Why do you have to be black or white - why can't you be both?

[Thickasabrick]

I am really curious about these labels lately. I have several multi-racial friends and they don't like being labeled one or the other (they actually don't like any labels). Can someone explain this to me?

[Muttocracy]

1. It seems to be the "contamination" idea of race

If you've got some non-white in you, you can't be lily-white. It's ridiculous and racist.

Apparently, the generation in high school nowadays doesn't see the world this way, so there is hope.

[clevbot]

2. Yes, including myself, i know a lot of 'bi-racial' people who hate the idea of labels

mainly because we can see how subjective they are. As most logical people can

[nichomachus]

3. Black vs White is an American invention

Fascinating lecture on the subject

http://www.redroom.com/video/tim-wise-creation-whiteness-clip">The Creation of Whiteness

[Doityourself]

7. Wow...thanks for the link!

[TexasObserver]

4. as a practical matter, many in majority subculture define as "black" bi racial

When Tony Soprano doesn't want Meadow to date a guy, it's not because of the Italian half. It's because of the African American half. To Tony, and to many Americans, half black IS black. And it's been that way our entire history.

[Jamastiene]

5. Any time we divide ourselves by race,

we take several million steps backwards in our quest for civilization. Racial separatism divides us. Real unity begins with dropping the freaking labels and just being people.

[Doityourself]

6. One drop of black blood rules the roost...and so it has been ..black is the dominant gene supposedly

I read an article that said, when it comes to mixing of white/black the individual is then to be considered and classified as black; there was no room for movement.

[Thickasabrick]

8. Wow....that is scary. Who made up that rule??

[NorthernSpy]

9. clearly, at that point we are really talking about caste -- not "race"...

Apparently, it is possible to belong to the "caucasian racial group" while also belonging to American society's black caste.

[FrenchieCat]

10. I am bi-racial, and call myself Black, although folks sometimes

have to take a second look to be convinced (I have been mistaken for Persian, Italian, Hispanic or Morrocan).

I am both Black and White in my heart, but like Obama, I was raised by a single White mother.

I'm from Baby Boomer generation of Bi-racial folks (I'm a 3 years older than Barack). At that time, Bi-racial kids were a rarity, especially those with White Mothers...and even the term bi-racial was not used. Instead, the choices were that if one could not "pass" as White, that is what one did. If one could not, there was no other choice but to accept being classified as Black....not that I ever found anything wrong with that, cause personally, I like "Blackness".

My Black Daughter (her dad is Black mixed w/t Indian) married an Italian/Irish American just last November. I'm sure that their kids will not be forced to classify themselves as I was.

And in fact, my biggest fear in what I have seen develop during this primary in terms of the promotion of racism being accepted, is that my children and their children may not be able to experience a society that doesn't discriminate based on skin color. There was a time, before this primary, that I thought that there was a good chance that racism was on its way out and an unpopular quality for anyone to have. Unfortunately, these primaries took that whole notion 20 paces back into time. Sad.

[Thickasabrick]

12. Thanks for sharing that FrenchieCat. I've always admired your

posts and I felt like I got to know you a little better. I think race is playing too big a part of the discussions lately and I don't understand it - I feel like I'm missing something here and the problem may be because I'm white and just "don't get it".

I don't want to offend anyone - I just want to understand it.

[Ddan]

11. Because everyone wants you to choose

I am part Irish, Native American, German and 80% black. I can't tell you how many times I've gotten "what are you, where are you from, what are you mixed with" or people just assuming my ethnicity. Most people want to be able to file you in a category and it bothers them when they can't.

The emotional aspect of it makes it worse. I grew up in a predominately white town and from the time I was 8 years old. White kids made me feel like I didn't belong because my hair was different and I didn't look like them. When I got to high school the other black kids thought I was too "white for them" It's very hard being in the middle so you either want to say fuck it and pick one or abandon labels all together.