Why is Obama a black man?

[tatumrx]

Hi ladies,

I'm not an active poster here. I hope you don't mind that I seek you opinions.

I don't understand why everyone is calling Obama a black man. He is half black and half white. He was brought up by white folks. My father is white and my mother is Asian. So does this make me a white woman or an Asian woman? People usually categorize me as Asian. So if you are not 100% white then you are not white?

Thanks,
Tatum

[SandyLM]

Well, in his case, I'd say he has no choice but to identify himself as a black man, regardless of his actual ethnic *mixture*. His skin is dark and his hair is black. Whether he *wants* to be "black" or not, he will be considered black by other people, for good and for bad.

For people who are not obviously "light" or "dark", "asian", "caucasian" or "hispanic", perhaps they choose to identify with the race or ethnic group which which they feel the most connected, based on how they were raised, etc.?

It certainly makes people want to check "none of your business" or check all that apply when answering those silly ethnic group boxes.

[julied]

Technically, you're "interracial".....

Hi ladies,

I'm not an active poster here. I hope you don't mind that I seek you opinions.

I don't understand why everyone is calling Obama a black man. He is half black and half white. He was brought up by white folks. My father is white and my mother is Asian. So does this make me a white woman or an Asian woman? People usually categorize me as Asian. So if you are not 100% white then you are not white?

Thanks,
Tatum

I'm not sure why this is....it's not just Obama, everybody. Tiger Woods isn't all black, yet he doesn't seem to claim to be Asian, either. I don't think Halle Berry or Vanessa White is 100% black. Yet it seems that if there's enough physical characteristics that show some African American ethnicity (darker skin, etc) that not only do they tend to refer to themselves as black, but everybody else does as well. Maybe it's how they identify themselves the most?

I'm sure there's a much better eloquent answer (or an answer at all)....but beyond "they can call themselves whatever they want", I don't know why.

[julied]

Didn't they start putting "interracial" as a category?

Well, in his case, I'd say he has no choice but to identify himself as a black man, regardless of his actual ethnic *mixture*. His skin is dark and his hair is black. Whether he *wants* to be "black" or not, he will be considered black by other people, for good and for bad.

For people who are not obviously "light" or "dark", "asian", "caucasian" or "hispanic", perhaps they choose to identify with the race or ethnic group which which they feel the most connected, based on how they were raised, etc.?

It certainly makes people want to check "none of your business" or check all that apply when answering those silly ethnic group boxes.

I guess I don't pay enough attention since I'm a boring caucasion (although I'd like the box for Euro-American) since both sets of G'parents are from Ireland.....

[tatumrx]

For those people who simply will not vote for Obama because he "looks" black, I guess regardless of what percentage of black you are, if you "look" black then you are black.

[maryellen]

From what I understand, it's based on what people perceive you as. Most people who are half black, half white tend to look black so that's how they identify themselves primarily. If you met Obama and didn't know he had one white parent, you probably wouldn't give it a second thought: you'd see him as a black man.

And let's face it, when it comes to race in this country, how you are perceived is pretty significant.

Now, I'll be honest... I don't know if this applies to people who are mixes of other races. I have a friend who is Korean, married to an Italian, and looking at her kids I don't think I would automatically identify them as being Asian at all. I know they are, so I see it, but if I saw them without their mother, I would probably think they are white. I have seen other kids though that definitely resemble the Asian parent more... in fact I was in a doctor's office with a very Scandinavian woman who had an Asian daughter and everyone was asking questions, assuming she had adopted the girl... turns out the woman was married to an Asian man.

[freddy]

I saw a quote by Colin Powell

He said, in America, when you look like me, you're black.

[Allegro]

He said, in America, when you look like me, you're black.

Yuppers. VERY few "black" people are 100% black. My mother is the product of two bi-racial parents (black/white) she looks whitish but considers herself black. My father is the product of an African father and an East Indian mother and he looks and considers himself Black.

