Victoria Reign, Jun 18, 2020 #mixedrace #mixedraceperspective
These are my views and experiences of being mixed race and I
know I don't represent everyone, I just hope that others can relate.
-snip-
Statistics as of January 11, 2023 at 3:15 PM ET
Total # of views -
Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post showcases a 2020 YouTube vlog entitled Mixed Race Is NOT Black - Stop Trying To Silence Us!". The vlogger is Victoria Reign, a young woman from the UK who identifies as "Mixed"and "Mixed Racial".
This post also presents selected comments from that discussion thread. Almost all of these comments are from people from the UK, The USA, & elsewhere who are mixed race.
These comments document the wide range of positions among commenters in that discussion thread who are mixed race about whether they should indicate that their race is "Mixed"/"Mixed Racial".
The content of this post is presented for socio-cultural purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to Victoria Reign for her vlog and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to .
****
SELECTED COMMENTS FROM THIS VLOG'S DISCUSSION THREAD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOGT4ZBffPA
Pancocojams Editor's Note:
This compilation is only a small sample of the comments that I found interesting in this discussion thread. I recommend reading the entire discussion thread. Some of these comments refer to comments that no longer are part of that discussion thread for one reason or another.
These comments are numbered for referencing purposes only.
2020
1. Pitmatix
"No one has a right to tell someone they can't acknowledge
part of their ancestry or that by acknowledging it they are insulting the other
part/s."
**
2. THE NOBLE ONE-33
"The world tries to make us choose one side over the other. I
see myself as both. It's simple science"
3. Nix Thomas
"im mixed, but it doesn’t change my race.
im asian, italian, black, and french.
i consider myself all of them
im not limited to only being one because of my skin tone"
**
4. Léonie Mélodie
"I'm mixed-race too and I agree so much with that! I'm French
and mixed-race people are their own ethnicity. We're "Métisse". To
me, this term as used to physically discribe someone implies that the person is
white and black. Other mix exist but it's harder to draw the line when it's
between two relatively close countries, if you have a predominant ethnicity or
are passing as one or the other. Exemple: asian/white or Arabic/white,
Arabic/black they tend to blend well together to the point of it being just
"your origins". But anyway, that really annoys me that mixed-race
isn't an established ethnicity in the US because it erases more than half of
your cultural background and sort of crushes your individuality. It's also not
okay to have tons of mixed celebrities being referred to as "black
representation and role model" when they could represent our community! We
have no solid representation, even Zendaya that I adore is called "a black
women". There's barely any roles written for mixed persons, it's always a
mixed person playing a black character. That's annoying for both black and
mixed people. I'm glad I found your channel, I was originally looking for
foundation advices (I found none) and you were the only person to address
mixed-race people. Thank you!"
**
Reply
5. Victoria Reign
"Thanks for watching, I completely agree. It insane how many
of us feel the same (something I only realised after making this and hearing
from other mixed race people) but we have such little representation. We need
more celebrities/public figures to say they are mixed race rather than, for
example, saying they're black. I think
it is great that more people are talking about it because change can only come
if we stand up and have our voice heard!"
Reply
6. Leequan L.-Scott
"
**
Reply
7. Lovelymix, 2021
"Rashida is an Arabic name not black."
8. Aavanti Beauty
"I am mixed and I look mixed so that makes me MIXED. I cannot just say one race."
**
Reply
9. Lord of the Loowit, 2021
"Yes you can. Do an ancestry test, and whatever most of your ancestry is, is what your race is. Simple as that."
**
Reply
10. Isaac Louis. 2021
" @Aavanti Beauty everyone you named except for Sallie richardson and Paula Patton are racially white or white passing. Sallie and Paula have always been seen as black women. I'm not a hater. I have a white mother and a black father but I'm black because that's what I look like and that's my culture. I'm not disowning my white ancestry or family. I acknowledge that I have a white family but by definition, I can't be white and I've never lived that kind of life even being under the same household as my white mother. I'm a black man and I'm proud to be black."
**
11. carolyn smyth
"Victoria I LOVE your positivity. I am a white Mum of a
beautiful mixed race son. I try to
engage him in these conversations sometimes he will, sometimes he doesn't want
to discuss. He is a teenager and still finding his feet. I just want to be there for him. Love support
and encourage him to feel very proud of
who is.
I notice when Obama became president the headlines all read "first Black President of the USA" I also remember talking to friends and saying ...whatever happened to giving him his correct title First Mixed Race president .
I have had many conversations with my 85 year old mother about my son who she adores. I try explaining to her that in the outside world he will be generally be regarded as Black NOT mixed race, not right but, that's just how it is at the present time . How amazing would it be for this to change.
Finally, I work in Genetics and know that no matter how we
look visually for example Black ,White ,Asian and so on. Many of us would be
shocked to find how many of our ancestors are from different races , cultures
and different parts of the world. I love this fact I think it adds to the richness and diversity
of life. I only wish people would take
this on board ."
**
12. cherry moedde
"I am mixed with many things. I do look white. I do sound white. I have a German maiden name. My kids are mixed Mestizo and I agree it is unfair to expect mixed people to choose one/the other.
I can not divide my dna to suit people."
