Curious...Does it bother anyone else....

User - posted on 03/29/2012

GIrl he is black, when black women were being raped by their white slave masters their babies were considered black. It is what it is. Your baby is black.

Moira - posted on 03/29/2012

I will be giving birth to a baby Obama myself. I am a Caucasian American and my husband is Kenyan. I think that I would be more offended if we referred to him as African American, although technically he is. I will prefer my child to reference themselves as Kenyan American. However, most people will not be able to identify that by looking at my children, they would have to be told. Therefore, my second preference would to have my child/children be referred to as black. They are not African American in my mind. They are Kenyan American, and if you don't know their heritage, please refer to them as black. I plan to teach my children as much about their Kenyan culture as their American and hope that we will be able to speak swahili as a family.

Please also keep in mind that it is not he that refers to himself as the first black president. It is the rest of the world that does that, us included. Maybe because I am married to a Kenyan myself I think of him as our first black president but also our first biracial and president born to parents from very different countries.

Lets also not mix race and heritage. Sometimes they are connected, but they aren't the same thing.

Bottom line, be proud of who you are and where you came from.

Jessica - posted on 03/23/2012

Well sometimes latin people look dark and could be considered black, but they don't call themselves black. I mean I understand what you're saying, but a lot of your comments on these different posts seem like you are just in this group to scout out what you can comment on that bothers you. We joined this group because we are moms of biracial children and look to other moms of the same to see if they are going through the same things. No one is trying to hate or sound stupid, sometimes people just need advice from those in like situations.

User - posted on 03/21/2012

He is referred to as black because he looks black.

Nicole - posted on 08/19/2009

i thought i was the only one!!! lol it bothers me tremendously. idk if its becasue im half black and half white. But yeah when people talk aobut our first blakc president constantly start a huge debate cause im tell them hes blakc AND white!!!!!!!!!!! i tell everyone that slowly but surely the biracial community is going to take over and be the majority!

Sarah - posted on 08/19/2009

My partner (Jamaican/Canadian) and I(Canadian) had that conversation the other day. He has ALWAYS been referred to as "The 1st black President" and nothing is ever mentioned about his other heritage. He himself never makes mention of his other half. Celebrating his diverse genetic make-up would be an even bigger success than being the first "black" president. It would also show my 2 year old, racially diverse, daughter that when she "grows up" she can in fact accomplish all she wants, set and meet great goals and be secure with who she is and where she came from. I wish Obama embraced all his diversity.

Kathleen - posted on 08/16/2009

Wow... interesting responses! Yeah, sometimes it bothers me, but I think its his decision how he identifies racially. I'm trying to teach my boys that they are both white and Jamaican.
LOL at whoever said their son looks Asian - my oldest does, too!!! When he was born, his eye shape really confused us, until my husband's uncle told us that his (uncle's) grandmother was Chinese!!!
About the doc and the one drop rule - yeah, I'd have to dump that doc, too! When I went to register my oldest for PreK last year, there was one form that asked about race. The instructions were to "pick one', but there was no box for interracial or other (other gets on my nerves, too! What does that mean? Animal? Maybe I'm too sensitive, but my kids aren't "other"...). I stood up to ask the secretary what to do because my kids are biracial and another mother (black lady) said, "You pick your race, of course." AAUGH! Turns out they were getting a new form that had a box for other, so I just wrote it in...

Laura - posted on 08/16/2009

I am a bi-racial child. I am 45 and still wonder why it is bi-racial when I have many back grounds. I have often thought the same thing about Obama. He is a man above and beyond anything else. If only people could see beyond race, if only.

Marci - posted on 08/11/2009

i understand that society will call you by what your skin looks like. but what i wonder is...what will they call my children. they are black and white, but look mostly white. if you go by the one drop rule, people will think they are crazy for calling themselves black. will they be considered bi racial, because that is what they look like. i asked my husband, if our son becomes president, will he be considered the 2nd (or whatever # it would be at that time) black president....even though he doesnt look black. he is mixed just the same as president obama. we will teach our children that they are both and to be proud of that...just as everyone has stated...but im just wondering how they will be viewed.



also, to the woman who refers to white/black as mulatto. i have never called anyone by this name because i was told that mulatto came from the word mule, back in the time of slavory. i dont know if that is completely true or not...ill go do some research now.

