This was already started in Social Justice, but I wanted to try to start one here because I think it may get more responses...
Who has biracial children? I really want to talk about the issues specific to them as they grow. How do we plan on educating them and protecting them? And again, does anyone know of any good children's books for biracial kids?
BTW- Malik is biracial- I"m white, daddy's black.
My son is multiracial... he's japanese, black, irish, spanish and french.....
There are a bunch of great books, I have a list somewhere, I'll post it in a few. I feel very lucky to live in an area that is full of every ethnic background in the book....
I want Liam to know his backgrounds... try to celebrate different holidays, etc...
gotta run, ames
Latil- in responce to what you said in the other thread about the word "mixed"- I agree that that word isn't really appropriate. I find myself using it though just because that's what everybody around here says. I think biracial or multiracial is much more respectful and accurate though and I try to avoid using the word mixed when I'm thinking about it.
That reminded me of something though- will they ever go so far as to simlply put a biracial or multiracial bubble on those test forms???? I think it's so sad that Malik is going to feel like he needs to bubble in "other". I mean, how offensive is that?!? :x
Damn right... "Other" irks me badly... I just refuse to fill out those forms. Also... learned the history of the name Mullato, it was slang for children of slavemasters, Mule+Cattle=Mullato. How offensive is that??? My kid isn't a fucking mule nor a cow!
Ames
Mixed/Bi-racial/Mulatto girl chiming in here.
In the U.K., people always use the term "mixed-race"- I don't think I've ever heard anybody say "bi-racial". I don't mind it, personally. I mean, yeah, I can see how it is offensive as everybody is "mixed" somehow, everybody is a mix of different genes. I don't see how the term "bi-racial" is any better, though? If we want to get all specific about it, there is only one race, the human race. Mulatto used to be a degrading word in the slave days, but times have changed and "mulattos" such as myself have started to reclaim the word- sort of like the word "cunt" used by feminists, they've turned an insult into a positive word.
There is one word that I hate, and I've had to call people out saying it a few times- "half caste". To me, that really does sound like something someone would use in reference to some kind of animal...
It annoys the hell out of me when people say that "all mixed people are beautiful". They probably do have good intentions but NO, not all mixed babies/kids/people are good-looking... I'm not beautiful 'cause I'm multiracial, I just have good genes. :wink:
MaLiksMommi- here are a couple of links to cool books for your kiddo.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0807507857/qid=1084226853/sr=5-1/ref=cm_lm_asin/104-9921544-2167966?v=glance&s=books
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0064432696/qid=1084226853/sr=5-1/ref=cm_lm_asin/104-9921544-2167966?v=glance
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0805058648/ref=pd_bxgy_text_1/104-9921544-2167966?v=glance&s=books&st=*
Zahra
One of the things I've been considering now that Ruby's starting to talk and take interest in other kids is this: since I'm white, will she at some point think of my labeling her "biracial" or "multiracial" as a denial of her being black? I just wonder, if she feels more strongly identified as black, if she's going to think of that label as my attempt to remind her that she is also white? (It is not my attempt to do so.) Or maybe vice versa?
(It would be so nice to be raising her in some utopian future society where it was acknowledged that race is a myth that we've used to keep people of color oppressed all these years, and that we're actually all just people. I guess it's possible that will magically come about in the next few years. But probably not.)
Someone mentioned books - what else should we be doing? I don't want to "over-acknowledge" Ruby's ethnicity and make her feel like it's some huge issue, but I also don't want her to feel like I'm oblivious or trying to avoid the topic as she gets older and develops peer relationships, since I know other people will make it an issue, and I want to be someone she can talk to. Do I sound as completely befuddled as I am?
Gah! Thank you. That drives me nuts. A cashier recently asked me if Ruby was "mixed," and when I said she was, the woman said "she's so lucky! Mixed babies are so cute!" It was sooooo tempting to say "She's lucky to have good parents, period, and she'd probably still be cute if we were both the same color." I know she was trying to be nice, but yuck.
I think all babies have the most beautiful eyes. Yes a lot of bi-racial kids are really cute (I LOVE the hair on some of them!!!), but a lot of kids that aren't bi-racial are really cute too (especially mine :wink: ). Kids are people, not a mixture of colors, ect. People need to realise that, and not say he's beautiful because he's mixed, he's beautiful because he's beautiful.
I do not know who this song is by but I think it is so sweet.
Momma looks like coffee, daddy looks like cream, baby is a mocha drop american dream *mixed kids are so cute, he he he* All the colors of the rinbow are in oour family tree, woven all together in a tepestry. She holds real tightly to her parents hands, baby loves that woman, baby loves that man, let us al gives a smile cuz she understands
Chorus:
our love is black, whtie tan, black white tan,
Everyone is precious in the fathers site, it dont matter red or yellow black or white. He just loves ya cuz he loves ya, I tell you this is true. YOU ARE NOT A COLOR AND A COLOR IS NOT YOU. So hold real tightly to yor daddy's hand ...
Chorus...
let us all give a smile, every once in a while, let your sould give a smile every once in a while......
Love is black white tan, black white, tan, our little girl will tell you, *then a little girl with a SWEEEEEET voice comes on and says* blaaaack, whiiite, tan. Its a sweet song