What do you guys think?

[Catherine Vincent]

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=2510456&mesg_id=2510511

Our beloved H2O Man says that saying "mixed race" isn't correct. I didn't know that phrase would be offensive to anyone. Is bi-racial preferrable?


Here is the "mixed raced" person that was inquired about. Imo, she doesn't look it to me.

[kwassa]

1. Someone got on my case once ....

and said to me in an angry email "Nuts are mixed, not people!"

I've never heard it as a pejorative word, but different people have very different sensitivities. I use mixed, bi-racial, and multi-racial as descriptions. There is no connotation of lesser to me because someone is of mixed heritage, as if one straight heritage is more pure and better somehow. It is simply descriptive.

here is the woman in question, who I would describe as black, Alison Stewart:

[Karenina]

15. My youngest, at five

reacted to a woman in the grocery store who approached me, "Your son is so cute! Is he mixed?" (My kid spoke his first word at 4 and 2 weeks later spoke in complete sentences. He could read and spell before he could speak. We called him Mr. Spock).

"My dear woman, I am NOT a breed of dog. I am a BI-RACIAL human being."

I was SHOCKED and admonished him for his rudeness. I have no reflex about the word "mixed" and to this day have no clue where his came from.

[bliss_eternal]

2. I can give you a link to a site of two women that prefer that term...

"mixed"...and btw, they are bi-racial/mixed. As such, I stated that's what they are when I linked their site to our interracial, multi-cultural relationship forum. Given that's what they are, they are within their rights to decide what they are called.

Maybe he should actually be "bi-racial" or "mixed" before stating what's preferable to others. :eyes:

On edit: Here's the link to their website. They call themselves "mixed." I know some individuals prefer "bi-racial", some prefer mixed because they are more than two cultures (especially when said parents may also be bi-racial, etc.).

http://www.newdemographic.com/2005/08/01/why-civil-rights-organizations-ignore-interracial-couples

Some bi-racial, multi-racial, mixed individuals do take offense to being put in a box and having to identify themselves based on the standards of bigoted Americans--that need to know how to classify people so they can figure out which aspect of them they hate more. ;)

I'll be back with the links, cat_girl!

On edit--link to our forum:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topics&forum=289

Peace,
bliss:hi:

[Catherine Vincent]

4. Oh, I know about the Interracial forum, bliss

I used to visit there more often but slacked off lately.

[bliss_eternal]

5. Just trying to get you back...

...we miss you! :hi::hug:

...and giving you links to give the people on the thread that don't know any better. I went to the thread and provided the link myself--maybe they'll learn something. ;)

[bliss_eternal]

3. Just curious...

about your statement under the picture. How should one that is "mixed race" look?

Just pointing out that blacks look many different ways, as do those of multi-racial or multi-cultural heritage, as do many in cultures of color (i.e. American Indian, Latin-american, Cuban, puerto-rican, jamaican, african, Polynesian, etc., etc.,)

So many other cultures of color that I'm sure I'm leaving out--that can look like other cultures and ethnicities.

;)

[Catherine Vincent]

6. Yep. Blacks come in so many different shades.

Which is the reason I said she doesn't really look mixed (bi-racial) to me, although she could be. But I know we shouldn't always go by looks. Most people always assume when you get black and white, the majority of the time the child will look bi-racial (meaning paler skin, straighter hair etc.) but that is not always the case. There are a lot of women in my family that look like Ms. Stewart and they are far from bi-racial.

[bliss_eternal]

7. The assumption that one is bi-racial

because they have light skin or a curly hair texture seems immediate for so much of society, unfortunately even within the black race. If I had a dollar for all the times I heard,"...you must be mixed with somethin'" when I was growing up...I would have a luxury home in Hawaii right now. :rofl:

I really do wish there was no "ethnicity box" to check. All this shit gets old to me...

[bliss_eternal]

8. Is that the same Alison Stewart from MTV...?

...during the late 80's, and into the 90's? I recall she had really curly hair, and eventually worked for one of the "more serious news" outlets--maybe ABC...

:shrug:

[bliss_eternal]

9. Yes, it is.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alison_Stewart

:blush: Good for her! :)

[kwassa]

12. I like these Wiki categories at the bottom of her piece

Categories: 1966 births | Living people | African Americans | People from New Jersey

[ContraBass Black]

10. Would it be appropriate to refer to someone with ancestors of

Three or four races as "bi-racial?"

[bliss_eternal]

11. Exactly...

but you know America.

I'll be honest. I've checked the "other" box just to see if it made any difference at all to anyone. I've also checked ALL the boxes. :rofl: And I've refused to check any box at all on the grounds that it's point blank, not relevant. Just my way of making a stand, while being a pain in the ass I guess. :P

[Brewman_Jax]

13. After reading some of that, I've a suggestion

since we live in a racially stratified socitey, let's call it what it REALLY is: not-white.

[bliss_eternal]

14. Works for me.

;)

You think the world at large would adopt it, so instead of checking a box that states "hispanic" or "black", you could just check the "non-white/caucasian" box?