**
Reply
13. cherry moedde, 2021
"@MANSA MUSA my childrens father is darker Mexican"
**
Reply
14. cherry moedde, 2021
"@Nathaniel Hall I am not one to decide for anyone how they identify themselves. I would let my children embrace all of who they are not just one part.
I come from Kushite, Egyptian, all the East European and Scandinavian Sammi-Norse and Iberian, French and Hebrew ancestry. I also have Hindustani and Romani roots.
I have an autistic son and I am an atheist. I know a bi-racial boy who is red haired, freckled and blue eyed who identifies as black. I know twins who are mixed and only one identifies as black (not that it matters the lighter one). His twin sister identifies as Puerto Rican.
My father never allowed us to have non-white friends and he would beat us, isolating us from neighbors. When I turned 17 I ran away. I have not seen my parents in 40 years."
**
Reply
15. kesh s, 2021
"@Nathaniel Hall You are a mixed race black person. People
will view you as black but you can still embrace both of your heritages."
**
16. Random User
"Race is an unscientific concept. Historically, it is a
social construct that has been used to justify slavery, genocide and
imperialism. Armenians, Southern-Italians, Syrians, and the Irish, for example,
were not always considered white in America, legally and socially. They attained
whiteness over time. There is no such thing as a concrete biological reality of
whiteness, redness, yellowness, brownness, blackness, and so on. Furthermore to
be an African-American one need not be 100% black, (whatever that means, since
blackness, too, is socially constructed, and its criteria has always been in
the hands of the oppressors, not the oppressed). Malcolm X, Muhammad Ali, and
many other black people, have white blood in them. Now, I'm not denying YOUR
personal identity as a mixed person, but there are African-Americans that are
as light as you and even lighter that identify as black and are socially and
legally treated as such. Race doesn't exist in a vacuum. There's always a
political side to it."
Reply
17, Christopher
"
**
Reply
18. Destination Underground
"And the politics of it is exactly what complicates things!"
**
Reply
19. Random User
"@Destination
Underground Facts. All this white, red,
yellow, brown, black, blue (police) or whatever else color you can think of are
just tools invented by settler-colonialism and/or the wealthy elite. It's a
tool for geopolitical interests. It simplifies people and puts them in
categories."
****
2021
20. Steve 14
"YES!!!! OMG THANK YOU I'm half black half white
but I don't fit in with either side it's extremely hard we are Bi-racial or
mixed race to I hate ppl assuming what I am and I hate being ignored like hello
mixed ppl are here to thank you for speaking out about this problem"
**
21. angel5006GodisAble
"You should never have to deny either of your parents race."
**
22. Zara Royce
"The being biracial is difficult even under the best of
circumstances, especially if one of your parents may have a lot of racial
issues"
**
23. Austin Curlson
"My birth certificate says I'm Black. My mom said at the time
you were only allowed to choose one. That was back in 95 though. Even on some
current forms it'll say you can select more than one race but then go on to ask
what is my "Primary race" "
**
24. Candis Hickman
"I created some videos on this too as a part of my own
exploration. I continue to identify as black-biracial or mixed race black. We
all have the privilege of identifying however we want (which is the privilege
of being mixed). That said, with reverence to the history and stories of my
ancestors, reality and perception, I will always choose to identify with
blackness as well. Love this video though and love your story."
Reply
25. Candis Hickman
"
"@Susana Nwosu coming from someone who has a black dad and a white mom, mixed isn't a race. Race is based on what you look like and technically, you can't look mixed. I've seen people with a black parent and a white parent who are dark skinned and have every single afro feature down to a T, some are lightskinned black like myself, and some are white passing and that's where it's different because by definition, the ones that are white passing can be under the white race but probably still would identify as black due to their upbringing."
"I’m mixed raced , half African and Asian and it’s rlly hard
to be in the world where everyone is always judging us and making us feel like
we’re outsiders which makes me feel even worse"
28.
"@Victoria Reign mixed is not a race.By calling yourself
mixed is like calling yourself a mutt. Just say who you are Nigerian and
British or whatever it may be. But to try to create a entire new social
construct in a world where those very ideal are dissolving is counterintuitive."
**
Reply
29. Natural Injector - Emily Dowe, PA-C, 2022
"@Lion
Blood mixed is not but the races that
make you up are. I do think society
should come up with actual terms. For
instance Euro African. Euro Asian. Etc."
**
30. TheLaserMunkey
"I’m multiracial (black, white, and asian), and personally I
wouldn’t particularly say I am “proud” of my race. I don’t believe anyone
should be proud merely because they were born looking a certain way. I am proud
of who I am as a person; I am proud of the content of my character, not the
color of my skin."
**
31. FH EDITS
"In South Africa, the term coloured doesn't mean black.
Coloureds is the apartheid term for mixed-race
ppl. Back in the 1600s is when the mixing started."
**
32. Collins Talley
"This is so true , I'm biracial (black and white ) and I
detest when people try to make me choose a race to identify as , people seem to
not understand to say I'm black is to deny my mother flat out , I'm not black
I'm not white I'm Collins , simple as that if you need more then I'm biracial I
don't understand why people have to demand you identify"
**
Reply
33. MC Cham
"PROUD of you! This is what I want to see - Mixed race people
identifying as mixed race. Stay proud of your mixed race identity."
