I think we may have hit on this in class, but let's talk about President Obama. I guess we could talk about all mixed race people for that matter, but Obama is one that will go down in history because though he has a white mother and a black father, he is the first BLACK president of the United States. Is this his choice or ours? Our country is so set on trying to be post racism (at least many people are set on this) and we have to show our progression and let everyone know that we are all past that because hey, we have a black man for a president. I think we have already discussed how not post racism this country still is, so I won't go into all of that, but what about identity?
I feel like people that I know who are biracial (in this case black/white) they tend to lean more into their black identity. Perhaps this is because their skin is darker, or their hair is curlier, or because other people just assume they are black, but if they are equally black and white, could they not just as easily say they are white? If we are in charge of our own identities, then we get to choose who we are. I have a friend in Hawaii who is Chinese, Japanese, and German. She always talks about her Chinese grandfathers broken English and learning from him she still cannot pronounce certain words like most other Americans (animal is animo :) ). She also can remember her grandmother yelling at her in German when she would misbehave. However if you asked her to pick one, she would say Japanese. It is her choice.
What if President Obama, instead of leaning toward his black identity, decided to identify white?
I think this would be pretty profound, but I think that the "fellow Americans" as is the presidential phrase, would still mark him the way they see fit. So who really gets to decide?
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The answers are complex. Identity for an individual begins very early. As a baby one comes to understand how interconnected they are to the world around them. Their parents, particularly, their mother. Especially if nursing she is nursing. Their gender identity gets established as they interact with their same sex parent as well as other children. Unconsciously for children they observe visually either how similar everyone looks or how different. They are not placing importance on the difference, but they observe it.
ReplyDeleteTheir racial identity becomes a more profound issue based upon their stratifications within their family unit initially. In many ethnic groups where skin hues vary, they either unknowingly or knowingly place an emphasis on the shades of color within a family. When a child interacts with others that are markedly different, they experience situations which will stay with them for life. These experiences which impact them leads to questions of their value in comparison. This becomes compounded with just as serious adolescent pressures. Depending upon if someone is introspective enough to know themselves to the point of serious self analysis, one can go through life changing their self-image based upon impactful experiences where they choose or are confused about their identity.
The reasons why biracial persons tend to lead more towards their black identity is more than not, it is where they find the most acceptance. When I heard President Obama state the pain (with a crack in his voice) that his grandmother admitted that she holds her purse if a Black man enters the elevator, yet proclaiming that he knows his grandmother loved him dearly. This duality of image and perception while being between two races is confusing enough considering cultural mixes, but when you add the racism between Black and White, it is even moreso. The question of one who has possibly a German mother or Jewish Father is not an issue unless like a time during Hitler where people were polarized against Jewish people. Why do we want them to choose either way? It is a personal choice which cannot be politicized because one is the head of the United States. Although, no will accept President Obama saying he is a white man. They don't want to even believe that he was actually born in this country. They don't want to believe he is not a Muslim.
Black people have existed with the knowledge that they have had family members who passed for White and they understood why. Some judged them harshly and others would meet them where they were. It is not as much of an issue for us as it would be for others because of our history of slavery in this country. The answer ultimately is the person chooses depending upon the condition of his rootedness or self-identity. If these foundations are not firmly grounded, then any stronger external force will dictate that identity.
Truly though, it is a struggle for those who appear Black in every way to say I choose to be White, if when they look in the mirror, that is not what they see. I don't think there is a complete answer to the question. It truly depends.
I think you have posed quite an interesting question for us, and it is good for all of us to reevaluate our opinions on a regular basis. I think that by using such a well recognized and prominent figure as Obama for this example, we almost immediately find ourselves in a bind because of how he is recognized universally: as a minority.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Patricia has said about the phenotypical impact on the identity that mixed-race people often choose, and about comfort zones. I believe that this traces back to the marked and unmarked designations in society. If there is any shred of "difference" from the perceived homogenous population then you are almost inherently "othered," unless there is a fairly rare instance in which one has the accepted physical traits. Thus, the "othering" of Obama would make it impossible for him to fit into the "white" category as MIranda astutely pointed out. I would like to know more about Obama's childhood and higher educational experiences so I could find out a little more about his own self identification (more than he has said publicly, because those are prepared statements).
I think Obama provides us with quite a difficult case study, but it has been useful in making me think more critically about my own views on the topic of how identity is ascribed; and the need for deep self analysis if one is to really "go against the grain" of society and claim an identity other than what is ascribed to them.
This is a great question. I think there are two ways to look at identity—your self-identity and then your assigned identity. Generally, most biracial individuals self-identify as a single race. They pick the race with which they are most comfortable—the race of the culture you live, the same race of the individuals with whom you spend the greatest amount of time, etc. However, your self-identity may mean nothing to those around you. Those individuals will either include you within their group as an unmarked individual or mark you as different. I think the choice is dependent upon the context of the relationship and/or situation.
ReplyDeleteI am Korean and white. In general, I found that many times, my group of friends would/will mark me as different when they need diversity. This worked when I was in a group of white friends and when I was in a group of Korean friends. My white friends would mark me as Korean if I participated in the culture in front of them. Additionally, it seemed that to my Korean friends I would always be white; I just could not be Korean enough for them. However, I found that I would be included. This particularly happened when outsiders questioned my belonging in my group of Korean friends. They would instinctively claim me as being Korean and point out my ability to speak the language, etc.
When it comes to who actually gets to pick our identity…I’m not sure. Though, I feel that the identity that those around you pick is the one that will generally be used. Your life experience will come from the treatment you receive according to your markedness.