What color/race do you see?

[Carlene 12]

But then the US Blacks realized that many whites could not tell a light-skin Black from an Hispanic. Then as the immigration issue heated up, Blacks, Puerto Ricans and (Asian) Indians where mixed in with the Muslims, Middle-Easterner and Mexicans (and other South of the Border Illegals).

My late brother-in-law was a full-blooded, raised-on-a-reservation Indian. He retired to East Texas after serving for 40+ years in the Merchant Marines. Strangers would frequently strike up a conversation with my BIL in Spanish, of which he did not understand a single word. When he tried to explain WHY he didn't speak Spanish, he would get the most indignant looks! People evidently were hoping to practice their Spanish on him, and he just wasn't very cooperative. Instead of asking him about his Indian heritage, they would just walk away.

[cassandra 0]

I am white. I am dating a man who is black. My mother does not care, my step-father does. I have dated two black people in the past, a few mixed race people, one Indian, one Mexican and the rest have been white.

I think race is all what we make of it. I could let my step-father's feelings affect me and not allow myself to date a wonderful person of another race. Instead, I realize that I am an adult and make my own decisions for myself. We all have the choice of whether or not to be racist, just like we decide whether or not to go to college or anything else.

My grandparents, who are in their 80's, still call black people "the coloreds". When I got out of a serious relationship she sent me a note and said that she hopes I find a good Christian man with good values to spend the rest of my life with (I am only 24). Ironically, I just met a wonderful man last week. I would love to send her an email and say, "Grandma, I met the love of my life. By the way, he is black." - but that would probably give her a heart attach

[jojo41 0]

I think what surprised me the most was we were travelling with our kids.

If I was going to blow up a plane I think I'd leave the kids at home.:rolleyes

[divanita2006 0]

This was such an interesting thread, so I'll jump in. Thanks, Boo-Boo Kitty and TOM for some very eloquent points of view. All I can speak of is my own experience.

I'm 47, raised in Houston during "Jim Crow" era. No Affirmative Action then, but the so-called "Race Card" determined that I could only be born in a sub-standard hospital for coloreds. The next "Race Card" was played when, as a 4 yr old girl, I was consistently referred to as a monkey. I was not allowed to walk into the front door of a store, or play in any public park. I could not pee in public bathrooms; I had to squat by the car.

As a child, I thought my name was "Nigger"; my Mom, Dad, and my brother were all named the same thing. As I got older, I saw another Race Card" played when I saw people on T.V. with fire hoses washing "negroes" down the street, and state troopers blocking negroes from going to a "white" school.

I scrubbed my skin so hard, to try to wash the black off; I wanted to be white soo badly. Blacks, Negroes, Coloreds were spit on, hated, and had to "stay in their place". Klansmen and the local police drove through our community, just to scare us and stopping my parents to threaten or abuse them. I was always terrified that my parents would be hurt or killed, just for being black, coming home from work. (BTW, my Mom is a Biochemist, hired by Dr. DeBakey for heart transplant surgery, and my Dad was a pharmacist; still being called "boy" and "girl").

As I got older, I realized that I:

1)would always wear this skin

2) that I wasn't a monkey

3) that I was a smart, loving kid who loved diverse cultures and meeting people from all over the world.

I graduated at the top of my class, got into college without needing an Affirmative Action "race card," got my masters and I'm currently working on a Phd. I have owned a Consulting firm (no federal funds/AA) for 27 years. I learned Spanish. I have spent the bulk of my adult life bringing diverse cultures together, knocking down the walls of ignorance and name-calling; inspiring others to see the similarities that humans have with each other.

Oh-and I like to roller skate! lol

Am I angry at how I've been treated? I don't know anything different. This is the only life I know. If I can help people to see that MOST of our differences are internal and cognitive, rather than just skin color, then my life will have been worth all the slurs, name-calling, despair, "race carding", and outright prejudice that I've experienced, and continue to experience.