**
34. Passa Flora
"Whewwww thank you for thiiiis! Accurate representation of
Black, Brown, and Mixed races in media matters so much. I hope children see
their experiences in the media, specifically for those kids who's parents
aren't going to talk with them about race and end up looking to media as a learning/entertainment
tool. I hope folks learn better and DO better. I'm thankful for the information
I've learned about myself and my families history so I can be the story teller
and pass along and rejoice in the updated information!"
**
35. Cora Larkin
"I agree with everything you said 100%
I’m mixed and proud"
**
36. Lizzy Alexis
"Thank you for sharing your experiences, you're speaking real
truth. I have noticed a continual dialouge on youtube which claims that
biracial people perceive themselves as superior to the black community (which
breaks my heart). I would like to hear biracial perspectives amoungst all
perspectives."
**
Reply
37. Victoria Reign
"Thank you for watching and commenting. I've noticed the same
and I've not seen many mixed creators speaking about being mixed/biracial,
which is what triggered me to start making videos trying to show that such
stereotypes are not true for most of us."
**
38. Gallagher
"It takes two black parents to make a black person. Think of
mixed race people as the colour purple. They are neither red or blue. They are
a unique creation, different to both colours."
**
Reply
39. He who greets with fire 🔥 🔥🥊
"Lmao"
**
Reply
40. PurpleCow
"Gallagher THANK YOU. It's literally plain common sense.
If both of your parents are black, then you're a black
person. If ONE of your parents is black, then you're biracial. You're not one
race if your other parent is an entirely different ethnicity then the other
one.
Whites pulled this crap with Obama, Zendaya, Halle Berry, Kamala Harris, Meghan Markle, ect.
America never had a "black" President, Kamala
Harris was never a "black" woman in the White House, and the UK never
had a "black" queen of England.
Facts."
**
Reply
41. David Elliott
"But people aren't classified like colors of paint. Black and
white doesn't make "gray" in people.
In fact, purely scientifically speaking, race itself is a social construct and the genes that determine skin color are very minute. Scientists and geneticists for decades now have been saying and publishing reports that human beings aren't genetically divergent enough to be classified as different "races" within the human species. There is no such thing as a new human race since people have been mixing genetics since human evolution began. This age is not the first time the world has seen mixed race people.
Even the average African American with two "black" parents is genetically between 17-24% European and also includes varying minor degrees of Native American heritage, which has already been proven multiple times through genetic testing. Even Obama's white American mother had black African descent through a slave ancestor (John Punch) so even she wasn't completely European in ancestry.
There are many white Americans who have some black ancestry but are either unaware of it or hide it as they had ancestors that successfully " passed." So genetically, short of a test, it is hard to know what anyone fully is in reference to genetic ancestry.
So basically, this whole video seems to be more about SOME
of the "immediately mixed" race people wanting to separate themselves
from the "historically mixed" race people who are now called
Black/African Americans because the immediately mixed are on average a bit more
ambiguous in appearance by traditional social construct standards.
Humanity continues to walk down a very sad path. People never stop finding ways to divide themselves and looking for more differences than similarities."
**
42. Ashley Hall
"Two black parents can make a light skinned light eyed child.
Does that make the child mixed?! No. You people on here are literally so lost.
Y’all are black people !!!! My cousin
married a brown skinned black man. She is also brown skinned. They have a little boy who is very very light
with red curly hair and freckles. So
based on her logic does this make him
mixed? My son is half white he looks Mexican. But he’s black. Black is
universal. It is found in every single race , black Brazilians , black Cubans ,
black Dominicans, black Mexicans Black,
black Asians , black people can be born with blonde hair and blue eyes YES
AFRICAN BORN WITH NO WHITE INFLUENCE. We
are a universal people. Accept what you are."
**
Reply
43. henna👣
" @Ashley Hall Mixed people aren't black. Why just call them
black? Their black side isn't more important than their other side."
**
Reply
44. Ashley Hall
"@henna👣 what makes them black then? I have cousins aunts and uncles that are lighter than this
woman and are fully black. The point is u cannot make MIXED a race. So your dominant race is what you are. Mixed
can be Asian and black , white and black , Indian and Japanese , The list is endless. So mixed cannot define
one race. I get that the way someone
looks obviously doesn’t define exactly what someone is. But my point is if you
black. You get treated black. You likely have black experiences. It doesn’t
make sense to claim anything else. That’s my opinion. I’m offended that someone
as black as this woman is in this video even bothered to make it because it
truly makes no sense for her. Sorry
that’s my opinion. My son looks Mexican. More like my lighter family members in
the family . Mixed ppl say they have
identity crisis because black ppl say they ain’t black enough. Same for many light skinned black folks
experience. If this woman isn’t black. What then makes one black? If you can look like this by having one
parent who’s white AND by having both black parents... what makes one black? I
think that’s a question many struggle with ... if it is simply having African
ancestry then she is black. But to sit
here and say “I am not black” when she looks just like any black Person I’ve
ever seen along with having black
ancestry.... idk it just seems odd to me. Like something she is ashamed of . I
know she also says she isn’t white. But that is obvious."
**
Reply
45. Ashley Hall
"@Sweet Cocoa agree to disagree. 🤷🏾♀️. And I
agree not all mixed ppl are light . And not all mixed ppl are mixed with black
& white. There are many other races that can mix which is why “mixed” can
never be considered one race ."