Isa - posted on 08/10/2009

Wow! I had never thought of this as an issue, yet as I read your posts it was easy for me to understand where you all are coming from. It's true, what you've all said. I'm glad you have a place to vent about this. =)

Jamie - posted on 08/10/2009

Ya it bothers me as well he is both. He should be proud of both. There are times that i get up set at my husband when it comes to my kids he said that they should be more proud of there latin blood than mine and I disagree because i am mixed as well but there classifed as white culters and I am very proud of my background. But most white people dont look at like that and maybe they should.

Triwan - posted on 08/08/2009

The reason why people refer to President Obama is for the most part, this reason and this reason only. The history of the notion can be traced to slavery and the period right after slavery called Reconstruction. Originally, in a bid to stop slaves who had been fathered by white slave owners and overseers from claiming freedom, property rights or possible inheritance, several Southern states passed laws that in effect defined a black person as anyone with any “discernible amount of colored or African blood.”

Therefore, even today we still relate to anyone that is part black as being accepted as black. Children may refer to themselves as being mixed when young, however usually as they grow into adulthood, they take on an identity that either they identify with the most, or one that society would identify them with (usually black).

My son is.....as I refer to him as being Mulatto which denotes a person with one white parent and one black parent or a person who has both black ancestry and white ancestry like Barack Obama. This is what I put on any form that I fill out in regards to him whether I have to make my own box to check or fill in the "other" and write it.

That's just my thing, but even he knows at 12 that people see him as being only black.

Long story even longer, society is going to look at the majority of mulatto persons as simply being black(unless you take completely after the white parent) that started during slavery but managed to spread and normalize itself into this day and age.

Erica - posted on 08/07/2009

Quoting Judith:

It bothers me just that it was his white family that raised him, they shouldn't be forgotten. I know society will see my daughters as black because they dont look white but I will be upset if they forget to also represent the white in them. I am the single mother who is putting in all the work. I am not sure if I am making any sense :o)

I completely feel you!  My boyfriend is black and he is always saying that she is black and this n that, I try to tell him no, she isn't black she is bi racial, I happen to be one of the whitest people on the planet! I think that if you are bi racial you should be proud of both sides and say that!

Camilla - posted on 08/07/2009

hmm well am not sure. in norway we dont really have a "name" for black/white people. maybe america never desided ether ;)



but here in our house,am norwegian and my hubby is from Kenya.

our son say's : my daddy is kenyan and my mommy norwegian,so am a littlebit norwegian and a littlebit of kenyan. :) and i like it.

he is made in Kenya and born in Norway

Kara - posted on 08/04/2009

my son was th one who brought it to my attn. he told me he has brown skin like him. and when he looked at the pics of his family at school his family lookes like ours, so why do people call him black? i had to explain a little of politics and how others view a person.



its crazy how much our children pay attention to things we dont!

Susan - posted on 08/02/2009

I agree with you on that! Why so much focus on color and why can't we get it right!

Ashleigh - posted on 08/01/2009

I definitley agree. I have wondered the same thing for a long time. I am biracial and so is my son and I consider us as "biracial" not black or white

Jenny - posted on 07/28/2009

It doesn't bother me. What we all have to remember is to teach our children what they are. Society unfortunately puts stereotypes on everyone. You can be white, and they think you are hispanic, or vice versa. Instilling the truth when your children get older is the most important thing for their identity in this crazy world.

Kim - posted on 07/27/2009

He's an amazing man. Maybe in referring to himself as black he is trying to make his presidency a huge step for black Americans, giving the success to the black race. He has lived his life as a black man - he's had no choice because that is how people have always seen him. I'm sure he's had many of the same problems that full black men face.

Brandy - posted on 07/27/2009

His birth certificate has been provided



http://www.thedailybeast.com/video/

Gibbs enough with the birtheers

Ann - posted on 07/27/2009

I don't care what color the president is just as long as he is legally American...

I am sick of the race card!

Brandy - posted on 07/27/2009

This doesn't bother me. Obama may be mixed but his skin is brown and in the political world, the world of the white man, there is more of struggle still today to make it in politics for people of color. He is a man of color. There was no struggle overcome by his white side and he recognizes his white side, however his black side has won a battle that African Americans continue to fight for to this day. I don't even know my ancestry and I'm not lost becaused of it. All that matters is that a man of color is in office finally.

Michelle - posted on 07/27/2009

WOW... I agree with the one drop rule comment...what ... I would have left that doctors office for another right after that visit. Come on... that is insane!

