Black? White? Asian? More Young Americans Choose All Of The Above

[LaoPo]

RACE REMIXED

Black? White? Asian? More Young Americans Choose All of the Above

From left: Shannon Palmer, Japanese/Irish; Vasco Mateus, Portuguese/African-American/Haitian; Laura Wood, Black/White.

click here: More Photos »

By SUSAN SAULNY

Published: January 29, 2011

COLLEGE PARK, Md. — In another time or place, the game of "What Are You?" that was played one night last fall at the University of Maryland might have been mean, or menacing: Laura Wood's peers were picking apart her every feature in an effort to guess her race.

"How many mixtures do you have?" one young man asked above the chatter of about 50 students. With her tan skin and curly brown hair, Ms. Wood's ancestry could have spanned the globe.

Very long article continues here:

http://www.nytimes.c...anted=1&_r=1

LaoPo

Edited February 2, 2011 by sbk
edited for fair use

[mstribling]

Seems we're the melting pot. Who knew?

[LaoPo]

Seems we're the melting pot. Who knew?

Most European countries, the U.S./Canada and Australia/NZ are melting pots since a long time, and growing Multi Cultural societies.

Asia will follow although on a much lower speed.

LaoPo

[craigt3365]

Let's move this over to the World News Forum.

Topic Moved.

[mark45y]

Seems we're the melting pot. Who knew?

Most European countries, the U.S./Canada and Australia/NZ are melting pots since a long time, and growing Multi Cultural societies.

Asia will follow although on a much lower speed.

LaoPo

Japan and Korea? Dream on.

[craigt3365]

The US is truly a melting pot. I'm part native American Indian, part Scottish, part ??????. My wife is 3/4th Thai and 1/4 Chinese.

[CanInBKK]

The US is truly a melting pot. I'm part native American Indian, part Scottish, part ??????. My wife is 3/4th Thai and 1/4 Chinese.

In all fairness your wife is still single race (100% asian).

On another note I'm glad to see the waning popularity of being politically correct and seeing black and white return to use instead if African American and Caucasian, respectively.

[Travel2003]

Black (African)/Irish, German/Black (African) or Black (African)/Norwegian, what's the difference?

Always been wondering why Americans seem to look at Irish, English, Norwegian, Swedish, German, (most European countries), as different races.

[LaoPo]

Black (African)/Irish, German/Black (African) or Black (African)/Norwegian, what's the difference?

Always been wondering why Americans seem to look at Irish, English, Norwegian, Swedish, German, (most European countries), as different races.

Why?

Because when the people from various backgrounds and countries arrived in their new homelands like the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, people were curious were the others came from; simple and most people are still very proud of their ancestors.

There's nothing wrong of being an American, Canadian or Australian and still be proud of being called of being of German, Swedish or Italian descent and roots, and they should but those roots will fade away after 3, 4 or more generations; all children born out of these generations will learn less and less about their ancestors and that's a pity.

But, about the OP: I am very happy that racism is (very) slowly but surely disappearing because of the acceptance of other races, descent and color BECAUSE of the interracial relation ships and marriages.

LaoPo

[LaoPo]

The US is truly a melting pot. I'm part native American Indian, part Scottish, part ??????. My wife is 3/4th Thai and 1/4 Chinese.

In all fairness your wife is still single race (100% asian).

On another note I'm glad to see the waning popularity of being politically correct and seeing black and white return to use instead if African American and Caucasian, respectively.

There more colors in the world than Black and White...

LaoPo

[Heng]

At this rate, the US can one day hope to be an economic powerhouse like Brazil or Mexico..... melting pot le originale! Hmmm, well, at least holidays might be more festive.

[Travel2003]

Black (African)/Irish, German/Black (African) or Black (African)/Norwegian, what's the difference?

Always been wondering why Americans seem to look at Irish, English, Norwegian, Swedish, German, (most European countries), as different races.

Why?

Because when the people from various backgrounds and countries arrived in their new homelands like the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, people were curious were the others came from; simple and most people are still very proud of their ancestors.

There's nothing wrong of being an American, Canadian or Australian and still be proud of being called of being of German, Swedish or Italian descent and roots, and they should but those roots will fade away after 3, 4 or more generations; all children born out of these generations will learn less and less about their ancestors and that's a pity.

