Why is Obama labeled "black?"

[lilithu]

But I refuse to be ashamed or that "white" is some sort of thing you need to consider the "bad" guy..

My ancestors came on a boat from England MANY years ago and they were not black and they settled here.

And Im PROUD of that..Lets just put it tis way ..because they WERENT another ancestery doesnt bring me shame..

We have good and bad people in my line..(mostly good ) Just like everyone else.. Im not going to sit there and apologize for being white and not ASHAMED of it..

No one is telling you to be ashamed of your English ancestry. English does not equal "white."

I am proud of my Chinese ancestry. But I consider it a ridiculous statement to say that I am proud to be "yellow." And it doesn't make much more sense to say that I am proud to be "Asian." I am proud to be Chinese. More specifically, I am proud to be Chinese-American.

So I'll ask you the same question that I asked Trey and he didn't answer: what is there about being "white" that you are proud of that isn't English-American? or Euro-American?

 

[Kathryn]

Great post, Lilithu!!!!!

 

[lilithu]

How do you know I have no problem calling them "black?"

Maybe it's because you kept insisting that Obama is only "half black." That to me suggests that you are making a distinction between those who are "all black" and those who are "half black." Or partially black. :areyoucra

I much prefer African American

I see. So you have no problem with Obama being referred to as African-American. It's just calling him "black" that's the problem. You know, many people use these terms interchangeably.

- or better yet, no differentiation at all.

Peeps is peeps.

Right.

 

[lilithu]

Great post, Lilithu!!!!!

You liked that post. And yet, you say that we should make no distinction at all.

Man, talking about race in the U.S. is complicated.

 

[Kathryn]

Maybe it's because you kept insisting that Obama is only "half black." That to me suggests that you are making a distinction between those who are "all black" and those who are "half black." Or partially black. :areyoucra


I see. So you have no problem with Obama being referred to as African-American. It's just calling him "black" that's the problem. You know, many people use these terms interchangeably.


Right.

Look - I think it's pretty obvious when one parent is very light skinned and most likely of European descent - and one is dark skinned and of predominately African descent (or any other combination you can name), that the children of that union will be approximately half of one ethnic group and half of the other genetically.

I know we don't have "pure" races but I think what I am talking about is pretty clear.

My point is that it seems odd to me for society to label a person as "black" when they could just as easily label them as "white" based on their heritage.

It's like DallasApple said - people tend to assume a person is "of color" if they have the slightest drop of "colored" blood in them.

Personally I think that's a pretty racist way of looking at a person. But that's just my opinion.

Wow, I wonder what people will label my little grandchildren as - two of them are absolutely un categorize-able by looking at them. They are part "white," part "black," part Panamanian and part Sicilian.

They just look nut brown, with glossy black hair and huge dark eyes - but they have no prominent racial "type" to their features. Yet I am sure someone somewhere will try to fit them into some ethnic group.

Maybe not. I hope not.

 

[Buttons*]

From what I understand..If you have ANY "black" in you then you are considered "black".

It doesnt matter what color your skin is..

Love

Dallas

Yeah, I've always thought that was weird. It's like if you have ANY Afro- in you, you're automatically black. I have a friend who has a white mother and black father. She never grew up knowing her father because apparently her parents had some personal issues before she was born. She's only known her white mother. Now, she looks more tan than me, but the only reason I even notice that she's "black" is because of her frizzy hair. It's actually lots of fun to play with...I digress.

The interesting thing is, that she's never identified with her black heritage. She things affirmative action is stupid, and that she shouldn't be allowed special privilages simply because her dad was black. Her mother had some hardships early on, when my friend was a little girl, but she was never without. She went to public schools and was hardly discriminated against. She didn't really ever fit in with the "black" crowd because she was raised "white" so to speak. She doesn't talk like an african-american from the ghetto because that's not what she was exposed to.

It's just interesting for us to talk about because she says, "deep down, I'm just white, really." Skin color doesn't matter to us. She doesn't think it should make a difference, and neither do I. Although, I did tell her that of all the people benefiting from the government because of skin color, she should probably get in on that - because she works hard and deserves it. She's an all A student, and extremely bright. I love her

The interesting thing though, is that she's a lot like Barak. She hasn't met her father, she was raised by a white mother, she talks like any other regular educated person, and doesn't use racial slurs lightly (unlike many other african americans. Cue anger from people who haven't experienced it themselves.). She identifies as mixed, if she's asked, but also mostly identifies as white with a great tan. Her "blackness" is joked about amongst her friends in jest, because she knows almost nothing about what it's like to be "black."

I don't really care how Obama identifies himself. That's up to him. But people up in arms about his race or creed... well that's just silly! America is supposed to be above that. I do think it's rather pointless for people to constantly pick out his color. I think that's got more to do with the media than him, personally.

 

[Kathryn]

You liked that post. And yet, you say that we should make no distinction at all.

Man, talking about race in the U.S. is complicated.

There's nothing wrong with you enjoying your Chinese heritage. That's YOUR CHOICE.

I have a problem when society insists on slapping a racial ticket on people who are obviously not "one or the other." If the person in question takes on a label voluntarily then that's a different matter altogether.

 

[Kathryn]

Dallas, thanks so much for clarifying your position with your eloquent post. YOU GO GIRL!

My oldest son Allen calls himself "the Negro." Obviously he means it tongue in cheek. I think it's hilarious because he's pointing out the absurdity of the word everytime he uses it.

Sometimes I go into his room when he's home and say, "Hey - clean this place up and make it look like white people live here!"

I know it sounds terrible but we both just die laughing at this stuff - it's so ridiculous!

 

[Buttons*]

Dallas, thanks so much for clarifying your position with your eloquent post. YOU GO GIRL!

