Race question

What is one drop rule? Please educate me ☺️

@Brittany it’s the concept used to racially classify people. If you have any black heritage you cannot be classified as white. It’s called one drip cause even if the heritage was many many generations ago you’re still not pure enough to be white. An example might be Sofia Richie’s kids despite their mom being mixed and dad being white they would not be able to classify themselves as white. Their kids also would not if even if they had kids with white people as well

What the hell are those lol? I do see your explanation of the one drop rule. Which I did know that if you have some black in you they still say black but I think if you look white you could answer that you’re white. Nobody has ever checked to see what my ethnicity is like when I answer no to Latino they just take my word for it. What is white passing and brown paper bag test?

@Daija ahhh ok, thank you.

@Cassie white passing: minorities who have light enough skin and Eurocentric features to pass as white. In the early 1900s white passing black people would abandon their families to reinvent themselves as white people. It’s rumored j. Edgar Hoover the man who started the fbi is one of those people. Brown paper bag test: is an idea within communities that attractiveness is based on if you’re lighter than a brown paper bag. Colorism was based on it and there were spaces people darker would be denied similar to “whites only” ideals I explained the one drop rule above The one drop rule is more historical but a lot of people think it’s what causes the divide and ostracization of mixed kids

Correct me if I'm wrong anyone else in the UK but here we tend to just say black, white or mixed (of 2 different cultures) but in every day language I and any friends I have, people I hear talking, you will say my friend, not my white friend or my black friend or my mixed race friend unless you are specfically discussing race. I feel the only way to move on is to discuss our similarities and not our difference. We all bleed red. The reason there was and is still a difference in many people's eyes from very dark skinned skin to light skinned skin is that there still exists white privilege. It is disgusting and should be called out and stamped out. There is only one race: the human race.

@Sophie while I understand your sentiments race is so engrained in every part of our society in America it can’t just be forgotten. Especially because in America Black is a culture just as much as it is a race. Saying I’m black American would be no different then saying Nigerian etc in my opinion

I didn’t know the one drop rule either; what’s the brown paper bag test?

we're in Canada and never heard about any of this 🥴

@Stephany I’ve learned recently how little non black people learn about stuff like this. I just explained to someone Central Park in NYC was a wealthy Black neighborhood that they tore down to build the park, and that they used to farm black people during slavery to eat and make furniture

Before today I'd never heard of the drip test and the paper bag test.

@Daija the only reason why i commented is because my husband is black and from all the cultured and racism stories i've heard over the years i've never heard about these types of "rules"

@Daija I had no idea, thank you for educating me!

This has been really interesting to learn! We don’t use those terms here in the UK but my fiancé and I have discussed about where our son (who is mixed race) will kind of stand regarding race and my partner said he’ll always be viewed as more black than white as black culture is typically more accepting than white and he will probably feel more comfortable identifying as black as he has type 4 hair and needs specific creams for his skin etc. We do use white presenting/passing like someone could comment wow I had no idea they had any black heritage which while there (immorally) must be privileges that come with that they must feel less confident to celebrate their black heritage. I teach at a school of predominantly black children and they use terms like light skinned and dark skinned constantly, they’re forever making jokes about the darker skinned boys (less so the girls) and will say things like “oh the girls only like him because he’s light skinned” etc so it totally exists here

I think outside of the US we see race, ethnicity, culture etc incredibly differently. Maybe it’s because for a lot of our countries we have buildings older than the US and immigration has been apart of our countries for so long we view it differently. I’d never refer to someone as “black British” or “Indian British” unless they asked me to themselves. I would just say British. We also don’t particularly single people out (I’m sure racist people do) and like Sophie said I would never say “my black friend” unless it was relevant to the convo. Like with ethnicity for example my grandmother on my dad’s side is Armenian. We enjoyed alot of the food and culture growing up but I’d never, ever ever say “I’m British Armenian” like Americans do because I was born and raised in English, so I’m English.

UK mixed race person here. I'd heard of passing before but not the others. I've spent some time in the US and did find it pretty uncomfortable how much race is still a thing there. I had university lecturers single me out to speak about American black experience (which I have no understanding of) and guys hollering at me from cars and when I ignored them they said I must think I'm too good for them (I imagine because I'm quite light-skinned) no I just don't talk to guys hollering at me from cars. Anyway this stuff was all weird to me. My children are very pale 1/4 black, blue eyes and blonde hair, so I imagine they will "pass" unless they decide to identify differently. I record them as mixed race on forms etc.

