Comments on: “Mixed” = advantageous

By: James Landrith

James Landrith — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 19:24:47 +0000

Sorry Rachel, but Jen is absolutely right. Identifying as multiracial is about acknowledging all you are, not running from your blackness or trying to elevate yourself above others.

Your obvious embrace of the racist one-drop rule makes your constant presence in the multiracial community troubling.

By: Mixed Media Watch - tracking media representations of mixed people

Mixed Media Watch - tracking media representations of mixed people — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 13:18:03 +0000

[…] Then to make it even worse, out of all the possible academics the reporter could have spoken to, she chose to showcase David Brunsma. That’s the same guy who inspired this odious column back in April. Basically, Brunsma is of the “running from your blackness” school of thought: he believes that people who identify as mixed do so as a way to escape discrimination and disadvantage. […]

By: amalia

amalia — Sun, 14 May 2006 15:24:57 +0000

I dont understand unlisted’s example of the one drop rule in relation to Keanu Reeves, Amerie and the others. Anyone care to clarify?

Also, it doesn’t make sense to (however ironically) suggest that a “white person” should identify with being “black”, as all humankind originated in Africa. Racial categories, particularly those of “white” and “black” clearly were created and cemented in a time when this was not known. Knowledge of it now has done very little to dismantle divisions.

By: Janis

Janis — Tue, 02 May 2006 00:53:22 +0000

Rachel, like you I find the article pretty straight forward and accurate. Once blacks understand the true mindset of most biracials they will cease accepting the one drop rule almost instantly. Those who believe differently are in for a big surprise.

By: Dave

Dave — Mon, 24 Apr 2006 03:19:20 +0000

Rachel Sullivan (Rachel S.),

On this topic I disagree with you and I agree with the founders of mixedmediawatch, as well as posters like Unlisted.

White/Black biracials choosing to embrace all aspects of their heritage are shouldn’t be bullied with accusations that they are “running away from their blackness”, any more than any other mix. I hope that you don’t enable such bullying of folks of my background and who share my identity in the future, in your career as an academician. You identifying as a white woman (don’t your human ancestors originate from Africa too?) but saying that some folks who choose to identify as white/black biracial are running away from their blackness seems a bit hypocritical to me. Why don’t you start by example and start identifying as monoracially black yourself?

I too hope in the future such social pressuring will be as ridiculed as claims that the world is “flat”, and that the Tiger Woods model of embracing all of one’s heritage is widely accepted as a positive option the future.

By: Unlisted

Unlisted — Wed, 19 Apr 2006 22:01:22 +0000

I never thought of it this way, but this was brought to my attention.

Consider this:

Note the difference in perception between TWO of these three half Asian men: Keanu Reeves, Dean Cain and Hines Ward.

And these two half Asian women: Kristen Kreuk and Amerie Rogers

This is the evil of the “one drop” rule in action

By: Rachel S

Rachel S — Wed, 19 Apr 2006 02:14:57 +0000

Edit, sorry: I also think there is a distinction between Black/White biracial people and racial combinations is important because the rule of hypodescent was most strictly and legally applied to this goup and not others.

By: Rachel S

Rachel S — Wed, 19 Apr 2006 01:53:31 +0000

I think the article correctly describes some people who identify as biracial, but not all. I also think that the distinction between Black/White biracial people (and American Indians to a much lesser extent). You have to remember that there are places around the world, especially places like Haiti where a creole or biracial status is held in much higher regard. We shouldn’t act like this phenomenon doesn’t exist, but we also can’t assume that it applies to everyone who claims this status.

By: mr guy

mr guy — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 11:10:38 +0000

Here is my main problem with the article.It places all black people(and they give a bone to a few native americans) at the bottom.Second problem, there is this sense of paranoia that biracials will somehow be a buffer between blacks and whites ignoring all other races.Plus being biracial does not mean you will automatically be more accepted.

By: Lyonside

Lyonside — Sun, 16 Apr 2006 19:47:09 +0000

I really think both the auhor of the book and the columnist are limiting themselves to an older generation’s mindset, while using new data (from the early 1990s). I was born in the late 70s, and my mother is white - but she didn’t raise me to RUN from blackness - she just wanted me to have both backgrounds.

I wonder, what would they say a Asian Black White Hispanic person is running from? How far does their one-droppism go?