Dallas made an eloquent post?

My oldest son Allen calls himself "the Negro." Obviously he means it tongue in cheek. I think it's hilarious because he's pointing out the absurdity of the word everytime he uses it.

Sometimes I go into his room when he's home and say, "Hey - clean this place up and make it look like white people live here!"

I know it sounds terrible but we both just die laughing at this stuff - it's so ridiculous!

I think everyone should be allowed to poke fun at ridculous things but that's just me. I don't tend to get offended (same with my friends) at something so meaningless as a stupid word By the by, your son sounds HILARIOUS! I'd love to meet that kid

 

[Kathryn]

BUTTONS - I MEANT BUTTONS! Sorry!!!!

 

[Kathryn]

Dallas made an eloquent post?


I think everyone should be allowed to poke fun at ridculous things but that's just me. I don't tend to get offended (same with my friends) at something so meaningless as a stupid word By the by, your son sounds HILARIOUS! I'd love to meet that kid

He IS hilarious! And always the life of the party.

 

[lilithu]

It's like DallasApple said - people tend to assume a person is "of color" if they have the slightest drop of "colored" blood in them.

Personally I think that's a pretty racist way of looking at a person. But that's just my opinion.

The only reason why it's racist is because we still think of white as superior to black in this country. So if someone is "only half-black," we want to acknowledge that. If we truly did not think there was any difference in worth between blacks and whites, then it wouldn't matter what Obama got labeled. Even if it were incorrect, it would only be amusing, not upsetting.

I have a problem when society insists on slapping a racial ticket on people who are obviously not "one or the other." If the person in question takes on a label voluntarily then that's a different matter altogether.

I do agree that if someone identifies as biracial, that should be respected, and an "all-or-nothing" identity should not be imposed upon them. But as several people have pointed out in this thread, Obama identifies as black. Or as African-American. (As well as biracial.) He has no problem with it, so what is the issue? And it's not like it's a secret; he wrote a book about it!

Just because your children are biracial and identify as such does not mean that other people who are biracial need identify the same way.

 

[lilithu]

It's just interesting for us to talk about because she says, "deep down, I'm just white, really." Skin color doesn't matter to us. She doesn't think it should make a difference, and neither do I.

She says she's white, And you both say skin color doesn't matter.

Classic.

And I bet you don't even see the irony in that.

 

[Buttons*]

She says she's white, And you both say skin color doesn't matter.

Classic.

And I bet you don't even see the irony in that.

I do, actually you underestimate me you sly fox

It's a good thing you don't know her, you'd be judging her left and right!

 

[lilithu]

I do, actually you underestimate me you sly fox

You're extremely talented at responding to posts without actually responding to them. Methinks you should go into politics.

 

[ChristineES]

I'm of mixed race. I know I am 1/2 white (on my mother's side), but a lot of people just don't see me that way. It doesn't really bother me. My stepfather is Japanese, and my 2 stepsisters are Japanese on his side and Jewish on their mother's side. No one sees them as white, either but as Asians. (My stepfather was born in the USA and speaks English, so it is kind of funny when people ask my mom "can he speak English?" Well, I think it is funny, my mother doesn't) It never seems to bother them, either.

 

[Buttons*]

You're extremely talented at responding to posts without actually responding to them. Methinks you should go into politics.

Thank you! You're also extremely talented in the way you judge people and make back handed compliments! Maybe you should try going into law!

 

[lilithu]

Thank you! You're also extremely talented in the way you judge people and make back handed compliments! Maybe you should try going into law!

Yep, still avoiding the issue.

"I'm just white." "Skin color doesn't matter."

 

[Kathryn]

The only reason why it's racist is because we still think of white as superior to black in this country. So if someone is only half-black," we want to acknowledge that. If we truly did not think there was any difference in worth between blacks and whites, then it wouldn't matter what Obama got labeled. Even if it were incorrect, it would only be amusing, not upsetting.


I do agree that if someone identifies as biracial, that should be respected, and an "all-or-nothing" identity should not be imposed upon them. But as several people have pointed out in this thread, Obama identifies as black. Or as African-American. (As well as biracial.) He has no problem with it, so what is the issue? And it's not like it's a secret; he wrote a book about it!

Just because your children are biracial and identify as such does not mean that other people who are biracial need identify the same way.

Speaky English?

First of all - I didn't say I was UPSET - that's way too strong a word. I find it CURIOUS that society in general considers him "black."

As for that crazy talk about wanting to be sure he's categorized as only HALF BLACK because (and I quote you) "because we still think of white as superior to black in this country" - wow, speak for yourself. I don't feel that way at all.

And finally - why do you keep trying to make it appear as if I said that my issue is with Barack Obama's categorization of himself? I have never heard him say or insinuate that he identifies more with either his African or European ancestry. Let me try to say this one more time in the hopes that you will get it - My issue is with OTHER PEOPLE (not the multiracial person themselves) who can only acknowledge one racial identity in a person that they KNOW is multiracial.

 

[Buttons*]

Yep, still avoiding the issue.

"I'm just white." "Skin color doesn't matter."

You didn't post a question, you just took my post, edited it to make your point so you could claim you're better than me, and then left it. Is this another "question"?

If so, I'll go ahead and tell you what's up Since you actually care about my friend versus making me look bad to prove that you're awesome.

She says that she's "black" sometimes - jokingly, and she'll say that she's "white" - jokingly. She doesn't really care either way. Even if she does say that, "I'm really white deep down" all she's talking about is how she doesnt' act "black" whatsoever, or really have a clue of what it's like to be "black." It really doesn't matter to her, or to me. She does think that she's more culturally attuned to things that are stereotypically "white" because of her parenting.

Are you happy now? Is that clear enough for you? Would you like her number?