**
Reply
46. ragejinraver
"@Ashley Hall I really think you need to go back to school
in learn about a subject something called biology . She's Mixed not black if
you mixed blue and yellow for not going to get light blue your going to get
green . If you put Milk into black Coffee it's no longer black coffee. Am sorry but no other race of people say
ridiculous things like this except for black people . Stop trying to claim
people that are not black and except reality"
**
Reply
47. boostmeup
"@ragejinraver Not that simple, technically yes you are
correct but race is a social construct used to promote whatever political
agenda the powers that be in that country has on its radar."
**
Reply
48. boostmeup
"@ragejinraver If you had a BRAIN, you would actually
realize that I am agreeing with you. I
said TECHNICALLY you are correct. But
RACE is a social construct. The fact
that Mixed people can be classed as Black in the US , colored's in Africa, Preto in Brazil, Moreno in Hispanic countries proves this to
be so."
**
Reply
49. Jay The Minx
"@ragejinraver how are you going to tell someone go to
biology and proceed to get it wrong. Mixed means two races. Mixed is not a race
itself. She will have phenotypes from both groups. Recessive and dominate
traits from both groups. It’s not as simple as mixing colors. Even then it blue
AND yellow to make green. You can not deny o e with out the other. And the less
of one color added the more it looks like the other. If you put milk into
coffee it is still coffee WITH milk. You can still say it is coffee tho. Unless
you know about other races shut up. I’m mixed with Latino and Latino still
accept me because at the end of the day I am still apart of the race. Just like
I am still black."
**
Reply
50. ragejinraver
"@Jay The Minx If your mixed with black your black ? Soooooo
your white or non black mother that you basically grew inside. Carried you for nine whole months . Who you
were literally connected by an umbilical cord .that spend hours in labor
pushing you out to give you life . Is basically null and void ? Do you see anything wrong with it just me
. So what is the super special gene that
black people carry that makes everything else not matter ?"
**
Reply
51. Jay The Minx
"@ragejinraver I am black AND my other race. It’s not rocket
science. If I say one without out the other that doesn’t negate what I am. It’s
only people like you that think one supersedes the other. My genetics is
composed of black and another DNA."
**
Reply
52. ragejinraver
"@Jay The Minx You're not making any sense you just
completely contradicted yourself . Your mixed not black you never were and you
never will be . You're one of those
typical woke people who just want to argue just for the sake of arguing all so
you can have a gotcha moment"
**
Reply
53. Jay The Minx
"@ragejinraver or you don’t understand biology. I am black
and I am another race. I have and always will be. I will pass my black genetics
and other race genetics down to my child. Phenotype and all. You do not have to
power to tell me I’m not black. Until the government creates a category of
mixed people on legal documents you will have to just dislike it. It’s not me
being woke like you clearly are. I know my ancestors. So you’ve lost the
argument and have no say so in the matter"
**
54. Exoticals United
"mixed people are beautiful and we come in all
shades! i have a cousin who is biracial and she is darker skinned"
**
55. Robert Pich, 2021
"There is only one race it's the human race"
56. MzP
"In the Uk Mixed race is a term used to denote a social group/category. You have dual heritage. I believe, not arguing against you, you can define yourself how you choose, that mixed race people whether Turkish and Asian or black and white Italian are not a race in and of itself. You simply have more than one CULTURAL background.
The issue appears to lie - based on similar videos - on HOW one is viewed foremost in physical appearance. Remember, being mixed race is not limited to the beautiful coming together of black peoples and another ‘race’ but how one looks predominantly. Right or wrong. People have their opinions according to context, geographic location, etc. Let them. Know yourself. That said, it just comes across a little that being mistaken as black is a problem. All one has to do is state your truth regarding your cultural heritage and move on. I respect that mixed race peoples experience racism and rejection in ways ‘black’ dark(er) skinned may not, but racism and the rejection/exclusion based on skin colour and all its ugly representations it’s all from the same pit of hell, experienced in different ways.
Ps. Whilst I understand your need to be seen, heard and distinct, be careful, in the long-run of
creating further ‘division’ rather than merely celebrating your mixed heritage-
just humbly saying ❤️🙏🏾 Celebrate
not divide, particularly when it comes to black people who are largely maligned
the world over and constantly fight to be truly valued"
**
Reply
57. Victoria Reign
"Thank you for watching and commenting.
The aim of my video was to raise awareness of those who don't accept someone calling themselves mixed race. I've been in many situations where I've stated I'm mixed and the person replied that it didn't matter because I'm black. I agree that this is a complex topic and it can result in more divide and in many of my other videos I mention how we should try to come together rather than find ways to divide ourselves. However, I just want more recognition for mixed race being a group (not saying that means we should isolate ourselves). Whilst race is certainly viewed differently in different countries, I definitely believe that mixed race is used as a term for a race here. It may have started out as just a social identifier but I think with usage and language changes it has become a racial group in its own right.