But, about the OP: I am very happy that racism is (very) slowly but surely disappearing because of the acceptance of other races, descent and color BECAUSE of the interracial relation ships and marriages.

LaoPo

Understand.

I think it's very nice that people try to keep some of their cultural heritage, and are proud of it.

Just like the 450 million people claiming to be Irish on St. Patrick's day.

Just kidding.

Still, an African/Irish or African/Norwegian are not 2 different races (or mixes).

I think the NY Times (the link) drags it a bit far when separating Black/white and German/Black as 2 different race mixtures.

Also agree about the racism issue.

I find it almost unbelievable that this is still an issue in some places, in this time and age.

[Travel2003]

Listen to Russell Peters.

In the end we all will be beige colored.

[LaoPo]

Also agree about the racism issue.

I find it almost unbelievable that this is still an issue in some places, in this time and age.

..some places?

It's all over the world, still.

Remember the slaughter in 1994 between 2 black populations in Rwanda..where some 800.000 Tutsi's were butchered by the Hutu's in just 100 days ?

It's not just between black and white or yellow and brown.

The world has a long way to go.

LaoPo

[mca]

The US is truly a melting pot. I'm part native American Indian, part Scottish, part ??????.

Welcome to our newest member Tonto McDougal

[SerpentSea]

The US is truly a melting pot. I'm part native American Indian, part Scottish, part ??????. My wife is 3/4th Thai and 1/4 Chinese.

The melting pot starts when you don't classify people into different races. A society that wouldn't use such categories and not give it any importance if a person is Asian, European or from Africa or whatever and so also its individuals don't think of themselves as part of an racial group there would be that 'melting' and blending the normal.

[Travel2003]

Also agree about the racism issue.

I find it almost unbelievable that this is still an issue in some places, in this time and age.

..some places?

It's all over the world, still.

Remember the slaughter in 1994 between 2 black populations in Rwanda..where some 800.000 Tutsi's were butchered by the Hutu's in just 100 days ?

It's not just between black and white or yellow and brown.

The world has a long way to go.

LaoPo

Agree, we still have unfortunately a long way to go.

At least in many places we have started to go that (long) way.

The Rwanda slaughter.

Was that racial motivated?

I thought it was a Majority/Minority retaliation between 2 different groups of the same race, which went out of control.

Dont shoot me down here, because I might be wrong in this issue (have not checked it yet).

[SerpentSea]

Black (African)/Irish, German/Black (African) or Black (African)/Norwegian, what's the difference?

Always been wondering why Americans seem to look at Irish, English, Norwegian, Swedish, German, (most European countries), as different races.

Why?

Because when the people from various backgrounds and countries arrived in their new homelands like the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, people were curious were the others came from; simple and most people are still very proud of their ancestors.

There's nothing wrong of being an American, Canadian or Australian and still be proud of being called of being of German, Swedish or Italian descent and roots, and they should but those roots will fade away after 3, 4 or more generations; all children born out of these generations will learn less and less about their ancestors and that's a pity.

But, about the OP: I am very happy that racism is (very) slowly but surely disappearing because of the acceptance of other races, descent and color BECAUSE of the interracial relation ships and marriages.

LaoPo

Understand.

I think it's very nice that people try to keep some of their cultural heritage, and are proud of it.

Just like the 450 million people claiming to be Irish on St. Patrick's day.

Just kidding.

Still, an African/Irish or African/Norwegian are not 2 different races (or mixes).

I think the NY Times (the link) drags it a bit far when separating Black/white and German/Black as 2 different race mixtures.

Also agree about the racism issue.

I find it almost unbelievable that this is still an issue in some places, in this time and age.

How does someone who is 1/4 irish celebrate St. Patrick's day day? Does someone who is 1/8 french eat french fries once a week and all the other days freedom fries or would that person keep rather quiet about the france trace in the ancestry and tells you that he is quarter viking, three-eighths polish, partly dutch and a few percent of something 'exotic' like a native or from some pacific islands?

And when the ancestry is splitted in so many tiny parts is the cultural heritage kept at all? Is there something left of 'the roots' to be proud of or isn't that person already part of a new, entire different culture?

Edited January 31, 2011 by SerpentSea

[Travel2003]

Black (African)/Irish, German/Black (African) or Black (African)/Norwegian, what's the difference?

