calling all MIXED people... one drop rule?

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  • clarkeje1
    clarkeje1 Posts: 1,638 Member
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    I'm white but here is my opinion. The "one drop rule" doesn't make any sense because I think every part of a person's ethnicity/race/culture makes them who they are, not just the "one drop". I think its just people judging others by how they look. Maybe they look "black/white/asian" but you don't know unless you ask them what their heritage is. It shouldn't be a big deal either way but people like to judge others, thats the way society is.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
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    Born and raised 9th generation South African. Now an American citizen. Do I identify as African-American? I could, I definitely could. But I would also catch a lot of *kitten* for it.

    You should

    or even as a European-African-American just to confuse the heck out of everyone. I would. But I'm just plain old European-nothing else. which is kind of boring really.
  • LadyBeryl
    LadyBeryl Posts: 344 Member
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    Everyone is "mixed".

    I've always hated the one drop rule because implies that purity is white and that is not only racist it is nonsense, IMO. Scientifically (and biblically) humans originated in one place, Africa, so every human is of African descent but some people are less pure than others.

    For the longest time I considered myself "pure African" because there was no scientific proof otherwise. I don't count hearsay/oral traditions. Africans come in all skin colors so the fact that some of my forefathers/mothers appeared non-white didn't matter.

    After taking a DNA test, I learned that I am just over 80% Sub-Saharan African and the rest European. So, I'm not pure either. DNA tests will improve in the coming years and everyone will need to accept the fact that we are all "mixed".
  • BondBomb
    BondBomb Posts: 1,781 Member
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    after watching a few documentaries I thought I'd post a thread.

    How do mixed people feel about the one drop rule? and by mixed I mostly mean with some sort of African decent
    Do you consider yourself black, white mixed?

    Being mixed what are you more attracted too? and what/who is attracted to you?

    this thread isn't meant to stir anyone up... I myself am of a diverse background.

    The "One Drop Rule" was used during slavery, meaning a person that who's blood was "tainted" with even "one drop" of "black blood" would be considered black, therefore making him slave-worthy. This is obviously irrelevant today.

    I consider myself mixed. I am half white and half black. IF (in the few instances) that I have to check a box and "More than one race" isn't an option, I will identify as black.

    Ever since the first boy I liked in kindergarden, I have only found myself attracted to black guys. This is not to say men of other races aren't attractive or aren't worthy...Its just a personal preference that I have NO control over. I'd also like to point out that I've never in my life even been approached by anyone but black guys so maybe subconsciously that has something to do with it...Who knows! lol

    My dad is black and my mom is white. I'm attracted to black guys and my four older brothers all married white girls. Coincidence?
    I like my men like I like my milk. Fat free! Hollllaaaa..
  • MyChocolateDiet
    MyChocolateDiet Posts: 22,281 Member
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    I don't know about that rule because my husband is not even "one drop" mexican but he sure seems more mexican than me most of the time. Race issues are so complicated and dicey. That is until everyone gets naked, and then things just seem to work themselves out quite nicely. :noway: :heart: :flowerforyou:
  • BrettPGH
    BrettPGH Posts: 4,720 Member
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    It's all about perspective really.

    If you say "Well I can go back and trace my ancestors to x" we're all black.

    And we're all monkeys.

    And at one point we were all a one celled organism.

    Tracing yourself back a few generations is a pebble in the grand canyon of life.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
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    Everyone is "mixed".

    I've always hated the one drop rule because implies that purity is white and that is not only racist it is nonsense, IMO. Scientifically (and biblically) humans originated in one place, Africa, so every human is of African descent but some people are less pure than others.

    For the longest time I considered myself "pure African" because there was no scientific proof otherwise. I don't count hearsay/oral traditions. Africans come in all skin colors so the fact that some of my forefathers/mothers appeared non-white didn't matter.

    After taking a DNA test, I learned that I am just over 80% Sub-Saharan African and the rest European. So, I'm not pure either. DNA tests will improve in the coming years and everyone will need to accept the fact that we are all "mixed".

    DNA testing has already proven that humans are not even pure Homo sapiens. So I don't know where anyone gets the idea that there's any such thing as racial purity anyway....

    We are all human. And the one drop rule has no validity, so we're all Homo sapiens sapiens.
  • EvgeniZyntx
    EvgeniZyntx Posts: 24,208 Member
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    I have a drop of giant sea cucumber DNA. Should I be concerned?
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
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    I have a drop of giant sea cucumber DNA. Should I be concerned?

    yes. according to the one drop rule you're a sea cucumber

    as is everyone, I should imagine...
  • maab_connor
    maab_connor Posts: 3,927 Member
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    It's all about perspective really.

    If you say "Well I can go back and trace my ancestors to x" we're all black.

    And we're all monkeys.

    And at one point we were all a one celled organism.

    Tracing yourself back a few generations is a pebble in the grand canyon of life.

    i am an amoeba!!
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
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    I have a question. For those who are all oh I'm 1/8th this and 6/58ths that...how do you find out these things? I have no idea what I am. I'm just me, but you all have me curious now :p

    Also I noticed some Mexicans replying, if you're from there let me know what I should do when I visit in a few weeks :p
  • BondBomb
    BondBomb Posts: 1,781 Member
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    I have a drop of giant sea cucumber DNA. Should I be concerned?
    call me?
  • TheRightWeigh
    TheRightWeigh Posts: 249 Member
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    I'm Native american and caucasian. the One drop rule and other % rules (applied to NA people) have been ways for government to track and classify people. I believe one's identity is bigger than that and may relate to spiritual, socioeconomic, and other cultural practices. Same with who you are attracted to.