Michelle - posted on 07/27/2009

OMG!!!! I correct everyone who does this in front of me... I am like you are negating his mother and her family when you exclude them! He is bi-racial.. not one or the other....

Nichole - posted on 07/27/2009

This country is a melting pot of various nationalities and races. It's unfortunate that people still view others by the color of their skin.

Regina - posted on 07/23/2009

This is a hard because, while he is biracial and raised by his mom's family you would have to know how he feels on the inside. His wife is black, his children are black. I believe that he FEELS black. I think that this is something that those of us who arent biracial cant identify with completely. The one drop rule is outdated in this day and age and if someone wants to be a identified as biracial then so be it , if they identify themselves as black then they're black, etc. I'm sure that when my daughter grows up people will say she's black not biracial but I hope that we will eventually live in a world where biracial, black, white, asian, hispanic, etc. is accepted no matter what. To Julia i hope u dont still see that idiot of a doctor who actually quoted the one drop rule!

La Sierra - posted on 07/23/2009

i have to say that i agree with u. i had notice that also with other mix celebs such as Halley berry, tiger woods, keshia cole, mariah carey. they all are mix and still consider to be black.i guess when it comes to raceism no matter how mix u are, if u still have black blood in u, u are consider black.

Amie - posted on 07/23/2009

Come on..I knew what I was going to have to go through, and what my child was going to have to go through before I ever chose to have a child with someone that was not of the "white" race. Why does race have to be such an issue..especially with us (as bi-racial parents.) I will raise my daughter to be proud of both side of her heritage. But if she chooses to go along with society and say that she is "black," I will love and cherish her no matter what. If we went along with the old ways of the 16th century and called our children Creoles would you view that as being racist and as singling them out? Look at both sides of the spectrum. If you want to go by the color of a person's skin, Obama is our first "black" president; and I am proud of him and our society for putting him in that role. He has gave our children, as bi-racial children, a new way to look at the world and their views of the world. All I am saying is why is it we have to view everything as a color of the skin..shouldn't we (as bi-racial parents) be better than this? REALLY let our children make their own choices in life...that is why we live in a FREE country.

Amanda - posted on 07/22/2009

I hate it when people say he is the " first black president " I dont know about every where, but here the childs race is the race of the the mother which is dumb, but lets be honest we are all mixed in some way or the other. So when people say dumb things about my childrens race I just go on lol. And I prepare my children for the world. By telling them what they are and were they came from.

Jennifer - posted on 07/22/2009

I do agree with you Jayme, but I understand why he made this choice. Look at what happened to Tiger Woods when he embraced ALL of his heritage. I respect your opinion Ericka, but would you feel the same way if he claimed to be white only? I only hope that when my daughter grows up, I will have instilled the strength in her that Tiger's parents instilled in him to stand up on Oprah and claim her entire heritage despite the backlash that is inevitable. I also hope that by the time she grows up, America will have grown up, too.

Erika - posted on 07/21/2009

He is black. i think that is what he considers himself and that should be okay. i do not think it is up to anyone but him to define what he feels he is. why is it anyone's business? do you have your mother's maiden name or your father's? are you wronge for having one or the other. he calls himself what he feels he is and that is his right. for a country that cries about RIGHTS we are sure to critisize people who exercise them! Go OBAMA!

Amber - posted on 07/21/2009

Someone once said to me that even when you are mixed race you 'are treated as black'. Im not 100% sure of the full depths of what she meant. I took it as a negative. that some people are not open minded or educated enough to know the difference, so they see dark skin and think 's/he is black'. Then thay are all the social aspects. Its a very deep question to ask!

Stephanie - posted on 07/20/2009

Let's face it... the world looks at Obama and sees and African American man. You would never know he is bi-racial unless you know his story and I highly doubt most people he encountered in the last 40 years knew his heritage. So, he has basically spent his entire life with people assuming he's African American. I'm sure that has helped shape his identity. Afterall, if everyone tells you how good looking you are your whole life, how can you help but think you are good looking?



Clearly, his white mother and grandparents have done an amazing job and Obama frequently speaks about how they influenced, challenged and encouraged him. I don't think it's a slight to the family that raised him that he sees himself primarily as a black man. I do think it's evidence that we still have a long way to go in terms of race relations and acceptance.

