The Color of Water

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DesignerGal
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The Color of Water

Post by DesignerGal »

I am reading The COlor of Water right now and I would like to discuss something in the book and something I have noticed alot lately.

I hear alot of people with one caucasion parent and one black parent refer to themselves as black many times. I was wondering why that is? Does anyone have different parents that would like to shed some light on this subject. It doesnt really seem far, not to white people in general, but specifically to the white parent. I dont have any children (and my spouse is caucasion as am I) but I might think that if I WAS married to another race and my child always identified with that race and not mine at all it would probably hurt my feelings.

Does anyone else have any thoughts on this?






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minks
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The Color of Water

Post by minks »

DesignerGal wrote: I am reading The COlor of Water right now and I would like to discuss something in the book and something I have noticed alot lately.

I hear alot of people with one caucasion parent and one black parent refer to themselves as black many times. I was wondering why that is? Does anyone have different parents that would like to shed some light on this subject. It doesnt really seem far, not to white people in general, but specifically to the white parent. I dont have any children (and my spouse is caucasion as am I) but I might think that if I WAS married to another race and my child always identified with that race and not mine at all it would probably hurt my feelings.

Does anyone else have any thoughts on this?


Perhaps they refer to themselves as black because that is the predominant (sorry on spelling) color and they look black?? What would the child say, I am black and white? Would you not think of a zebra or something. I had friends who had one muslim parent and one european parent, they all looked very muslim and always said they were muslim, though they were brought up to enjoy both cultures and respect both cultures.
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DesignerGal
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The Color of Water

Post by DesignerGal »

minks wrote: Perhaps they refer to themselves as black because that is the predominant (sorry on spelling) color and they look black?? What would the child say, I am black and white? Would you not think of a zebra or something. I had friends who had one muslim parent and one european parent, they all looked very muslim and always said they were muslim, though they were brought up to enjoy both cultures and respect both cultures.


But Muslim is a religion. Its not the color of one's skin. There are white muslims and black muslims and middle eastern and indian muslims.

So do you mean that one was black and one was white? Or was one really tan and one was white? Or was one really tan and one was black?






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valerie
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The Color of Water

Post by valerie »

I know a lot of people who now refer to themselves as bi-racial.



Color of Water was written 10 years ago about a time much earlier than

that.



And I think an important point to make is the subtitle on the front of the

book: "A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother".
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DesignerGal
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The Color of Water

Post by DesignerGal »

valerie wrote: I know a lot of people who now refer to themselves as bi-racial.



Color of Water was written 10 years ago about a time much earlier than

that.



And I think an important point to make is the subtitle on the front of the

book: "A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother".


I understand all of that, but I hear it around me now and have friends that call themselves black who are bi racial.

I have a friend here at work who is a white woman and she has two bi racial daughters who always say they are black. I just wonder how that might make her feel sometimes.






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valerie
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The Color of Water

Post by valerie »

Have you thought of asking her?



I think also, you're in DC, and I can't help but think that makes a

difference.



It's an interesting question, though. Because for so many years I think

people did try to "pass" and now just maybe, in trying to promote

racial pride for persons of color, the scales are tipped in one direction.

Not saying that's a bad thing, just what is happening. Eventually,

things usually come more into balance.



And "black" being a dominant gene, and "white" being recessive, when

the 2 are mixed it becomes a separate thing, and the "black" is obvious

whereas maybe the "white" isn't.
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Nomad
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The Color of Water

Post by Nomad »

I dated a girl whos father was black and mom was white. She considered herself white, its just how she saw herself, it was her identity. She was fairly light skinned and perhaps it was just natural for her to feel that way. Or maybe she went through a struggle by denying an aspect of herself, to come to that decision. I dont know for sure.
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