@Sophie I'm from England too and I agree. @Daija If I were to describe one of my friends features who are a different race I would mention their race as it's a part of them but to me and most people I've come across personally in England it doesn't actually matter and they aren't treated any differently. Obviously there are some bad apples but they're looked down on, like Sophie said we all bleed red. I haven't heard of any of the terms you mentioned, it was interesting but very sad. One of my friends is Indian and she is STUNNING but every selfie we take she'd complain that she looked 'too dark' and it make me so sad

Honestly without any offence meant for the people living through all this division, the older I am the less I want to get anywhere near the USA. Growing up and watching TV shows, movies, listening to the music and hearing the propaganda of it being the greatest country blabla, I used to think it was this wonderland where everyone is accepted and everyone has an equal chance to become wealthy etc etc. Coming from a corrupt classist country where you'll never move out of the dirt, your family are either wealthy and connected and you stay that way or you are just surviving and being shamed for not having what they were born into. I'd still choose that over the mental load you guys seem to carry 🙄 If I had anyone I was close to and I had any influence over, I'd want them to move out of that hellhole and go literally anywhere else.

@Emilie this is a big thing because only white Americans label themselves as simply American. Everyone else has to add their race, ethnicity or nationality. Ex black American or Mexican American. I was curious because a lot on this app people say Americans are too focused on race not truly understanding that we don’t have a choice. Even other Black people (British, African, Caribbean) talk down on black Americans for thinking they are American

@Stella most Americans feel the same but a big conversation within the Black community is if there is anywhere that we will actually be treated nice? It’s like we understand the beast of the U.S. so we stay in a comfortable hell

@Lor it’s this huge divide in the U.S. based on white mom mixed/black mom mixed. As it’s a common experience that white mom mixed kids have like a superiority complex when it comes to black people. I’ve been finding that conversation interesting as I learn more

Never heard of these terms

@Sophie I agree but I also don’t think there’s anything wrong with stating race

@Daija wow I’d never have even thought of/heard of that! I don’t think that’s so much a thing here, though as I’m not mixed myself obviously I can’t know for sure! I know white mum/black dad mixes are more common. That’s so horrible and silly but I can imagine how that could happen if there is an unpleasant influence from the white side of the family. We live in London close to my fiancés family rather than by mine in the south of England kind of for this reason as well, people are much more open, educated and diverse in London than in the country! Though they’re getting there slowly but surely, especially the younger generation I’ve noticed there is a lot of admiration for black influencers/music/fashion that the young ones are all following even if they know very few black people, but that’s a whole different conversation 😂

This has been really interesting to read!! Thanks!

@Daija that's fascinating I've never heard of this before. My mum is black and my dad white. To be fair I don't know any other mixed race people, I've always lived in smaller cities/predominantly white areas so don't really know black British culture. These cities are too small to have black and white areas, though I was surprised that in the U.S. even small cities have these different areas.

@Tanya I think like Lor mentioned upbringing may play a big part. Ex. My mixed niece was taught to tell my other nieces who are fully black “at least I have prettier hair and skin” when mad at them. The U.S. is also still very much segregated despite it being outlawed. Ex. The side of my city where the “negro school” was is still 95% minority and gets less county resources for school and stuff

Yes

@Donna did you learn in school or from family/friends

@Daija the paper bag test I learned from reading a book entitled “ our kind of people “ the other two from movies , television-things like that growing up

@Daija I get that completely. Change is scary, especially if you have no information to ease your fears going into it. I definitely think there's some organised effort needed to get the information about what each country is actually like for minorities (e.g. I knew of a lot of people going to work to Germany that were always made to feel like 💩 on German people's shoes, in the UK I haven't noticed any racism towards black people, but I have seen a lot of hate towards Arab Muslims and the Polish 😐 so doing research is definitely incredibly important and people who are being cautious are definitely smart for it). There are a lot of expat groups on Facebook where you could socialise with those people and hear their experiences. The language barrier is another thing that makes it all so much more difficult, but honestly if it makes you feel safer and more peaceful, I think that's the uphill battle worth taking as it's one that you'll conquer a lot more easily than fixing a messed up country 😢

@Stella yea finding where to go is just the beginning though. The average American is 2 missed paychecks away from homelessness. So saving to fund the move takes a lot. Not to forget when we leave we have to pay taxes to the U.S. unless we give up citizenship

I love this post

Am I right to say that when people say mixed in America we are talking about white and black mixed or black and Asian unless stated otherwise. I was very confused when I came across post from a mixed child group. Or is this just something that’s regional?

@Haley 💚 I think that’s how it’s been historically. I think the anti-blackness in the Hispanic community has expanded the ideals