Always been wondering why Americans seem to look at Irish, English, Norwegian, Swedish, German, (most European countries), as different races.

Why?

Because when the people from various backgrounds and countries arrived in their new homelands like the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, people were curious were the others came from; simple and most people are still very proud of their ancestors.

There's nothing wrong of being an American, Canadian or Australian and still be proud of being called of being of German, Swedish or Italian descent and roots, and they should but those roots will fade away after 3, 4 or more generations; all children born out of these generations will learn less and less about their ancestors and that's a pity.

But, about the OP: I am very happy that racism is (very) slowly but surely disappearing because of the acceptance of other races, descent and color BECAUSE of the interracial relation ships and marriages.

LaoPo

Understand.

I think it's very nice that people try to keep some of their cultural heritage, and are proud of it.

Just like the 450 million people claiming to be Irish on St. Patrick's day.

Just kidding.

Still, an African/Irish or African/Norwegian are not 2 different races (or mixes).

I think the NY Times (the link) drags it a bit far when separating Black/white and German/Black as 2 different race mixtures.

Also agree about the racism issue.

I find it almost unbelievable that this is still an issue in some places, in this time and age.

How does someone who is 1/4 irish celebrate St. Patrick's day day? Does someone who is 1/8 french eat french fries once a week and all the other days freedom fries or would that person keep rather quiet about the france trace in the ancestry and tells you that he is quarter viking, three-eighths polish, partly dutch and a few percent of something 'exotic' like a native or from some pacific islands?

And when the ancestry is splitted in so many tiny parts is the cultural heritage kept at all? Is there something left of 'the roots' to be proud of or isn't that person already part of a new, entire different culture?

I honestly dont know.

[LaoPo]

How does someone who is 1/4 irish celebrate St. Patrick's day day? Does someone who is 1/8 french eat french fries once a week and all the other days freedom fries or would that person keep rather quiet about the france trace in the ancestry and tells you that he is quarter viking, three-eighths polish, partly dutch and a few percent of something 'exotic' like a native or from some pacific islands?

And when the ancestry is splitted in so many tiny parts is the cultural heritage kept at all? Is there something left of 'the roots' to be proud of or isn't that person already part of a new, entire different culture?

Oh please; don't make it so funny complicated.

In the situation you paint the person involved is certainly part of the new culture and only inherits a bloodline in various percentages you described.

Nothing more.

It also depends on the strong or not so strong relationships with parents and grandparents if someone feels a strong bond with a previous culture, country or descent.

LaoPo

[craigt3365]

Black (African)/Irish, German/Black (African) or Black (African)/Norwegian, what's the difference?

Always been wondering why Americans seem to look at Irish, English, Norwegian, Swedish, German, (most European countries), as different races.

American's don't look at them as races, but different nationalities. Seems the Europeans are more sensitive to this...based on historical differences??? To us, just the same race.

For sure, everybody needs to remember and celebrate their heritage. When my wife became a US citizen, that's what they told her during the ceremony. Great stuff.

The US is truly a melting pot. I'm part native American Indian, part Scottish, part ??????.

Welcome to our newest member Tonto McDougal

For sure...something like that. One of my favorite restaurants was Carlos McMurphy's. A Mexican/Irish restaurant. The story about how it got created is very funny.

Re:St. Patrick's day. They are not pretending to be Irish, but celebrating the Irish festival. Just like Cinco de Mayo. A great party for sure. Oh...and don't forget the Puerto Rican Day Parade in NYC. What a crazy time. Great fun...

[Jingthing]

Not to mention, but mentioning anyway, maybe there is actually no such thing as race in the first place!

http://newsreel.org/guides/race/pressreleasecredit.htm

What if we suddenly discovered that our most basic assumption about race - for instance, that the world's people can be divided biologically along racial lines - was false?

Edited January 31, 2011 by Jingthing

[LaoPo]

Black (African)/Irish, German/Black (African) or Black (African)/Norwegian, what's the difference?

Always been wondering why Americans seem to look at Irish, English, Norwegian, Swedish, German, (most European countries), as different races.

American's don't look at them as races, but different nationalities. Seems the Europeans are more sensitive to this...based on historical differences??? To us, just the same race.