So that makes me: white (French/Spanish), black, East Indian. You would describe me as black.

My daughter told me just yesterday that she couldn't look like her birthmother because her birthmother was white and she isn't. We had a little talk about things BESIDES skin colour.

People are classified according to the darkness of their skin and at a certain point no matter what your ethnic make-up you're going to have a tough time asserting that you're anything but the race you look MOST like. I think the caucasian gene ends up being the recessive one thus ...

[Jeannie]

My family is pureblood Italian. While in Texas for several years, one of my sisters was repeatedly told that she is "not white." So I guess "race" is really subjective.

Do you think there will ever come a day when we simply will not even notice skin color?

[zody]

not sure about the history

but wasn't there a time when there was a "one drop" law back in the segregation days? that's kinda what I suspect. most American blacks are pretty mixed if they date their family history back to slave days.

[HethD]

Same reason my dh is Asian...

and not Mexican. He *looks* like an Asian man even though he is half Mexican. Actually, many people think he's Hawaiian or Filipino. He's really a mix, born in Vietnam to a Vietnamese mother and a Mexican-American father. He is, however, every bit your typical American guy, as it seems Obama is regardless of his ethnicity.

Unfortunately in the U.S., you are what you look like. So, when my dh brought ds to his Tae Kwon Do lessons, the instructor asked my dh what style of Martial Arts he studied. Because apparently every Asian guy knows Martial Arts.

As for being white only if you are 100% white, many of the ethnic choice questions do require you to only mark white if you are not Hispanic. I'm not sure why they differentiate Hispanic, but I have a hard time 'choosing' for my bio kids. Caucasian is the majority of their ethnicity (half from me, as opposed to a quarter each of Hispanic and Asian from dh), but most forms specify 'White non-Hispanic'.

H

[Tonia1]

Tiger Woods isn't all black, yet he doesn't seem to claim to be Asian, either.

I remember seeing an interview with Tiger Woods when he first became really famous (on Oprah, I think), and he jokingly said he referred to himself as a "caublanasian" to cover all the ethnicities. I think I remember him saying that he was given a hard time by some in the black community for referring to himself that way and not just as "black".

I personally think people should be able to refer to themselves however they choose, and I do think it's usually based on how someone is perceived by others.

[frits]

FWIW I always make a point of saying, whenever this comes up (as in yesterday's Colin Powell discussion) that Obama is 1/2 black.

Frankly when I look at Obama, I don't see a "black man." Yes he is partially of African ancestry, and that is obvious, but his appearance doesn't register to me in that way. Maybe it's b/c we have so many black friends (my older son's best friend is black--they have been best friends for eight years since they were in pre-K together; and another family we have been close to for going on 30 years now is black; just to mention a FEW) that I see it differently than others.

One of my black girlfriends calls me her "white friend" to all her family and other friends. I think this is hilarious b/c I don't think I have ever referred to her as a "black girlfriend" of mine until this very moment, and she and I have been friends for a really long time.

[frits]

Honestly, when I saw him on TV talking about his endorsement of Obama, it again occurred to me how white Colin Powell looks. He is extremely fair-skinned and it is hard for me to think of him as black, even though by all appearances that is how he perceives himself.

We are close friends with a family who appear black (medium skin tones) except they all have blue or green eyes (ala Vanessa Williams). I know they consider themselves black, but in my mind they are clearly multiracial.

[SandyLM]

FWIW I always make a point of saying, whenever this comes up (as in yesterday's Colin Powell discussion) that Obama is 1/2 black.

See, I think that's just silly. If he called himself half white people would laugh at him and actually, people would probably be offended -- white people would be offended that he is "trying to pass as white" and black people would be offended that he is "trying to distance himself from his black heritage."

He is black. He may not have the darkest skin, but there is no way he could "pass" as anything other than black. Even "white" people have different skin tones.

Although your post made me laugh - you "don't see a black man". Do you watch Steven Colbert? He always says "I don't see race. Are you black?"