    I like this.

    I am not mixed, however, my degree is in sociology and a very good chunk of my coursework was based on race relations and multiracial families. One of the directors of our sociology department is a black man with a white wife and has done a LOT of his academic work on those subjects.

    One-drop is antiquated and irrelevant in modern days. The purpose of One-drop rule was to retain "property" and dehumanize slaves. It was used to further demonize blackness in the U.S.. The idea is if you have one tracable drop (Which could be on paper or phenotypically) then you were tainted and considered fully black. That stripped you of certain rights and added plenty of stigma.

    As far as today. "Blackness" is still an issue, but the "one-drop" rule comes into play more in a social sense. It refers mostly to what race you identify with. I love Soledad O'Brien's "Who is Black in America?" documentary.

    I, as a black male, with heritage from ALL over... (Dad is STRAIGHT from Africa.. on my Mom's side African Ancestry was only itroduced through her grandmother...and that was only half.)...have no issue with Mixed people identifying with multiple heritages. However, the most harrowing issue and the most confusing aspect of self-identifcation is ...Phenotype.

    Barrack Obama was raised by white people and allegedly only met his Black father once. However, when other people saw him. They saw a black boy. Society has treated him as such. He didn't get discriminated against less because his mother & grandparents are white. I have zero problem with Barrack Obama or any other mixed person identifying as black for this reason. I think it's idiotic for anyone to judge the POTUS for embracing his blackness. In all honesty. Most of my friends that are mixed, do identify as black for this very same reason.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
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    It's all about perspective really.

    If you say "Well I can go back and trace my ancestors to x" we're all black.

    And we're all monkeys.

    And at one point we were all a one celled organism.

    Tracing yourself back a few generations is a pebble in the grand canyon of life.

    i am an amoeba!!

    Do living things contain just one drop of non-living things?

    If so, maybe none of us can consider ourselves to be living things...
  • LessMe2B
    LessMe2B Posts: 316
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    If I recall correctly from my colllege anthropology classes, the human race began on the continent that is now known as Africa......soooooooooo aren't we ALL African by that standard?
  • CoderGal
    CoderGal Posts: 6,800 Member
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    I have a drop of giant sea cucumber DNA. Should I be concerned?
    Those things feel super neat. :tongue:
  • TheRightWeigh
    TheRightWeigh Posts: 249 Member
    Options
    I'm Native american and caucasian. the One drop rule and other % rules (applied to NA people) have been ways for government to track and classify people. I believe one's identity is bigger than that and may relate to spiritual, socioeconomic, and other cultural practices. Same with who you are attracted to.

    I like this.

    I am not mixed, however, my degree is in sociology and a very good chunk of my coursework was based on race relations and multiracial families. One of the directors of our sociology department is a black man with a white wife and has done a LOT of his academic work on those subjects.

    One-drop is antiquated and irrelevant in modern days. The purpose of One-drop rule was to retain "property" and dehumanize slaves. It was used to further demonize blackness in the U.S.. The idea is if you have one tracable drop (Which could be on paper or phenotypically) then you were tainted and considered fully black. That stripped you of certain rights and added plenty of stigma.

    As far as today. "Blackness" is still an issue, but the "one-drop" rule comes into play more in a social sense. It refers mostly to what race you identify with. I love Soledad O'Brien's "Who is Black in America?" documentary.

    I, as a black male, with heritage from ALL over... (Dad is STRAIGHT from Africa.. on my Mom's side African Ancestry was only itroduced through her grandmother...and that was only half.)...have no issue with Mixed people identifying with multiple heritages. However, the most harrowing issue and the most confusing aspect of self-identifcation is ...Phenotype.

    Barrack Obama was raised by white people and allegedly only met his Black father once. However, when other people saw him. They saw a black boy. Society has treated him as such. He didn't get discriminated against less because his mother & grandparents are white. I have zero problem with Barrack Obama or any other mixed person identifying as black for this reason.In all honesty. Most of my friends that are mixed, do identify as black for this very same reason. I think it's idiotic for anyone to judge the POTUS or any other person for embracing their blackness as opposed to shunning or belittling it. To each their own. Identify as whatever you feel, don't slight a man for choosing to identify as something you don't agree with. That's like...reverse one-drop :ohwell:

    This is entirely too long...
  • sPaRkLiNgLYFE
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    If I recall correctly from my colllege anthropology classes, the human race began on the continent that is now known as Africa......soooooooooo aren't we ALL African by that standard?
    agreed
  • fbmandy55
    fbmandy55 Posts: 5,263 Member
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    My son is a quarter Hispanic. He is pale, bleach blond haired and has green eyes. I am very thankful for that as his sperm donor is not in his life and he looks more like his REAL dad, the one who raises him.

    I too always wondered why people like Obama or Rashida Jones were considered black. Only one half of their DNA is..
  • MaraDiaz
    MaraDiaz Posts: 4,604 Member
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    I'm envious of everyone who has been able to do the DNA test. I'd love to trace my ancestry through DNA because our family records are vague. Thanks to the racism in the 1800s they had to be vague.

    Would any of it be relevant to who and what I am as a person? Nope, not really, but it's still neat.