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A parent writes:
It has recently been brought to my attention that the term "biracial" carries some stinging connotations and overtones within the African American community; specifically, that white parents are perceived as trying to claim superior status for their black/white children based on their white heritage. I had never realized before that the term was perceived to be exploitative and yet another example of White Privilege. I have used "biracial" when referring to my three children in the same context that was handed to me by our social workers: children born of one black and one white parent, clearly differentiating them from African American children (born of two black parents.)
Anyone have any comments? How should one refer to mixed race children so that the language does not cause resentment and hurt - either within the AA community or for the children themselves?
Michelle Johnson replies:
Biracial is, in fact, a term that completely bypasses an ethnic identity. All people assume that the two heritages involved are European and African, which is not always the case. This term also serves to separate people into pieces or parts, which is a dehumanizing function, where the whole person is often devalued. With the complex issues of ethnicity, it also does provide some common ground for parents.
I am not surprised you learned this term from your social workers. You must remember they are trying to place children. Highlighting a child's European American heritage is often a selling point to parents less comfortable, which is a positive. Some parents do justify their adoption of mixed heritage children to prejudicial friends and family by highlighting the European American culture, and denying or downplaying the "non-majority" culture, whatever this is. This goes beyond White Privilege, through ethnocentrism, straight to racism and should not be tolerated. This need to differentiate "all Black" children from those which are "half Black" devalues African cultural identity. It also has deep overtones of a color hierarchy where lighter skinned African American children are valued over darker ones, and is again a form of racismcontentious term among many people of African descent. It is problematic on many levels.
From a biological standpoint, there is no such thing as a mixed race child. This outdated concept is based upon racist studies of almost two centuries ago where humans were divided into three "races": the Negroids (Blacks), Mongoloids (Asians), and Caucasoids (Whites). Ironically, and not coincidentally, people of Latin and Indigenous descent were omitted from the model.
As one human race, we must remember that the concept of "race" is a socially constructed one, and nothing more. By using terms like bicultural or bi-ethnic, you can still register the fact that your child is the product of two distinct heritages. By teaching your children both their African American and European American cultures and values, you give them a rich cultural identity; one based on shared history and humanity. Your family already exhibits this richness. You just need to be sure your language reinforces this so your children can feel pride in both their European and African ancestry.
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08/13/03