A question of color

Nish Nishant

I am just asking this out of curiosity rather than out of any racist intent. I find that if a 100% black guy marries a 100% white woman (or vice versa) and they have a kid - the kid is 50-50 - yet the kid is categorized as black. Now assume he marries a 100% white and they have a kid. This kid is 25% black and 75% white, yet he is categorized as black. Why is this trend prevelant? I mean seems as if if someone is 1% black and 99% white, he/she is still categorized as black. Is this typical of just the USA? Or this is a universal phenomenon. I only find this trend with black-white cross kids. I mean if it's an Indian-White cross they refer to him/her as a Indian-american, same for chinese-americans, pakistani-americans etc... But why is it otherwise for black-white crosses? Nish

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Chris Losinger

Nishant S wrote: I mean seems as if if someone is 1% black and 99% white, he/she is still categorized as black. indeed, in the mid-1800's, your percentage of white vs black blood placed you into a number of predefined categories: http://www.ghg.net/hollaway/civil/civil7.htm[^]. nowdays, we are a little less strict: http://www.fedstats.gov/qf/meta/long_68185.htm[^]. -c

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Jason Henderson

I think it has a lot to do with political correctness. I wish we would do away with affirmative action, racial quotas and anything similar. Why should you have to answer or even be asked what race you are?

Jason Henderson
"You must be the change you wish to see in the world." - Gandhi

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Lost User

IMO, Affirmative action (called reservation in India) is intended as a way to get more representation for previously oppressed communities. In US, it is obvious that Blacks did not enjoy the same privileges even until about 40 years ago. It is better to give educational privileges than dealing with a huge welfare bill. Mostly, it is not about how smart you are; but bringing a whole community to par with the overall society. Whether it achieves the goals, or already achieved the goals is a debate. But, society should have a commitment to correct its previous mistakes. Ofcourse, answering a race question should be an individual decision? I don't think government should force either on anyone. My article on a reference-counted smart pointer that supports polymorphic objects and raw pointers

Bijesh

I believe it depends on which group is a minority. The offspring is always considered to belong the group which has fewer people. Atleast thats what I heard that on a TV quiz show.... --------------------------------------------------

Marc Clifton

The only reason is the reason perpetuated by the blacks/African Americans/Negros/[PC word of the day]: You qualify as a minority group that way, giving you access to my hard earned white money. X| Marc Help! I'm an AI running around in someone's f*cked up universe simulator.
Sensitivity and ethnic diversity means celebrating difference, not hiding from it. - Christian Graus
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Stan Shannon

It has a lot to do with the sad history of Africans in the US. Traditionally, in most areas of the US, anyone having any black ancestry was considered black - that is, a "single drop" was all it took. This attitude arose primarily in the old South which maintained a vested interest in controlling the racial mixing between the two races so that the slave population could be easily, and legally, distinquished from the non-slave population. "My job is to protect America" George W. Bush.

Lost User

I've heard this and quite frankly, it makes me concerned about attitudes where that is applied. A friend at work mentioned that she is mixed race one time (in the course of talking about her father being from the US) and it was beside the point. Why should she be labelled as one or the other ? Elaine :rose: The tigress is here :-D

Lost User

OK, another response to the same question. I watched a tv programme and it was talking about the plantations in the southern US. Because the owners would have sex with the slaves, anyone who wasn't 100% white would be considered black so the owners could still consider them the same as the other slaves. I really wish that memory hadn't come back, it make smy skin crawl. Talking about people as animals to be used and disposed of but having sex with them. Was that bestiality then ? By the way, my mixed race friend spent a large part of her childhood in the US and has told me about the attitude towards non whites in certain parts of the US. Other parts of the US are not like this at all so I am not generalising about all of the US. Elaine The tigress is here :-D