I think we should celebrate all races and all types of mixes because as you said mixed isn't always black and white. Celebrating being multiple races doesn't mean the person is ashamed or doesn't want to be one of those races ♥️"
58. Simi Jay
"I think it's a complicated issue especially here in the
states. I think for many people here
there's the biological fact of being mixed versus navigating culturally as
mixed. There's no mixed culture to speak, there are mixed experiences however
majority of those are going to lean Moreso towards experiencing life as a
presumed black person. As the mother of
mixed children I try to open that they will have experiences that I just can't
relate to as a black woman. I try to be balanced but I look at as they are
black they're just not all black or only black.
From my experience when speaking with many mixed race people from the
U.K. it's like they are obtuse about the fact they they are also half black as
if being black has absolutely nothing to do with them. It's an odd thing to come across when in the
states you have most mixed people clamoring to be acknowledged as black....well
except for a certain segment of women which has nothing to do with the
actuality of things but to have access to men with a certain mindset. Overall I
do think mixed people should have their own category without rebuffing their
genetic makeup in a way that can come off as offensive, which I've also seen
happen many times."
**
Reply
59. Victoria Reign
"Thank you for taking the time to watch and comment. I agree
that mixed race is a complicated issue, especially given how different views
peoples views can be depending on where in the world they are from.
I can't speak for the
Brits that you've spoken to but from what I've seen with the mixed race people
I've met, they may appear obtuse for various reasons, e.g. they may not have
had exposure to their black side, or they don't view themselves as Black and so
may appear reluctant to say they're black. I also think we have a different focus
in the UK when it comes to race/culture, of course we still have racism here
but because we are so closely linked to
our roots/ancestors, we tend to have a more nuanced experience. This also means
that for some, being mixed race becomes a bigger topic because we have two
cultures that can be quite different and so we enjoy celebrating them both and
then prefer to be called mixed race in order to acknowledge them both.
I personally don't like seeing mixed race people that refuse to acknowledge one side or the other (as in they are rude/dismissive/offensive about a race), I think they should be proud to be whatever races make them mixed race."
**
60. Toxic Femininity
"Being mixed has left me with no racial autonomy. I have a
racial identity, but I am not encouraged to express it (even though everyone
else feels v comfortable speaking on it) I always say, I’m as black as the cop
says I am. And that depends on where I am. In 80% of America I am considered
black, 10% of the country considers me mixed or exotic (ugh) and the other 10%
treat me in relation to my proximity to whiteness. It’s exhausting having to
prove to others “what I am” I’ve chosen not to identify as anything other than
myself, my mothers daughter and attach myself to ideas and philosophies rather
than people or politics. I find an internal freedom from the absurdity of
identity. Thank god I’m mixed so I can see how ridiculous the idea of race
truly is. That however can never be understood by someone without mixed blood."
**
61. morethanahumanbody
"people just see me as white and i don't like to have other
people tell me who i am"
**
62. Redeemable soul
"It seems like we are decades ahead of America
and Europe..we are almost 4mil people in South Africa..with our own culture and
traditions..I know i belong to the coloured community and im extremely
proud...In south Africa we consider ourselves a race...and can trace our
history back more than 200 years and can piont our mixed ancestors back to at
least the 3rd generations."
**
63. David Elliott
"I think this topic will be a subject of debate for many
generations to come, because it will always depend of perspective, which is
always subjective.
For example, in reference to general West and Central African black, no, a visibly mixed race, racially ambiguous person would not generally be considered black. In a number of African countries, depending on appearance, they might even be considered white.
But on the contrary, in reference to enslaved people-descended Black Americans, the overwhelming majority have mixed ancestry, which has been conclusively proven by historic documentation as well as numerous genetic tests of various Black American populations. Multiple people with two black American parents come back as up to 25% of genetic European ancestry.
It also depends on what country a person lives and their history culturally and individually.
The literally definition of "African American" is someone who is fully or partially descended from enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the United States. In Latin American countries, even if a person is of mixed ancestry, if they have darker skin, they are "negro" but that description is in terms of color, not necessarily "race" as defined in some places.
And it also depends on if a person views mixed race and black as mutually exclusive terms. A person can be a mixed race black person (having predominantly "black" phenotypes) or a mixed race white person (having predominantly "white" phenotypes) or "racially ambiguous" (which to be completely honest, it's this appearance most people usually really refer to as "mixed." That concept is really more associated with appearance than actual ancestry.) Even celebrities like Naomi Campbell and Ashanti are both part Chinese, but no one looking at them are going to say they are not black, because of their appearance.
Is one defining "black" purely as a skin color, or as a race or a bloodline ancestry or cultural inheritance? That will very based on history and experience. There will never be a general consensus on that topic.
In my personal opinion, is a mixed race person who for example is half black, automatically black? I think a mixed race person CAN be black, but I wouldn't say automatically, because race as a social construct is largely based on appearance, perception, upbringing and cultural affiliation. Contrary to popular belief, there are "white" mixed people and black mixed people and so called ambiguous mixed people who may not feel aligned with either and simply go by mixed, bit of course, depending on country and region, mixed itself is not a culture, but simply a term indicating parentage from more than one ethnic group.
Is lighter skin far more prized than darker skin generally speaking? Yes, sad but true. Should biracial and/or lighter skinned people of African descent frequently and more often than not be getting roles over darker skinned people of African descent? No. There definitely should be far more balance with that.
