the distinguishing feature. BUT if everyone is black, for example, if almost all of the continent were black, then a biracial person would stand out as white. White people could claim Halle Berry as European American but that would be while looking right at a person who was darker than the average white person and obviously biracial. What sense would that make? By the same token, many people are half Jewish and their Jewishness is stressed because Jews are a minority. The Gentile half (even if they are practicing Christians) is not mentioned because there is no group that steps forward and tries to unify all Gentiles under one category!

Answer 3

In countries like Egypt, they do claim them as white if they are mixed. Here in American, when blacks and whites mixed, the child was considered black. It was called the one drop rule. Really, the kid is multiracial. The census and the other number crunches do not want to recognize the fact that many are not just one race or another. The keep the basic categories so that their job keeping track of us all is not complicated. Yes, we are all reduced to a number.

Really, Halle Berry is just as much white as she is black. She is both. She is a category that the media doesn't even want to consider. We have to start thinking for ourselves and recognize that these people are neither one thing nor another but a combination.

Answer 4

It's funny you say that because: I'm the white mother of 2 beautiful boys with a black man. I've always thought of them as mixed (my little milkshakes) but when forced to make a choice (like on forms and such) I choose white. Although my 3 1/2 yr old looks more like his Daddy and my 1 year old looks like me. I'd still choose White for both....

Answer 5

the fact is white people do not want to claim them. White people etsbalished the one drop rule and now all of a sudden you have a problem with it. Plus, most of the people you mentioned are culturally black, they call themselves black, and they look black.

Answer 6

I think they are looked on whatever race they resemble the most like Nickole Richie. I always think of her as being white and Hale Berry as being black. But they are both beautiful women.

Answer 7

maybe the black culture is more influential than the white culture, so the kids take on the black culture more

it's not the same w/ asian cultures, this claiming game. tiger is hapa, even if someone was 1/40th asian, they're hapa.

Answer 8

I don't know the true answer to your question, but it did make me really think about what you are saying...I believe you are right in thinking as you do people over here would also refer to them as colored..as we are not allowed to say..black..it is discriminating...
I have a beautiful grandson who is half Samoan, I refer to him as my Chocolate Drop...he is gorgeous, beautiful enough to eat..his skin is like pale chocolate....As his family, we all call him that as a token of affection...It would never occur to us to call him anything else but that ...and...family....

Answer 9

FUNNY YOU SHOULD SAY THAT...ISN'T THAT WHAT THE REAL SO-CALLED WHITES REALLY ARE? EUROPEAN WHITES? NO WHITE PERSON WILL ADMIT THEY ARE DESCENDANTS OF EUROPEAN IMMIGRANTS.
IN ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION...IT GOES BACK DURING THE SLAVORY WHEN THE WHITE OWNERS MADE SURE THEY RAPED THE 12 TO 13 YR OLD SLAVES. WHEN'S THE LAST TIME YOU SAW A WHITE MAN WITH THE LAST NAME OF WASHINGTON?

Answer 10

Its simply the legal term we use. If I remember right it reads if one tenth of one percent is ***** you are black, n..... , colored , afro american, african american and maybe something else by now. I think there are simply , " people" .