For sure, everybody needs to remember and celebrate their heritage. When my wife became a US citizen, that's what they told her during the ceremony. Great stuff.

Interesting views!

I don't think there's much difference between Americans and Europeans; the latter "think" smaller at times (size wise) since we can drive in 1 day through a couple of countries and the language changes immediately

There are Kantons in Switzerland where people from one valley don't understand the ones coming from another valley.

And, for instance, the French are quite proud and snobish people and the Parisians are on top of that, looking down on the rest of France and the rest of Europe.

But, that's the same between Roma and Milano; the first are more snobish than the latter but the latter make the money; same-same as Madrid and Barcelona. In Barcelona they make the money, in Madrid they spend it.

On the other hand New Yorkers and San Francisco people don't get along very well (I know) whilst Texans are also looking in a kind of special way towards other Americans.

It's of all times, countries, races, colours and cities; look at how Liverpudlians and Mancunians (Liverpool & Manchester) look upon each other, or Rotterdam and Amsterdam; the Flemish and Wallonians in Belgium....holy moly!

The wonderful thing however, is that people of all nationalities and colours are growing more and more closer because of the invention of the Airplane and since 10-15 years...Internet.

It was a mere 75 years ago that planes started to brake records and flew long distances from London to Melbourne, Australia....in 4 days.....and there was total hysteria about that unbelievable accomplishment.

We're spoiled with our possibilities to fly to the other side of the world in 12-24 hours but at the same time we're able to connect and TALK with a male or female of an exotic race and colour within a split-second.

Amazing times

LaoPo

Edited January 31, 2011 by LaoPo

[LaoPo]

The Rwanda slaughter.

Was that racial motivated?

I thought it was a Majority/Minority retaliation between 2 different groups of the same race, which went out of control.

Dont shoot me down here, because I might be wrong in this issue (have not checked it yet).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwandan_Genocide#Background

LaoPo

[mark45y]

Black (African)/Irish, German/Black (African) or Black (African)/Norwegian, what's the difference?

Always been wondering why Americans seem to look at Irish, English, Norwegian, Swedish, German, (most European countries), as different races.

Why?

Because when the people from various backgrounds and countries arrived in their new homelands like the USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, people were curious were the others came from; simple and most people are still very proud of their ancestors.

There's nothing wrong of being an American, Canadian or Australian and still be proud of being called of being of German, Swedish or Italian descent and roots, and they should but those roots will fade away after 3, 4 or more generations; all children born out of these generations will learn less and less about their ancestors and that's a pity.

But, about the OP: I am very happy that racism is (very) slowly but surely disappearing because of the acceptance of other races, descent and color BECAUSE of the interracial relation ships and marriages.

LaoPo

Understand.

I think it's very nice that people try to keep some of their cultural heritage, and are proud of it.

Just like the 450 million people claiming to be Irish on St. Patrick's day.

Just kidding.

Still, an African/Irish or African/Norwegian are not 2 different races (or mixes).

I think the NY Times (the link) drags it a bit far when separating Black/white and German/Black as 2 different race mixtures.

Also agree about the racism issue.

I find it almost unbelievable that this is still an issue in some places, in this time and age.

How does someone who is 1/4 irish celebrate St. Patrick's day day? Does someone who is 1/8 french eat french fries once a week and all the other days freedom fries or would that person keep rather quiet about the france trace in the ancestry and tells you that he is quarter viking, three-eighths polish, partly dutch and a few percent of something 'exotic' like a native or from some pacific islands?

And when the ancestry is splitted in so many tiny parts is the cultural heritage kept at all? Is there something left of 'the roots' to be proud of or isn't that person already part of a new, entire different culture?

Of Americans who migrated to America willingly, they don't look at America as a nationality or race. When you ask an American what nationality he is chances are you won't get the answer American. One, he doesn't understand the question. Since almost everyone came from somewhere else America is not the first thing he thinks of. In Europe although there has been mixing the majority of French are French and Italian, Italian and so on.

Most Americans know the nationality of at least two generations of grand parents. In most cases those grandparents are of mixed ancestry.

Americans have national stereotypes that they follow on certain days, St. Patrick's day for example. Even if they are only ¼ Irish they feel it necessary to get raving drunk.

Americans however slightly related take pride in being frugal if they are part Scotch. American women who are part French think they are sexier.