But I could never personally use that argument to deny someone an identity if "black" is an identity they are proud of. I have personally never heard a biracial person, even the most Afro-centric ones, say the literal words " I am ONLY black" or deny the other aspect of their heritage. It's just, depending on upbringing and experience, the black aspect of their ancestry can be what many of them relate more to and the IDENTITY they feel most comfortable claiming for any number of reasons and experiences.
Everyone has the right to express their thoughts and
perspectives, but it will always be an ongoing debate, because people are
different and have different circumstances and history that they are defined
by."
**
Reply
64. Victoria Reign
"Thank you for taking the time to watch and for sharing your
views, I found it very interesting to read. I agree this is likely to remain an
ongoing debate given how everyone's own experiences will shape their
perspective etc."
**
65. Vera BLEXIT ASAP
"I feel like my culture is American. I am mixed race and I
will not identify with solely black or white culture. I no longer care if
others cannot understand it. We cannot allow that to be our problem. If we
don't want to identify as anything other than a mixed-race person then we will
not. It's filling out a form that only gives you a few options then don't fill
out anything or fill out more than one. If it's that important to them then
they will have to figure it out. Just goes for anyone I meet in society. We
also can no longer be allowed to feel ashamed by others white black or other
for not identifying as one particular thing. If for example your part black and
other black people make you feel as though you're abandoning the black race
then that will have to be their problem. The same goes for any mixed-race
person."
**
66. Caramel Lavida
"Most black people have been happy to claim us as black all
this time (the whiter the better). And god help you if you said you don't
consider yourself black, but mixed (even when you're the nearly white type of
mixed). I had it forced down my throat as a kid growing up in the 80's.
"You know you're not white, right?!!," "Don't try to think
you're white!!" eventhough I never said I was anything but what I am -
MIXED. Now that there are suddenly benefits they are trying to shove us back!
Funny."
67.
"How are you gonna try to define who is and who is not black
enough. That's just another way to
create more division in the black community.
To say who is and isn't
black. Black-biracial poeple are
still, in fact apart of the black community.
Not to mention most, if not all black poeple are in fact mixed with
something, keep that in mind, while you are deciding who is and isn't
"Black". By the way, by definition, the term "black" as we
know it today does include
biracial-black poeple as well. Because black poeple are actually not all
all from the same place and origin.(country, continent, decents). So are we
going to not include other so called "mono" black poeple inside of
the community as well, because that then
leaves few so called actually black poeple. You cannot diminish and take away
someone's actually bloodline and experience. biracial black poeple may have
other ethnicities in them but they are in fact by definition "Black"
. In fact the separatism you are spouting is actually colorism. They have been
and always will be and are apart of the
Black community (their community)."
**
Reply
68. Victoria Reign, 2022
"I'm not sure how me saying that I'm more than one ethnicity
is the same as coloursim. Also I don't try to define who is and who is not
black enough, I am saying that mixed race is not the same as black because by
genetics me having parents from two different races means I am not the same as
a person who has two black parents. You mention taking away someone's bloodline
but by telling people who are half black to only identify as black, you are
yourself trying to diminish their bloodline. Whereas, I am saying that a person
should be proud of both sides and claim and celebrate both sides.
Also where I live there is no such thing as 'biracial-black'
because we either identify as mixed or as black. I'm never going to tell other
people how to identify (something I repeat in all of my videos on this topic)
but I will always identify as mixed race because both sides of me have made me
who I am. I've also noticed from my various videos and collaborations on this
topic that I am not alone in being mixed and wanting to identify as that."
**
Reply
69. Daniel Worthy, 2022
"@Victoria Reign You can be proud of both simultaneously.
You can actually embrace both. One does not take away from another. For example for my poeple that are
Afro-Latino they are acknowledging that they are both. They are a part of both
communities. You cannot diminish there
connections and heritage in both communities.
They literally have ties to language, culture, countries, because who
they are. Anyone should be proud to embrace all sides of who they are, and the
cultures they are apart of because it, if they like it or not. All of there
ancestry does not vanish because they it is conjoined with another. FYI most,
if not all "Black" are actually mixed."
**
Reply
70. Daniel Worthy, 2022
"@PK YT black people come in all shades, textures, ect. it sounds like you have a solid stereotype of
what you think a "Black" person should look like. You should do a
little research on decendants and the term "Black". Because the term
itself does include all facets of black decents including multiracial black
people. not to mention most if not all "black poeple" poeple are
actually mixed. If you educate yourself on the topic you would know that.
Saying other black poeple are not black based on a hair texture or skin tone is
actually called colorism."
**
Reply
71. KCMC92
"1)Race is a socially constructed concept that argues that
people who share similar genetic traits all belong to one racial group. All
mixed race people do not have the same genetic traits and so "Mixed"
cannot be a "race". Someone who is half White/half East Asian is
mixed just as someone who is half Black/half Native American.....yet their
mixedness couldn't see them being labeled as a singular race.
