[ProomoSam]

Hi,

I'm just curious about the experiences of mixed race and even non-mixed race people that because of their appearance are mistaken for another 'ethnicity' than their actual ethnic makeup or what they self-identify as. Has that changed the way you identify yourself or shaped you?

Just as an example. I have a friend of mine who is half Arab half Korean. She looks fully Arab. Her sister looks fully Korean. She assimilated and took up Arab culture while her sister only views herself as Asian.

[lopezsokero]

I can relate to it. Most of my family members consider themselves southeast Asian due to their tan skins and round eyes, but I came out opposite with pale skin and slanted almond eyes, so I consider myself east Asian due to my east Asian phenotypes.

[htDgExh8]

phenotype determines identity and that's for sure.

[daasayse]

phenotype determines identity and that's for sure.

So for example if you're mixed black but are mistaken for white you would identify as white? I don't think this is the case for blacks in states.. I mean look at Ben Jealous - he is the head of the NAACP but most people that see him would think he's non-black/other...

My theory is that identity=culture you identify with most and not phenotype.

[Oberjej]

Identity may only incidentally be based off of phenotype, but in the long run culture would be the main determinant.

[ThekvandoVideo]

So for example if you're mixed black but are mistaken for white you would identify as white? I don't think this is the case for blacks in states.. I mean look at Ben Jealous - he is the head of the NAACP but most people that see him would think he's non-black/other...

My theory is that identity=culture you identify with most and not phenotype.

he doesn't look white to me.

[houkbsdov]

Influence of family and society at large both combine to determine how you view yourself.

A predominantly X looking person raised in a Y family may consider himself X or even Z because of how his peers and society at large treat him. Or it may go the other way. It seems many people develop an identity crisis over this. There are more than a few on this forum.

[Anydayhybeall]

he doesn't look white to me.

He doesn't look black either or biracial. Ambiguous to me.

[KlaraNovikoffa]

here are some quadroons that I know.

would you consider them to be black? Because I know for sure that they don't.

[RogerButton33]

My mom is mixed, she is 1/4 amerind despite she identifies herself as Injun nevertheless she doesnt have any native costume. My dad is full white and identifies himself as so.

Hence I identify myself as caucasic because I'm seen as caucasic in my city, however I had my time when I identified myself as an Injun but that's silly because nobody sees me as an injun nor i have any injun costume nor I am culturally related to any ethnic group.... mestizo? well in some sense I could identify myself as so despite being just 1/8 amerind.

Genotypically Im mestizo, phenotypically Im caucasoid.


Cheers.

[JessiPollo]

@ Chicken: Blacks in the States...it is different in the States, I'm assuming this thread is directed at all kinds of mixed people from different regions of the world. By the way I do not mean this in a bad way. But in my opinion, from other regions anyways, it often does happen that your phenotype does influence how you identify.


You could feel i.e. Venezuelan but be labeled as 'white' amongst the people there, but you still feel and are culturally Venezuelan.

It can also happen that you come out looking brown (mixed looking) and one of your siblings white, and that you identify as brown/mestizo/African (or afro-x), but your sibling would identify as white and would be seen and treated as such in your country.


I've just remembered, this boy in my class, whom was a mulatto but looked like your regular Curacaon, whom identified as white. Once in class he said he was Dutch and the teacher (whom was Dutch as well) mocked him and told him he isn't, because he's not white.

Regardless of his phenotype he did feel closer to his Dutch side, and people would mock him for it and not take him seriously, despite having seen his mother. This because he didn't look Dutch, or much mixed at all. So I see that happening too, people whom identify with a part of their ancestry, despite not looking the part, and people dismissing the way they identify, just because that part of their ancestry doesn't reflect in their phenotype. =)


My apologies for going a bit off topic.

[gennnniiikk]

Could this quadroon walk around East Oakland and say, "whats up my niggas" to all the black girls out there? Since identity is not based on Phenotype, it wouldn't matter right? They wouldn't want to fight her at all, right?

[Soolfelpecelf]

My mom is mixed, she is 1/4 amerind despite she identifies herself as Injun nevertheless she doesnt have any native costume. My dad is full white and identifies himself as so.

Hence I identify myself as causasice because I'm seen as caucasic in my city, however I had my time when I identified myself as an Injun but that's silly because nobody sees me as an injun nor i have any injun costume nor I am culturally related to any ethnic group.... mestizo? well in some sense I could identify myself as so despite being just 1/8 amerind.

Genotypically Im mestizo, phenotypically Im caucasoid.


Cheers.

I just think phenotype doesn't determine identity at all. Most mixed Native Americans I've met looked basically Caucasian but only identified as Native.

[retyopj]

An East Indian thought my mom looked like them. My mom looks a lot like one of my Dominican friends.

[ultimda horaf]

its more cultural then physical

I know some half filipinos who look completely like the other half but completely identify as filipino
there was this half japanese half filipina actress who looks completely japanese/north east asian
yet she doesnt identify as japanese at all

and there is Shay Mitchell...filipinaa-american actress...she totally looks filipina...but she identifies with her white side

[QQ9ktYrV]

its more cultural then physical

I know some half filipinos who look completely like the other half but completely identify as filipino

But do filipino's accept them as filipinos?



doesn't seem like it.

[purchasviagra]

Could this quadroon walk around East Oakland and say, "whats my niggas" to all the black girls out there? Since identity is not based on Phenotype, it wouldn't matter right? They wouldn't want to fight her at all, right?

If she has any self-respect, she (or anyone else for that matter) wouldn't be going around saying that isht anywhere.

[Maymayfor]

If she has any self-respect, she (or anyone else for that matter) wouldn't be going around saying that isht anywhere.

Would you find it to be acceptable if she walked around in a dashiki and threw up her "black" fist? all the while yelling 5% and black pride?

[kazinopartnerkae]

@ Chicken: Blacks in the States...it is different in the States, I'm assuming this thread is directed at all kinds of mixed people from different regions of the world. By the way I do not mean this in a bad way. But in my opinion, from other regions anyways, it often does happen that your phenotype does influence how you identify.


You could feel i.e. Venezuelan but be labeled as 'white' amongst the people there, but you still feel and are culturally Venezuelan.

It can also happen that you come out looking brown (mixed looking) and one of your siblings white, and that you identify as brown/mestizo/African (or afro-x), but your sibling would identify as white and would be seen and treated as such in your country.


I've just remembered, this boy in my class, whom was a mulatto but looked like your regular Curacaon, whom identified as white. Once in class he said he was Dutch and the teacher (whom was Dutch as well) mocked him and told him he isn't, because he's not white.

Regardless of his phenotype he did feel closer to his Dutch side, and people would mock him for it and not take him seriously, despite having seen his mother. This because he didn't look Dutch, or much mixed at all. So I see that happening too, people whom identify with a part of their ancestry, despite not looking the part, and people dismissing the way they identify, just because that part of their ancestry doesn't reflect in their phenotype. =)


My apologies for going a bit off topic.

Oh I got it. I know in many other countries though culture trumps race. The categories and obsession over correlating phenotypes with a race is very much amplified in the United States. I've been discussing this with a couple of people I know - one of my friends does not identify herself as White but according to the few boxes there are in the US she has to check it. (White, Black, Hispanic, Asian etc.).

---------- Post added 2012-06-10 at 00:17 ----------

Would you find it to be acceptable if she walked around in a dashiki and threw up her "black" fist? all the while yelling 5% and black pride?

Explain this then:

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



Culture/self identification trumps phenotype.

[Enjoymms]

Usually there's a box for "other". Sometimes also a box for "more than one race".