Bridget - posted on 07/20/2009

This really does not bother me that much. I am white, my son is bi-racial, and his father is black. I always joke with dad and tell him that pwoplw are going to tell our son he is crazy when he marks that he is black on any form (the rule that applies that the child takes the race of the father), because the only thing that looks black on him is his hair. My son actually looks of Asian decent! I am not bothered by the idea that Obama is called the first black president, he is considered an acheivement among African Americans.

Jami - posted on 07/20/2009

I agree with what you are saying. It doesnt bother me, so to speak. But I also question why the refer to him as the first black president. I guess it's the same way they did with Tiger Woods.

I have two bi-racial kids and I plan to teach them to refer to their race as bi-racial, rather than white or black. In the hospital, the paperwork did refer to them as being black, I suppose because I am, but when I do paperwork I always choose other or bi-racial.

Jayme - posted on 07/20/2009

Julia- I would find another doctor! I cannot believe he refered to a 1 drop rule. What generation is he from?

Danielle - posted on 07/19/2009

I am a parent of a child that is both black and white. I have to say it doesnt bother me about the president. Anyone that knows anything about him knows his Mother was white. I dont see it as bad but I think society sees my daughter is black with a white mother. There is ton's of ignorance in this world I am sure most of us here have experienced ignorance in regards to having a bi racial child. However we all made a choice to bring children into the world. I just hope my daughter grows up with a good sense of Identity, not based on the color of me or her father just by the type of human being she will be.

Jessica - posted on 07/19/2009

This bothers me very much and I am so glad there are other women who feel the same! My daughter's father and I work very hard to keep our daughter from being refered to as black or white. I also am very glad that Brittney's mom wrote to Obama and wants to get rid of the "other" choice, I always check both black and white as well.

Julia - posted on 07/19/2009

I THINK THAT THIS IS NOT RIGHT ALSO B/C MY SON IS MIXED WITH BLACK AND WHITE AND I ASKED HIS DOCTOR WHAT WOULD HE BE CONSIDERED AS FAR AS RACE AND HE SAID THAT HE WOULD BE CONSIDERED BLACK B/C OF THE 1 DROP RULE TAHT WAS CREATED YEARS AGO STATING THAT IF YOU HAVE ONE DROP OF AFRICAN AMERICAN BLOOD IN YOU YOU WILL BE CONSIDERED BLACK WHICH I THINK IS NOT FAIR B/C HIS DAD IS WHITE SO I THINK THEY ARE BASICALLY SAYING FORGET WHAT DNA SAY IF YOU LOOK BLACK OR HAVE ANY BLACK BLOOD IN YOU THAN YOU ARE BLACK NO MATTER WHAT YOUR PARENTS ARE

Amie - posted on 07/19/2009

There are many things that will happen in society that we may not agree with, but can not change over night. I know what my daughter is and she will know what she is as well, when she is old enough to understand. As for society, they will view her as black, not white, because her skin is brown. I will not say that I agree with the way society looks at things and in time I do believe that this will change, but to be upset about something that "is" I don't know that it is worth my energy. My daughter is loved, regardless of the color of her skin. She will know about her heritage on both sides. I want her to be proud of who she is, if she wants to check the white box one year and the black box another year that is her choice.

Sarah - posted on 07/19/2009

It definitely bothers me too! Throughout Obama's whole Presidential Campaign I was annoyed by the whole "Potentially our first Black President" label the media and even other candidates were using. I would yell at the tv "Biracial not Black" everytime I heard that. Also when filling out any paperwork on my children, I refuse to check "OTHER" for race. I check both "BLACK" and "WHITE" and if they say anything I explain why.

Judith - posted on 07/19/2009

It bothers me just that it was his white family that raised him, they shouldn't be forgotten. I know society will see my daughters as black because they dont look white but I will be upset if they forget to also represent the white in them. I am the single mother who is putting in all the work. I am not sure if I am making any sense :o)

Brittney - posted on 07/18/2009

I am biracial and I have a son who is also, my mother actually wrote a letter to the president about that and also about changing the "other" on forms when it comes to choosing one race.He should be proud of both sides and show society that not only do we have the first "black president" but we have the 44th white one as well....

Alana - posted on 07/18/2009

Hey, I am Canadian, and this bothers me! LOL I think that claiming both sides of your heritage when you are biracial is extremely important as a testiment to the way the world has changed. I mean, if you think back to the days of slavery, if a child was born to a white and black parent, it was automatically considered black. Recognizing only one side of his heritage is really outdated and wrong. How is today's society to embrace all mixes of people when they do this? I actively correct people who state he is a "black" president, as he is a "biracial" president.