2) when people talk about mixed people "straddling the fence" what they're usually getting at is the fact that the history of White supremacy has created across the world as socially constructed racial-ethnic hierarchy and so mixing between races sadly oftentimes sees a member of a race that's in a "dominant" position mixing with someone who is from a racial group that is positioned "beneath" theirs. What people want to know is if the byproduct of their racial mixing can see beyond their attachment to the "dominant" racial group and do what is right for the betterment of all humanity. We've all seen this with some mixed people, if they are half White, they my not want to see Whiteness held fully accountable for any of the history or fall out of White Supremacy. With nonWhite racial groups theres STILL A racial hierarchy (because of the system of WEs's impact on people of color) and this is why, for example, I (and so many others) have seen people who are half Black/half Asian who look down on the black community and revere the Asian Community. Its because within the White Supremacist social construct, Asianness sits above Blackness, with Black having been positioned as the complete antithesis of Whiteness and thus at the very bottom.................................. I say all that to say, when people talk about Mixed people " straddling the fence" what they want to know is whether or not you stand in solidarity with the global White Supremacist racial-ethnic hierarchy or not. That's really all it is.
3) I don't know where your black family comes, but I can
assure you that because of the history of the transatlantic slave trade most of
those so-called light-skinned Black people are of mixed race descendants. The
vast majority of black people in the Western Hemisphere who are the descendants
of the enslaved have White genetic ancestry. An estimate of 40% of black men
across North America, South America and the Caribbean have a European Y
chromosome. The Y chromosome is what is needed to bring about genetically male
babies. That means that almost half of the "Black" men in the Western
Hemisphere have a "White" grandfather on their father's paternal
side. So while you could say that those people are "100% Black" more
than likely they're not. Unlike you, a biracial person, they are
"mixed" but through ancestry and still genetically majority Black. I
myself identify as a monoracial Black person but I don't deny the fact that I
have White ancestry."
Reply
72.
"@Nathaniel Hall I am 75% African and 25% European. I always
say I am born of a mixed race mother and an African father. Oh yes I am proud
of all my grandparents, no way I am denying any of them."
**
Reply
73. alex
"Yes, I think it is funny that after hundreds of years we are
now being discarded from the community."
**
Reply
74. GentleSoft2🌺
"@alex You are not being discarded from the
community. I'm going to comment what Black people go through with Biracial
people who are part Black and White. ( I know all biracial people are not like
this) It's two things that's going on that I see with biracial people. Some
biracial people will say " I'm not Black, I'm mix" which is valid.
Other biracial people will get upset and
say even though they are biracial they identify with being black or they believe
in the one drop rule. If you have a little black in you then you are Black. I
had a biracial woman curse me out and say that she is Black and is just as
black as me. I tried to tell her she is mix, it's wrong to deny your white
side. I have actually had biracial people act like racist white people towards
black people. Adopting the same racist ideologist as white supremacy, Alot of
biracials say blacks are jealous of them
or insecure. This is not true because blacks don't want to be part of the same
race of racist white people that have oppressed them for almost four
century's. ....This is the experiences
that the Black Community have had to go through with Biracial people. Also
African American Blacks are not Biracial but we all are not fully Black
ourselves due to slavery of rape. That's why you got different skin tones of
black people who aren't even mix."
**
Reply
75. Mickeylouuu
"I feel this. I’ve been told by my own black family members
that I was wrong for saying I was mixed, that I wasn’t claiming my blackness,
that I wanted to be white. It’s all very confusing. Constantly growing up being
told youre black, youre not black. I’m both, I’m mixed."
**
76. Biracial Awareness.
"She clearly looks 'mixed' not black! And any so called
"black" person who looks like her is obviously mixed too."
**
77. MashaDowell
"You know… I think when it comes to Americans that are
multiracial… it’s emotional because we have ‘biracial’ via two parents of
different races. And then we have a sleuth of multigenerational mixed people…
who identify as Black. But this is all because of the racist old rule ‘one
drop’.
And since many ‘look’ alike they all identify as the world was. And what has ended up happening in America is a modern day Caste system. Where mixed/multiracial Americans take the place of Unambiguous Black Americans in every way.
I have no solutions here… I’m just stating my observation.
Great video!!!"
**
Reply
78. Victoria Reign
"Thank you!!
**
79. 123456789ten
"
**
80. EDS S
"I would not embrace the word “mixed”. It just allows people
to dismiss who and what you really are. BUT- i agree that multi ethnic ppl could
use better representation"
**
Reply
81. Victoria Reign
"Thank you, that is a good point regarding the word
"mixed". Maybe in the future a new term will be used to describe
someone who is multi-ethnic"
**
82. Darkshadow
"You definitely look very mixed but it is also clear than you
are half black. Here in the UK mixed people usually play mixed roles on TV, not
just "light skinned black"
**
Reply
83. Victoria Reign
"I agree, the UK does quite well when it comes to
casting of mixed roles and I feel the general public are very quick to call
broadcasters out when they cast the wrong people."
**
84. Quat Mann
"Black people should not be saddled with the added burden of
navigating racial identity with people who choose to be "in the
middle". Your video is clearly aimed at Black people, rather than the
white people who created race. If you want to be "mixed race", then
do that! But dont try to force Black people to hold ANY RESPONSIBILITY
WHATSOEVER for your own internal struggles with race. Continue to advocate for
mixed race people. No one is erasing you. Perhaps you are erasing yourselves
each time one of you chooses to play a Black person on tv, or not advocate for
your "own table" in real life."
**
Reply
85. Victoria Reign
"Thank you for commenting, I am not forcing or even asking
anyone or any race to take responsibility. I am merely saying that mixed race
is not the same as black, in my video I even make the point about mixed race
actors playing black roles and how this is harmful to both black and mixed race
representation."