I am SO grateful that I learned to love myself (finally), and ALL of my fellow mankind, (dogs, cats, and fish!) in spite of the nastiness and denial of ignorant folks.

Just one black woman's experience.

What would I like to be called?

ANITA.

[Tired_Old_Man 1]

You must have been living in a parallel universe, because things like that don't happen here.

[divanita2006 0]

Lol! Roflmao!

[j_war06 0]

Well, Im from Jasper, Texas (maybe youve heard of it lol) and yes everyone sees colors, and yes many times stereotypes do apply to certain people. But I believe u should get to know someone to see who they are. Most people in Jasper, Contrary to popular belief are not racist nor do we have a KKK, or any other racist groups (I used to like Tyra until today, she pissed me OFF! She needs to check her facts before she puts something like that on national television). I meet people, and get to know them before I decide anything about them. The race card is used too much by ALL races and I think people are people and anything that did happen however many years ago happened, its over...get over it. Im jsut tired of being called a racist because Im from Jasper, I experience prejudice every day when ppl find out where Im from or because I am white. We just need to understand that people are people (once again) and we cant change anything in the past, nor are we going to make everyone love everyone, but we can try to accept people for who they are, no matter what beliefs they hold. For God's sake one of my best friends in college a an ULTRA LIBERAL! and Im a Conservative Enterpriser and we still get along great! Anyways, just wanted to comment...

[Jachut 487]

The trouble is really that many many people, whilst not racist or bigoted, still view whiteness as the normative postion and measure blackness against it. In the same way that people assume it is "normal" to be heteroxexual. It is the normalising of whiteness or heterosexuality that problemises blackness or homosexuality. People can always say "I'm not racist" or "I'm not homophobic" but when they view white/black or gay/straight as binaries, it creates a fundamental inequality.

That's not a racist thing so much as something so deeply embedded culturally as to appear unquestionable. Most people dont even realise they do it.

To be white and middle class sure is a luxury. You can afford to be very unbiased from that position cant you? When you've always been one of the "in" crowd in the mind of almost every person in society. I could call myself unracist but the only reason I've even thought about stuff like that is that I've had it put into my mind at university. It wouldnt have occurred to me otherwise and its a shame that that's the case.

[Tired_Old_Man 1]

When Jesse Jackson ran for president, the news stories were always "Black Candidate comes in Third in Primary" or Black Candidate this or that. There was a lot more fuss made about JFK being Roman Catholic than John Kerry being Roman Catholic, so maybe times are a changing.

I notice that less is being said about Condoleezza Rice being Black than about Jesse Jackson. Maybe things are getting better. Maybe a Black Conservative is more acceptable to the US voting public than a Liberal Black candidate. Maybe even a Black Female Conservative is more acceptable to the US voting public than a Liberal Black Male candidate.

But then again, Black Females have never been as threatening to whites as Black males. Whites traditionally have been rather fond of Negresses.

[Sunta 5]

I think it would be awesome if people married those of different races a whole lot more, so that we could eventually do away with "white", "black" "asian" etc., and just have "people". People who are mixed-race are generally more healthy (the farther away he gene pool is, the stronger and healtheir the person). Most mixed race people I've seen are also extremely gorgeous. So, to get a group of people that are both gorgeous, and healthy, let's advocate race mixing as much as possible! If I ever have a baby, I definitely want it to be a mixed race child! My husband is infertile, so I would use a donor, and I would want to use a donor of a different race.

