Why does most bi-racial people usually come up with----?

Question

Saying I am African American identifying only one race rather then say I am proud also to be not only African American but African/Irish American or whatever the other nationality is with the African culture/nationality? I have nothing against mixed races or people of other cultures but I cant understand not being proud or both or denying both and trying to pass for hispanic or American Indian for denial of being bi-racial? With Today being 2007 and so many people intermarrying and religions mixing what is the differance if people know your mixed and being proud of it and showing support for your biological family by acknowledging both God if you believe in God knew what he was doing when you were created and loves you just the same if your all white all black or mixed so why be ashamed?

Answer 1

As far as race is concerned, most states, especially southern states, legally identified all with even a small amount of African blood as black. (I used to know the exact percentage in Louisiana and Mississippi, but have forgotten this silly, useless trivia) Black persons, even those who were only so legally since they had more white blood than black, simply decided to embrace the part of thier heritage that they were recognized as. Blacks accepted them. Persons from the other part(s) of their heritage did not.
Even now, in 2007, not many white persons would welcome a black person who appeared with evidence that he was a part their family.

Answer 2

The combination of my hazel eyes and brown skin usually confuses people. lol. When I am asked the question, "What exactly are you?" I reply "Mixed" with pride. I am fiercely proud of my mixed blood and I have never been ashamed of it. Bi-racial people are sometimes rejected by both races. For instance, Mariah Carey once said that she was ridiculed by both her black and white peers because she was never accepted by neither. She was bullied mercilessly at school. African Americans said she was white and the Caucasians said she was black. It's sad but that happens even to this very day.

Answer 3

If you live in America, born in America, why can't you just be American? Why does everyone have to be all divided up? If you are black and born here then you are not African-American. Whoever came up with all this tip-toe around ,politically correct bullsh*t needs to be slapped, really really hard. The whole nation anymore is divided into these freakin politically correct terms and its dumb as hell and very dividing among groups of various ethnicities. Whats up with the bi-racial label now? Why cant a person just be looked at for who they are instead of racking your brain to find some lame name to attach to them? Ignorance still rules, doesn't it?

Answer 4

Who is ashamed of anything? If bi-racial people tend to identify as African-American; it's because the U.S. as a society treats bi-racial people with the same intensity of racial discrimination and injustice as it does for other minorities. Perhaps when people, including yourself, start treating all people just as if they're "all white and thus, in your mind, all right," then all people of colour will not feel singled out, discriminated, and thus forced to identify as a particular oppressed minority.

How dare you blame the oppressed for the conditions that the dominant white culture has foisted upon them? Use your mind. Think.

Answer 5

Blah Blah Blah I'm mixed and my Twins are mixed but the Government had marked that big old Black sign everywhere on us oh well I love who I am and I am confidant my children will be proud of who they are mixed and beautiful but it is sad when people think I'm Mexican but when I speak oh they say I'm black n-but when they here me on the phone I sound white oh brother what does a Mexican, black and shite person sound like anyway? I like sounding like diff rent people LOl it's great!

Answer 6

I had a friend confront me with this, after the Civil Rights Act was passed. He was mulatto, his mother's father was white and her mother was black. I know that my father told me his father was mixed race, though he only knew that because our skin tone is darker and his father had told him that on the public records, he was white, because interracial marriages weren't permitted. I think my paternal grandmother was 1/2 Cherokee, but on all the Census records, marriage records and birth certificates, everyone is listed as 'White'. My friend said, "When are you going to stop passing for white?" Really, I'd like to know about my ancestors, but genealogy shouldn't be based on assumptions. I don't think I should claim to be mixed race without any evidence.

Answer 7

There is a sad tradition of people of mixed race being rejected by both. We can only hope that this improves.

Nigerian nightmare: Sick as it unquestionably is, the 'Jena 6' has absolutely nothing to do with this question!

Answer 8

I agree with the pepole above me...I also believe that african americans are prouder of their race than others. My little brother is half white and half mexican. He looks 100% mexican and speaks no spanish. The mexicans don't accept him because he has a white mom and speaks no spanish..the white don't accept him because he looks mexican. You have to sort of get in where you fit in!

Answer 9

I don't think that they are ashamed, but just going with whatever race they look most like.

If we all introduced ourselves as the Chinese/Italian/Irish/English/Native/Indian/Japanese/African/etc. American that we are, we'd never have time to talk about anything else.

Answer 10

The bi racial people I know identify themselves as black because they have told me that they are more accepted by the black side of their family than the other side (mainly white.).