**
Reply
86. Quat Mann
"@Victoria Reign Yes that is true. I just dont hear you saying
much about your white identity specifically in the video and how your whiteness
factors into any aspects of your life. Rather than give a full bodied
assessment of your white half too , you dive into just being considered mixed
race, which is cool, as that is how you identify. But your real conflict
appears to be with your Black half, rather than the white one."
**
Reply
87. Victoria Reign
"@Quat Mann I don't discuss my white half in the video
because I've not been called white. However, if the tables were turned and it
was a case of me being called white by society, then the video would have a
different title. I don't have a conflict with my black half (or my white)
because it makes me who I am."
**
Reply
88. Quat Mann
"@Victoria Reign That is interesting...society does not see
you as white. Because of this, it still seems to me that your REAL struggle is
with your Blackness, and your not wanting to be considered Black
by..."society".
Perhaps you have already addressed this topic ( i will look
for it in your videos).... but who is responsible for mixed persons
representation? Is it up to society to see you as you see yourself without your
consistent input on the matter, or must there be more mixed race people -
particularly those with large platforms - speaking just as unapologetically and
specifically to the ones who invented racial categorization and discrimination
in the first place ( i.e. white people).
Should the Lisa Bonets
Zandayahs, and Barack Obamas of the world take up the responsibility of advocating
specifically for mixed race people and defining who they are? Or is it to much
to ask mixed race people to do the hard work that Black people have done in
fighting for a voice, nuanced discussions, and greater representation? Are the
growing numbers if mixed race millenials/Gen Zers prepared to do this work? Or
will there ALWAYS be a recurring conversation about how they do not see
themselves as Black people ( with the tacit understanding that, if they do not
LOOK like white people, then they OBVIOUSLY are not that, so it doesnt even
warrant a second glance)?"
**
Reply
89. Victoria Reign
"@Quat Mann I want to be considered mixed race because
that is what I am. To call me anything else would be like suddenly saying I'm
from Scotland just because I'm from the UK. I don't have a struggle with my
blackness and have already said that I love my black side (a point I made in my
video responding to the comments on this video). Also I've seen videos of mixed
race people who are "white passing" saying they're not white and
making the same comments I did.
Where I live the media plays a big role in how someone is
identified. For example Meghan Markle was originally called black by the media
here and it took other people complaining for the media to stop calling her
black. I think we do need more mixed race representation from those who have a
platform. However I wouldn't force someone to advocate, as I've said in many
videos, if a mixed race person identifies as black then that is their right and
I respect it, I just ask that my decision to identify mixed is equally
respected. In the UK we have a growing amount of mixed race representation, it
could be a lot better, but it is something that is ever increasing. I can't
speak for the rest of the world but where I live, mixed race is going to
eventually become the biggest ethnic minority group. With each generation we
have more inclusion and changing views. When I was a child it was assumed I was
black when I met strangers, now it is 50/50. Who knows what it will be like for
the next generation?
Society and societal norms can only change if we constantly
speak up and advocate. If I had my way we wouldn't have races at all, again
another point I made was that race was a white construct and so if we can
create races, why can't we change them?"
**
Reply
90. Quat Mann
"@Victoria Reign Now that I can agree on. It will be necessary
for mixed race people to consistently advocate for mixed race people
specifically. Black people have already been speaking out for years about the
"mixed washing" of Blackness...and yet we keep seeing mixed people
representing Blackness in the media, in roles no one forced them to take. I
guess when it serves them, they can jump in and out of Blackness at will, so I
am guessing this has a lot to do with how they publically identify as well.
But then there is the worldwide white power structure that
will relentlessly remind them that, at the end of the day , they are still
Black. That is why Meghan Markle and Prince Harry now live in LA, instead of
the UK, with its ever growing mixed race population."
**
91. mlungisi manzini
"You are biracial not mixed race."
**
Reply
92. Victoria Reign
"Thank you for commenting, however where I am from we don't
use the term "biracial" so therefore I am "mixed race".
Maybe in the future this will change as the English language often evolves."
****
2022
93. Mixxedmami
"I just found your video! I am also mixed race and I believe
mixed race should be a race. I am not full black or full white. I am mixed with
both and Native American also. I do not fit in a box!! I have always been too
white for the black ppl and too black for the white ppl. Never fit in. Thank
you for this!!!"
**
Reply
94. Victoria Reign
"So glad you found my video and can relate! Hopefully more
people will listen to us and mixed race will be properly recognised."
**
95. Beasley 123
"As a mixed person myself I guess we can agree to disagree I don't think mixed race should be its own race
**
96. Rene
"Being from the U.S. we still don't identify Mixed Race. I
can't tell you how many confused faces I've seen when I fill out all the
checkboxes. Black, White and Native American ... or the all encompassing
"Other", but most people think I'm Latino, which I'm not. You can't
control how other people view you and want to classify you. It was very
confusing growing up and not fully being accepted by any group. But if you ask
me today, I'm Mixed Race and I don't identify as anything else.
Thanks for the video! More people should speak about this as the world is heading in a very mixed direction haha"
****
Thanks for visiting pancocojams.
Visitor comments are welcome.
No comments:
Post a Comment