[j_war06 0]

I know that to me, I am not attracted to black men at all. I believe there are some very handsome, beautiful black men in the world, but Im not physically attracted to them. Im not necessarily attracted to very white guys either. I usually go for the darker skin type, or the white-boy jock type (one that plays golf would be perfect lol). The whole world is not going to marry someone just to dissolve the race issue. Its who you are attracted to. Marrying someone to dissolve the race issue is no different than marrying someone to keep the same race. Color of skin really shouldnt come into play when picking a partner. I consider many different things when I choose to date someone. I look at their physical appearance not so much color of skin, but hair, nose, eyes, teeth, physique so forth. It just so happens that most black men are built the same. Same goes for asians, they do not peak my interest at all, there are a whole collage of different things I look for in a partner, not just color, but one should not marry another just to "fix" a problem, because there will be more problems, and more problems. God made us all different and unique for a reason, why should we change that if we dont want to. It isnt our duty to society to fix the color of people's skin. Not to mention the fact that there will still be different skin tones, everyone in the world will not be the same skin tone (nor in a group of 10 people). That will cause racism once again. Plus the rarity (like me) when one culture's feature do an extreme overtake of the others, and that person looks more white or black or asian or hispanic, whatever. My mother looks VERY hispanic (dark hair, skin, eyes) and my dad is darker complected with dark hair and eyes (as for the rest of my family that I know), YET I have Blond (light) hair, Hazel eyes (usually green), and VERY fair skin as well as a different body type than ANYONE in my family. Basically the Jewish part of my heritage reared its head, but since Im mixed up with God only knows what I somehow inherited an odd mix that does not go with the rest of my family. I look different than everyone at reunions on either side. Its as if I dont fit in, like I am a strange onlooker, but Im full blood with them. Yet Im very white, Blond and everything....So the color of skin definately would not be consistant

[BeacheeGirl 0]

Color don't matter - your either corny or your cool. I'm cool

[BeacheeGirl 0]

I know that to me, I am not attracted to black men at all. I believe there are some very handsome, beautiful black men in the world, but Im not physically attracted to them. Im not necessarily attracted to very white guys either. I usually go for the darker skin type, or the white-boy jock type (one that plays golf would be perfect lol). The whole world is not going to marry someone just to dissolve the race issue. Its who you are attracted to. Marrying someone to dissolve the race issue is no different than marrying someone to keep the same race. Color of skin really shouldnt come into play when picking a partner. I consider many different things when I choose to date someone. I look at their physical appearance not so much color of skin, but hair, nose, eyes, teeth, physique so forth. It just so happens that most black men are built the same. Same goes for asians, they do not peak my interest at all, there are a whole collage of different things I look for in a partner, not just color, but one should not marry another just to "fix" a problem, because there will be more problems, and more problems. God made us all different and unique for a reason, why should we change that if we dont want to. It isnt our duty to society to fix the color of people's skin. Not to mention the fact that there will still be different skin tones, everyone in the world will not be the same skin tone (nor in a group of 10 people). That will cause racism once again. Plus the rarity (like me) when one culture's feature do an extreme overtake of the others, and that person looks more white or black or asian or hispanic, whatever. My mother looks VERY hispanic (dark hair, skin, eyes) and my dad is darker complected with dark hair and eyes (as for the rest of my family that I know), YET I have Blond (light) hair, Hazel eyes (usually green), and VERY fair skin as well as a different body type than ANYONE in my family. Basically the Jewish part of my heritage reared its head, but since Im mixed up with God only knows what I somehow inherited an odd mix that does not go with the rest of my family. I look different than everyone at reunions on either side. Its as if I dont fit in, like I am a strange onlooker, but Im full blood with them. Yet Im very white, Blond and everything....So the color of skin definately would not be consistant

My very 1st boyfriend was black and I've never dated any other. White boys are corny to me. The black men I have dated and married have a certain swagger, personality, sense of humor and strength. :D

[BeacheeGirl 0]

This was such an interesting thread, so I'll jump in. Thanks, Boo-Boo Kitty and TOM for some very eloquent points of view. All I can speak of is my own experience.

I'm 47, raised in Houston during "Jim Crow" era. No Affirmative Action then, but the so-called "Race Card" determined that I could only be born in a sub-standard hospital for coloreds. The next "Race Card" was played when, as a 4 yr old girl, I was consistently referred to as a monkey. I was not allowed to walk into the front door of a store, or play in any public park. I could not pee in public bathrooms; I had to squat by the car.

