Thursday, July 28, 2011

When you're not "Mixed" enough

This is why I believe the Mixed race community will never become fully recognized, or at least take several more years; no one can decide who is Mixed and who allegedly isn't. One of the statements frequently voiced by African Americans who opposed the Mixed race movement in regards to persons of Black heritage, is that "All Black people are Mixed". Well that statement in various aspects is true, however if all Black people are mixed, then why do they refer to themselves as Black? However after reading several comments in regards to what people believe is mixed race and what is not, I feel like I don't fit into the community's standards anymore. While I am Mixed race, I am a product of two mixed race parents, of Black, White, Native American and Latino heritage. However it seems the unofficial definition of mixed race is Black and White, and if you don't have a full White parent, preferably a White mother like our current president, well then you're not Mixed, or at least not Mixed enough. If you are a Black Hispanic like actress Tatyana M. Ali then you're not mixed, no one claims her as a Mixed person. However celebs like Mariah Carey, Halle Berry, Alicia Keys, and Barack Obama are. Why? They all have White moms. This is one of the reasons why African Americans who opposed the Mixed race movement accuse us of wanting to be White. We constantly  uplift our "Whiteness" while ignoring Multi-ethnic persons who may not have such prominent "Whiteness" like Sammy Davis Jr. who was a Black Hispanic.

This is how I don't fit into any community. Not being the "tragic Mulatto" here but when talking to White people I feel that I constantly have to defend my Blackness, while they hold back saying the N word, and casually saying bigoted things about Blacks and Hispanics. Talking to Black people I have to defend my White ancestry, along with identifying as mixed race, listening to them say negative things about "light skin Blacks" Biracial persons, and White people, telling me that I am not "Black" enough. Talking to Hispanics well I can't speak Spanish fluently so I am already judged based on that, and the fact that I have Black ancestry, so I am not Latina enough. Lastly with mixed race persons, well I don't have that White mom. My mother was Black (and Native American), and I am proud of her and I miss her today. So maybe I should start my own group "Persons who don't fit in anywhere".

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