This started out as a comment to Turtles Lake Knitting's post but then it got so long I figured i should just make it an entry on my own blog or she would find it a bit creepy. Out of respect for her, the question she asked is legitimate and I am sure that others have asked the same question. Please don't flame her or me for that matter. I am merely attempting to provide some context to the issues she raise. I hope this furthers the discussion. It was very brave of her to put herself out there like that and I for one applaud her.
Her original post:
Is it just me??
and hubby? I just have to get this off my chest and hope to not get flamed! But...
I am happy we have had a historical event this week, i hope our new president does wonders for things that are falling apart with our country/world right now, i am very optimistic! But a couple things bugged the heck out of me this week.
Mainly, well, one was when one of the morning talk shows kept showing footage of the small village in Africa where Obama's dad was born. It showed the villagers dancing and partying. I was happy they were celebrating but it made me wonder why we were glorifying his dad this way. Didn't his dad take off and abandon him as a child? Did I miss them showing info on his mother or grandmother? ( i did have to work that day so i may have) I am glad times have changed and that hopefully the racial barriers have melted or even blended and that this is proof of it but.... people keep raving about Obama being black,and while he is , he is also half white. These are just a few of the thoughts i kept having go through my head as i watched the festivities.
We lived for 13 years just down the road from where Obama grew up in Hawaii and are very accustomed to varieties in ethnicities (and miss that where we live now). We were usually the lone haole's at the majority of the events we went to, and grew used to being the minority. Maybe this is why i get confused and have these thoughts as maybe i don't see the huge deal really and just see a qualified person for the job.
So please no flames, these were just a few thoughts that have been running through my head and i felt maybe they would leave once i wrote them down.
I understand the sentiment, I have heard it expressed before. And while I understand why some White Americans would question highlighting President Obama's father more so than his mother/ grandmother, let me see if I can give you another perspective.
I am an African American and grew up in this country. My mother and father are also African American and grew up in this country…and so on.
Now here is where it gets interesting. My father’s father is white. But my father was labeled African American upon birth. Because according to the One Drop Rule, if a person had a drop of black blood in them, then they were African American—a separate class of citizen.
On my mother’s side, both her parents have significant amounts of white blood. But they were labeled African American, 100% African American. And their children are African American.
And it has been this way as long I can remember. Now since President Obama is a few years younger than my mother, it stands to reason that he would be labeled African American as well. Moreover, I think President Obama himself said it best when he was asked about this very issue. Paraphrasing ‘when I go get my hair cut there is no confusion.’
Now this is not to say that people of mixed backgrounds should not honor all of their heritage. My niece is Korean and African American. And her parents are raising her in both traditions and frankly I don't think anyone in the family would have it any other way. (she is the light of my life!)
But now image if a biracial person was not acknowledged by one of their ethic groups. Until that is that person became famous. Then they want to claim him/her. That would be disingenuous. And we all know that President Obama has experienced his share of racism like the rest of us. They don't look at him and say, "Oh, he is half white so that makes him OK"
I don’t understand the current push by some to change the system. I mean, it is really hard to change the standard mid-stream don’t you think? What would we (African Americans) become? How far back would the change in status impact? Would it be the case for everyone or just notable African Americans with a white parent? Would white grandparents count? What about great aunts & uncles? Cause my grandmother has sisters that are “technically” white.
Would it just be those of a lighter complexion or based on the percentage of white blood, because Don Cheadle is 17% white (Henry Louis Gate's PBS documentary) and he is not the first person that comes to mind when discussing white ancestors.
No, I think we should just leave well enough alone. Unless a person came directly from the continent (of Africa), every African American has white blood in them. And it would be hypocritical to create a new status for the few people that White American have decided now they want to claim.
No. I say we should just move forward with a new goal of creating a society where people are *really* accepted regardless of their backgrounds, etc.