Chris Austin

It is very odd indeed. Many people seem to be engrossed by individuals ethnic background, as if has bearing on everything. It reminds me of a conversation I had with a HR person when I chose no to fill out the optional race questions on the application. I was being a bit belligerent because she kept me waiting for 45 minutes and I had other places to be plus I was pretty sure that I really didn't want to work there. Her: "Oh, you missed this section." Me: "No, I skipped it." Her: "So, what is your ethnic background?" Me: "It is my understanding that I am not required to answer those type of questions." Her: "Is there a reason you don't want to answer?" Me: "No." Her: "Ahhh....So what is it?" Me: "What do you think?" Her: "Well, I can't answer that can I?" Me: "Is there a reason you don't want to answer?" Needless to say I didn't have the opportunity to turn down a job offer from her company :) Hey don't worry, I can handle it. I took something. I can see things no one else can see. Why are you dressed like that? - Jack Burton

Chris Losinger

Trollslayer wrote: Was that bestiality then ? take a look at the link in my post above. it describes how slaves were reclassified (in legal terms) as 'real property', which would put them in the same category as livestock and household furniture. this was to prevent interracial marriage; since nobody would be allowed to marry their furniture, or other real property, they wouldn't be allowed to marry slaves either. while it seems totally insane to us these days, it was nearly unquestioned at the time (early 1700's). i wonder what people in the 2300's are going to find morally abhorrent about us... -c

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Brit

I think part of it is based on the fact that a person who is half-white half-black looks black. Unless they told you, you might even think that they were 100% black. A couple of examples: Tiger Woods[^] is half-black, half-asian and Halle Berry[^] is half-black, half-white. (Even futher, Halle Berry called herself an inspiration to black women at a recent awards ceremony. I had to think, "Gee, aren't you half-white?") ------------------------------------------ "What happened in that Rhode Island club is shocking. To think that over a hundred people would attend a Great White concert." - The Onion

Anna Jayne Metcalfe

I think it's daft. People and people - all unique and special. :love: I remember the snide racist comments my parents and others of their generation used to make back in the 70's. I despised their attitude, and I'm so glad things have changed. Anna :rose: Homepage | My life in tears

"Be yourself - not what others think you should be"
- Marcia Graesch

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Anna Jayne Metcalfe

You got my 5 hun. :-D Anna :rose: Homepage | My life in tears

"Be yourself - not what others think you should be"
- Marcia Graesch

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Chris Austin

Too bad things haven't changed enough. Last year in New Orleans a bitch-ass waitress refused to serve me, my wife, and her father. When we complained and the manager rebuked her she quit right then and there rather than serve us. I am not saying this is the rule, but my wife or I have been on the receiving end too many time to think that we have breed out these rednecks. Hey don't worry, I can handle it. I took something. I can see things no one else can see. Why are you dressed like that? - Jack Burton

Chris Losinger

"Black Man, Black Woman, Black Baby White Man White Woman, White Baby Black Man, White Woman, Black Baby White Man, Black Woman, Black Baby." Fear of a Black Planet - Public Enemy -c

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Chris Austin

Arghhhh! Damn, now I have "FOBP" and "Can't Trust It" running through my head. Hey don't worry, I can handle it. I took something. I can see things no one else can see. Why are you dressed like that? - Jack Burton

Anna Jayne Metcalfe

I'm sorry to hear that Chris. :rose: It does seem to take longer in some areas than others. The UK is a pretty cosmopolitan place now, and it's a huge contrast to the way it was 20 years ago. I like it that way. :) Anna :rose: Homepage | My life in tears

"Be yourself - not what others think you should be"
- Marcia Graesch

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Chris Losinger

Fight the power (of PE). -c

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Lost User

Anna-Jayne Metcalfe wrote: I'm so glad things have changed. Has it? http://www.newvision.org.uk/eu_urges_.htm[^] "In separate reports issued recently by the two anti-racism bodies, the United Kingdom has been referred to as one of the increasingly intolerant, hostile, and xenophobic countries in the European Union." Mike Mullikin :beer:

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