This is beautiful! I’m not bi-racial, but I grew up as a Third Culture/Transculture Kid, where I don’t identify with being purely Filipino or purely American, so in some odd sense I feel like this entry hit home to a degree.
Back to the post at hand, I always wondered why we are forced to check off our race. To me, it shouldn’t matter, but I suppose it’s all for demographic purposes, right?
Being the European blend that’s so typical in white North Americans, I’ve never encountered this particular problem, and I’m actually kind of shocked that something as simple as those checkboxes would be that archaic! I mean… yeah, there are a lot of people of mixed race, you’d think surveys would account for that.
There should absolutely not be an issue with you identifying as the product of two cultures, as that’s what you are, after all! People who have an issue with that are ridiculous and ignorant. It can only be a good thing when someone embraces who they are wholeheartedly.
Now I want noodles. I am incensed on your behalf that they make you check a single box. I’m a total mongrel, but once an old man on a subway in Toronto kept asking where I was from and wouldn’t accept Canada as an answer. I finally rolled my eyes and said my mother was Polish, and that satisfied him. I kind of liked that.
I never understood this whole concept anyway. I’m 25% English and 75% Polish, but just because that means my skin is white, I can check off an easy box. It’s just so strange! I get that it’s for survey-taking purposes and all that, but how hard would it be to just open up the check boxes to multiple selections?! Humanity is so weird.
Really interesting and insightful post. I’ve always been interested in this and as a person with European roots (Scottish, Irish, English, Polish, German) we are often called, as Cassie reiterated, “mutts”. I was always curious where Caucasia was, you know? Perhaps it’s just after a few generations that everything mushes together, as when Europeans came over to America, there of course were definite stereotypes and biases about folks of German, Irish, and other countries. It always has stymied me thinking about the term African-American, because to me that would seem like President Obama, because his father truly was an African, but not for most in America who have more diverse roots (even when classified as “black”. Maybe it’s because we categorize and monetize and ___ize everything these days for legal and marketing and other purposes that it is a larger issue than simply calling all of us “American”. Or better yet – human.
Wow, I always forget about all of the little things I never have to think about, being completely Caucasian! I’ve never looked at those little checkboxes that way before. On the other hand, it’s wonderful that you can see the advantages of being bi-racial, namely having two wonderful heritages and cultures to enjoy as part of your history. I often feel very bland in my whiteblondeness (I’m largely Norwegian and German, sprinkled with bits of English, Scottish, and Irish), but I guess it does make life easier in some ways. Great writing! =]
Wow… that’s backward. I am technically full blooded Chinese, so ticking those boxes at least always been fairly straightforward for me, even if I only speak English and don’t strongly identify with my heritage. My kids are going to have the same problems you have, though (albeit probably without the living in different countries.) Such a prime example of old school norms continuing to dominate.
Even though I’m 100% white, I’m dual nationality and those boxes always stump me, too. How do such limited options even begin to describe who you are. Basically, how does skin color define us? I usually put myself as a “white other” whenever possible. I am South African, yes, my roots are European but I am not European and I’d like to acknowledge that. Also I get you on the not being enough of either for people. For me, when I first moved it was like people simultaneously wanted me to be more exotic (why am I white? Why don’t I speak another language?) whilst teasing me about every little thing that did make me different. Now, people still question my nationality simply because I don’t fit into their stereotypes of my home. :/ My accent was the worse. Back then I was not exposed to different cultures on TV and internet so much, because they simply weren’t so prevalent, and even though everyone spoke english they spoke such different English and there were so much slang and little references to things I did not understand that I was totally lost. I still sometimes feel like people are speaking a different language to me, both in the UK and in South Africa now. :/
This is beautiful! I’m not bi-racial, but I grew up as a Third Culture/Transculture Kid, where I don’t identify with being purely Filipino or purely American, so in some odd sense I feel like this entry hit home to a degree.
Back to the post at hand, I always wondered why we are forced to check off our race. To me, it shouldn’t matter, but I suppose it’s all for demographic purposes, right?
Being the European blend that’s so typical in white North Americans, I’ve never encountered this particular problem, and I’m actually kind of shocked that something as simple as those checkboxes would be that archaic! I mean… yeah, there are a lot of people of mixed race, you’d think surveys would account for that.
There should absolutely not be an issue with you identifying as the product of two cultures, as that’s what you are, after all! People who have an issue with that are ridiculous and ignorant. It can only be a good thing when someone embraces who they are wholeheartedly.
Now I want noodles.
I am incensed on your behalf that they make you check a single box. I’m a total mongrel, but once an old man on a subway in Toronto kept asking where I was from and wouldn’t accept Canada as an answer. I finally rolled my eyes and said my mother was Polish, and that satisfied him. I kind of liked that.
I never understood this whole concept anyway. I’m 25% English and 75% Polish, but just because that means my skin is white, I can check off an easy box. It’s just so strange! I get that it’s for survey-taking purposes and all that, but how hard would it be to just open up the check boxes to multiple selections?! Humanity is so weird.
Really interesting and insightful post. I’ve always been interested in this and as a person with European roots (Scottish, Irish, English, Polish, German) we are often called, as Cassie reiterated, “mutts”. I was always curious where Caucasia was, you know? Perhaps it’s just after a few generations that everything mushes together, as when Europeans came over to America, there of course were definite stereotypes and biases about folks of German, Irish, and other countries. It always has stymied me thinking about the term African-American, because to me that would seem like President Obama, because his father truly was an African, but not for most in America who have more diverse roots (even when classified as “black”. Maybe it’s because we categorize and monetize and ___ize everything these days for legal and marketing and other purposes that it is a larger issue than simply calling all of us “American”. Or better yet – human.
Wow, I always forget about all of the little things I never have to think about, being completely Caucasian! I’ve never looked at those little checkboxes that way before. On the other hand, it’s wonderful that you can see the advantages of being bi-racial, namely having two wonderful heritages and cultures to enjoy as part of your history. I often feel very bland in my whiteblondeness (I’m largely Norwegian and German, sprinkled with bits of English, Scottish, and Irish), but I guess it does make life easier in some ways. Great writing! =]
Wow… that’s backward. I am technically full blooded Chinese, so ticking those boxes at least always been fairly straightforward for me, even if I only speak English and don’t strongly identify with my heritage. My kids are going to have the same problems you have, though (albeit probably without the living in different countries.) Such a prime example of old school norms continuing to dominate.
Even though I’m 100% white, I’m dual nationality and those boxes always stump me, too. How do such limited options even begin to describe who you are. Basically, how does skin color define us? I usually put myself as a “white other” whenever possible. I am South African, yes, my roots are European but I am not European and I’d like to acknowledge that. Also I get you on the not being enough of either for people. For me, when I first moved it was like people simultaneously wanted me to be more exotic (why am I white? Why don’t I speak another language?) whilst teasing me about every little thing that did make me different. Now, people still question my nationality simply because I don’t fit into their stereotypes of my home. :/ My accent was the worse. Back then I was not exposed to different cultures on TV and internet so much, because they simply weren’t so prevalent, and even though everyone spoke english they spoke such different English and there were so much slang and little references to things I did not understand that I was totally lost. I still sometimes feel like people are speaking a different language to me, both in the UK and in South Africa now. :/