As a child, I thought my name was "Nigger"; my Mom, Dad, and my brother were all named the same thing. As I got older, I saw another Race Card" played when I saw people on T.V. with fire hoses washing "negroes" down the street, and state troopers blocking negroes from going to a "white" school.

I scrubbed my skin so hard, to try to wash the black off; I wanted to be white soo badly. Blacks, Negroes, Coloreds were spit on, hated, and had to "stay in their place". Klansmen and the local police drove through our community, just to scare us and stopping my parents to threaten or abuse them. I was always terrified that my parents would be hurt or killed, just for being black, coming home from work. (BTW, my Mom is a Biochemist, hired by Dr. DeBakey for heart transplant surgery, and my Dad was a pharmacist; still being called "boy" and "girl").

As I got older, I realized that I:

1)would always wear this skin

2) that I wasn't a monkey

3) that I was a smart, loving kid who loved diverse cultures and meeting people from all over the world.

I graduated at the top of my class, got into college without needing an Affirmative Action "race card," got my masters and I'm currently working on a Phd. I have owned a Consulting firm (no federal funds/AA) for 27 years. I learned Spanish. I have spent the bulk of my adult life bringing diverse cultures together, knocking down the walls of ignorance and name-calling; inspiring others to see the similarities that humans have with each other.

Oh-and I like to roller skate! lol

Am I angry at how I've been treated? I don't know anything different. This is the only life I know. If I can help people to see that MOST of our differences are internal and cognitive, rather than just skin color, then my life will have been worth all the slurs, name-calling, despair, "race carding", and outright prejudice that I've experienced, and continue to experience.

I am SO grateful that I learned to love myself (finally), and ALL of my fellow mankind, (dogs, cats, and fish!) in spite of the nastiness and denial of ignorant folks.

Just one black woman's experience.

What would I like to be called?

ANITA.

That is absolutely disgusting, sad and I can't even imagine going through that. I count my blessings every day that I grew up in a home that saw no color and a community that was very progressive (Santa Barbara, CA).

I remember being called a "nigger lover" when I was in high school becuase it wasn't "cool" back then to date outside of your race. That alone would make me so mad.

I tell my son about stories like yours and tell him to be careful and don't always trust that because he is in a crowd that there are those that secretly hate u because of your skin color. Always be aware and be careful cuz you never know. I love my baby and he never was called a name until elementry school when someone at school started calling him names.

I supply my child with all kinds of black history information and facts that schools don't teach. He is very ploud of his black heritage and identifies himself as a black man, even though he is bi-racial. He gets along with everyone but he will always check the black box and I'm happy with that. I told him he needs to marry a black girl to make sure he keeps the "black blood" in our family, LOL. Naw, he can do what he wants but he knows that's what I'd prefer. Too many beautiful black women get passed over for lighter girls - that may seem like an oxy-moron because I am not black and I am married to a black man. But that's how I feel.

I've never ever dated someone that alwayas dated white girls becuase I felt that they only liked a color, not the person. My husbands first wife was black and he never dated a non-black girl b4 me. We just clicked and he fell in love with me as a person, not my color and that is how it should be. Although, I only date black men so that's kind of hypocritical, ha? I just don't find white men attractive or interesting enough to be more then a friend.....Also, white guys don't ever ask me out after then know I have black children and have been married to a black man....

[Tired_Old_Man 1]

I think it would be awesome if people married those of different races a whole lot more, so that we could eventually do away with "white", "black" "asian" etc., and just have "people".

I would not help. Hitler had Jews killed and they were German Jews. He also had Gays killed and they were Gay Germans.

In Northern Island, Protestants kill Catholics and vice versa.

In Iraq, Sunnis and Shiites are killing each other.

In Rwanda, Tutsis and Hutus kill each other.

Racism is about power. Race makes it easier to identify "your enemy", but if everyone were green, people would find another excuse to fight.