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Amneris · 09-09-2008, 10:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AngularScience

Quote:

Originally Posted by Amneris

How he identifies or defines himself is HIS decision and HIS business - no one else's. But in general, the world sees him as a Black man, not this "biracial" business, so I don't think it is that crazy to call himself Black. And not all people of mixed race are conflicted or have issues - that's rather insulting to assume.

I'm curious how it's insulting to assume that biracial people are conflicted/have issues. Even if the person doesn't let it get to him, he often has to go through a lot of prejudice from both sides. Case and point: white people call Obama black, but then there are black people who say Obama isn't "black enough" for them. I would think that kind of exclusionary torture that people put biracial people through must have some kind of detrimental effect on a person's outlook.

I'm not an Obama supporter, but I feel sorry for him that both sides aren't doing him any favors. He's both black and white and should be accepted into both circles.

It's insulting because it implies that people of mixed race are more "messed up" than those who are not as obviously or identifiably mixed race. What you described happens to lots of people - not just mixed race people are called "not Black enough" or not accepted by whites. And truthfully, most Black people in the Americas are mixed and can look any kind of way - there's no magic look for "biracial" or mixed people. I think the "torture" you described happens for all, or most, Black people what with shadism, racism, post-colonialism, etc. Those of us who are mixed don't have any special claim on that.

Also, Obama has the right to define himself and I find it insulting when people TELL him or anyone else that he is "both Black and white' or "biracial" or whatever. Yes, he has African and European ancestry, but HE has the right to say whether or not he considers himself Black, white, both, neither.... some people seem to have this utopian but strangely rigid view that if someone has a Black parent and a white parent, they MUST be this "biracial" poster child who is both races, gets crap from both races, has the ability to be, or should be, "accepted" by both races, has the best of both races, identifies equally as both races.... and it gets tiring to me because there are a variety of possibilities for that person's identity, and identity can be fluid and/or take on multiple identities, so why try to pin someone in a "biracial" box?