- Being Biracial in America
- What does it mean to be biracial in today’s world
- How a biracial person in America is treated by each race
- Why do people focus on skin color as a component of a person’s ability to embrace their racial culture and background
- What do Biracial and Multiracial people go through when being compared to a single race person, where is the line drawn when comparing skin color
- Comment
- Reblog
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Rowan Counterintuitive 
Step 1, thenaturalist. What’s the broad topic that will sustain your interest for 12 weeks or more?
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1. It means nothing. Everybody’s biracial.
2. It means you’re discriminated against by two races instead of one.
3. It means you’re way behind the curve. The future is multi-racial.
4. Why should it mean anything? Race is a stupid human construct without any biological reality.
5. Who have you talked to about this? Anybody? Get off the dime.
6. Key and Peele should be your primary sources.
Come on, TheNaturalist. Let’s get to work. This is too good a topic to let wither.
Make some claims so I can refute them. Then you re-think, improve, and come back at me with stronger claims that are harder to refute. We both learn something. Everybody wins and you write the essay of a lifetime. Let’s go! What are you waiting for? It’s Week Two already! 🙂
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Let’s talk this out, TheNaturalist. What’s your primary focus so far? Do you find it counterintuitive, for example, that mixed-race individuals (who have the small benefit of being able to move in two cultures with legitimacy—sometimes) often don’t get to claim either race when it really matters to them?
If that’s nowhere near what’s on your mind, can you share with me what does matter?
(I forgot to ask you to Reply to my question, but please always understand my request should be understood. 🙂 )
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You may find some idea starters in these sources about racial identification in Brazil, a famously mixed-race culture. One case in particular of a man who was allowed to self-identify until others objected he was “gaming the system” for professional advantage points out the complexity of the social phenomenon of race.
https://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2012/03/29/brazils-racial-identity-challenge/race-is-too-hard-to-identify-in-brazil
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/brazils-colour-bind/article25779474/
https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2016/09/29/495665329/for-affirmative-action-brazil-sets-up-controversial-boards-to-determine-race
Don’t be too quick to object that you’re not interested in Brazil. Sources don’t have to be “perfect” in matching your anticipated goals. Most often, marginally related materials can provide you all the evidence you need to make your arguments.
Are these helpful in getting you started?
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I think my main focus is the backlash that multiracial people get from not understanding the struggles of one race. for example, a person who is Dominican and African American but with a light skin complexion being accused of having white privilege
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I think its really comparing skin color to race and why they shouldn’t go hand in hand
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Meaning there should be a methodology other than skin color for determining race? Or meaning that since there is so much variation in all supposedly “determining” characteristics, we should discard the notion of race altogether?
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Which of the issues is important here, TheNaturalist? That mixed race Dominicans are privileged? That unmixed African Americans are not privileged? Or that people of mixed race are not actually privileged but are thought to be?
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It is that Mixed Race is thought to be privileged but isn’t and I also like the idea that you stated earlier concerning skin color which goes hand in hand on why mixed races are not privileged. that even though the skin color says one thing they are not privileged like others think
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We’re starting to focus sufficiently to begin meaningful research here, TheNaturalist. Were the Brazil sources helpful?
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From now on, we can ignore this post, TN. Its purpose was to get the ball rolling. Any further revisions or enhancements to your Hypothesis can be accomplished inside your White Paper, which is already underway. Keep up the good work.
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