We then briefly discussed case nine, which focuses on biracialism. As Henry stated in his Precis, people who are biracial "disturb our metaphysical understanding of race." They do not identify with one particular race but two. In the book, Mills states, "The U.S. racial system has been polarized mainly between white and black, with blackness being demarcated through the one-drop rule." So, due to the one-drop rule, people who were mixed with white and black were actually considered to be black. However, the biracial population is increasing. With this in mind, Mills poses the question, "Would such people really become another race, or, because of their interactions with the larger society, would they really just stay black?
After class I had a conversation with Taylor about one of my close friends who is mixed. Her mother is white, and her father is black. She was raised by her mother, but she has always identified with black culture. Thinking about the topic, I also remembered this video I'd watched on YouTube about a girl who is mixed with black and white, only accepts her white "side", but physically looks black. Sort of like Mr. Oreo, but then again, not really, because the girl actually claims to be mixed. Although some of her reasons for choosing only to accept her white side are a bit far-fetched, she does make a valid point when she mentions white privilege to a certain extent. I don't want this post to be too long, but I just thought it was pretty interesting that even though the girl wasn't able to clearly explain why she wanted to be white, she knew that being white would make life a little easier for her so to speak.
So what do you guys think? If she is biracial, is she a part of a separate racial category? or is she black just because she looks black? or is she white because she identifies with and practices white culture?
Oh, and disregard the title of the video.
When it comes to biracial individuals I believe it depends on the environment and culture they grew up with. They could claim either side, just depending on which one they feel more comfortable with. Now with that being said, regardless of which side they choose to associate with, they still should respect the other side’s culture because whether they like it or not, it is still an apart of them. I have never personally met someone as extreme as the girl in the video, but I have seen similar cases. I know a biracial girl that in high school she associated with both blacks and whites. People would joke by saying she did not what she wanted to be. But now looking back, I realized that she just had it figured out. She had the opportunity to experience both cultures equally, so who are we to tell her that she has to pick a side. A bigger question, if we so claim that she has to pick white or black then what does that say about us?
ReplyDeleteThis girl's statement on why she 'rejects' her black side is a bit problematic (she basically essentializes black people in a very negative way) but the question of claiming a part of your heritage, but not all, is interesting. I also think she was very classist.
ReplyDeleteI think it really depends on the experiences and culture a person has grown up in. If a multiracial person lives in a predominantly white culture, they may 'identify' more as white than other races they might be. I think the audience's reactions were interesting, as they obviously only saw the color of the girl's skin. (Though all of that was probably for viewers).
I think another issues here is also one of class. The prototypical "American Family" tends to be middle/upper-middle class and white, so if a person of another race is upper middle class and lives within white culture they may have an easier time of passing in the culture than a lower class person. Especially with the continued negative stereotypes associating nonwhites with lower class.
As we have learned in class, our philosophy, our understanding of the world is one that has been constructed toward a white supremacist ideal. No other place in the world has this been more evident than here in American south. This girls statement that white people live a higher standard is a direct result of that ideal influencing her life. We have attempted to define what it means to be human in class and we learned that it is incredible hard to define. Although, our current definition is one that is tie in with our white supremacist philosophy and that definition does not take into account other races, disabilities, and LGBTQIA culture. As a result, our perception as Americans is that the constructed ideal is better than anything else. Knowing this makes you really think about what exactly it means to be "Republican". Today at the Supreme Court, a battle will take place not only for equality in marriage, but also for a better definition of humanity. Now, in response to your questions, the woman in the video is white in the political understanding of race because she identifies with a white understanding of humanity. She upholds a white supremacist understanding of what is right and what is wrong/scary.
ReplyDeleteI have to admit that this is idea of bi-racialness has become a very confusing topic for me. While I understand that race is a social-concept with no biological foundation, I don't necessarily know who has the authority to place people into racial categories. Does a person determine what his or her own race is, or, does society place people into racial categories based on what they physical perceive? In my opinion, society has a whole contributes to the categorization of people into races, but does that mean that we have the right to label someone black or white simply based on physical appearance, when that very person labels themselves as being the opposite? I really do not have a solid answer to this question but I feel as though, in the case people with bi-racial backgrounds should have the option to identify their own race.
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