This is one reason there are so many different ethnic restaurants in every American town. The first set of parents who migrated from Germany cooked German food every night. The boy marries an English girl and the kids eat German a couple of nights a week, English a couple of nights and Pizza one night and Chinese one night. What is American food? Fried Chicken I guess but no one cooks fried chicken at home.

Steak and potatoes? Steak is too expensive. German pot roast or an English boiled dinner both are cheaper and would be consumed more often.

Different parts of the country have retained their ethnicity more than others. California might as well be a different country so I won't discuss it. The Northeast and Midwest retain more ethnic roots. There are still neighborhoods that are predominantly one nationality.

I grew up eating in German, French, Polish, Italian and Greek restaurants where one still ordered in those languages. Sure you could order in English but no one did. All the old people at a Polish wedding still spoke Polish. When I was a kid and traveled to Louisiana they didn't speak English in the Bayous. The food was Cajun or Creole depending on neighborhood. The music was totally different, Zydeco. And Cajun women the closest thing to an Issan lass (in temperament) that I have ever seen plus daddy had a shotgun close by. Even the legal system in Louisiana is nothing like the rest of the country. The island of Tabasco makes sauce as hot as anything you will find in Thailand as is most Cajun food. If you ask a person from Lafayette Louisiana what nationality he is you will get the answer, Cajun. Ask a Texan and he will say Texan. Ask a Chicagoan and no telling what he will say. Texans think Texas is a nationality. Don't ask me why it is the only state that feels that way.

On Thai Visa Americans often get painted with the same brush but in reality there are many many regional and national differences. Going from NYC to Stone Mountain Georgia is like going to two completely different countries. San Antonio, you might as well be living in Mexico without the food poisoning.

I think America was a lot more fun 50 years ago before the Californiacation of the country and without Disney's and Walmarts all pervasive influences. Family farms and small businesses are now getting rarer and rarer. Too bad.

[Hawaiian]

When I was growing up our family frequently attended parties at the homes of the employee's that worked with my father. Japanese food at New Years, Chinese food on Chinese New Years,

Hawaiian luaus for weddings and so on.

Both of my parents worked for the same company and they also managed the credit union. We still have photos from the 60's of the dinner meetings. At least seven or eight ethnic groups represented.

I grew up in this environment where even though there was racial discrimination it was mostly subdued and seldom overt.

Returning from military service, I worked as a carpenter in an occupation that was predominantly Japanese. In fact, sometimes I was the only white employee. That didn't stop

them from electing me their union rep. We oftentimes joked that I was the "token haole"(white man)on the union board.

Eventually I started my own construction company and am proud to say that I hired people for their ability and not skin color. During the years I had Hawaiian, Japanese, Chinese, Portuguese, Filipino, Mexican and Puerto Rican employees.

Happily, today people here are even more racially tolerant. When it comes to food that is a big plus. Most parties have a selection of almost every ethnic food you can think of.

[Travel2003]

The Rwanda slaughter.

Was that racial motivated?

I thought it was a Majority/Minority retaliation between 2 different groups of the same race, which went out of control.

Dont shoot me down here, because I might be wrong in this issue (have not checked it yet).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwandan_Genocide#Background

LaoPo

Thnx a lot.

[maccaroni man]

i have an olive skin complexion, and was raised in middle america where at the time of my youth the majority of people in my small farm town typically viewed their world as black or white so i lived many my entire life in the USA with "what are you?". Living abroad for nearly 20yrs has made the "what are you?" question take on a different meaning i.e. nationality so on my 1st visit to the US after 10yrs away i was taken off guard when i was asked "what are you?" and my response American was not accepted, they said: "No, what are You?" then i remembered oh I am back in America I for one am not happy to go into that line of questioning as i always felt it was a way of putting me in a box or group rather than seeing me as an individual much the same as Americans are very quick to ask "what do you do?" to that my answer is always, "as little as possible " which typically leaves them in total confussion.

[chuckd]

...." Americans are very quick to ask "what do you do?" to that my answer is always, "as little as possible " which typically leaves them in total confussion.

A guy told me that one time so I responded with...Ah, so you're a government employee.

Nice to have you back MM.

[Jingthing]

" Americans are very quick to ask "what do you do?"

Depends on the context. Try that question in a gay American setting for different results.