Biracial Identities within the African American and White Communities

Black enough, white enough, light or dark enough are just a few aspects to a biracial individual’s physical perception. For many with one ethic background, understanding who and what they are tends to be reflections of the expectations that are held by society. Those who carry a dual ethnic background have dealt with many expectations of identification not only by society but by standards upheld culturally as well as a parental influence in regards to exposure to both ethnicities.
From early interactions of blacks and whites, a slave master and his slaves operated with a purpose to erase blacks from society and purify the American race. These actions transitioned the views of biracial individuals into a focus of passing through society as color was essential and being too dark was detrimental. Historically, self identification and association with specific ethnic backgrounds were dismissed to fit society’s standards causing one to identify as more white than black. Passing through the early 20th century became an important component to a person deriving from the African American and White communities.
Jim Crow laws and other governmental provisions denied many African Americans opportunities in everyday life because of their darker skin causing a huge jump for those who were biracial; black and white to take advantage of their light skin to “pass” in order to get through society. Light bright skin just as pale as porcelain became a pathway for biracial to move into society; lighter than the average African American giving White people the false pretense that African Americans were disintegrating from society. Thoughts and ideals along these lines were part of the reason why slave masters and other white males continued to have sex with their African American slaves and house workers; the ideal of not only the unknown but the possibility to have a very fair skinned child to integrate into society.
Racial stereotypes have destroyed the brightest futures by limiting the possibilities of people of color in America. The history of this racial culture has been quite painful for most, and exemplifies the irrational behaviors that hold children of color hostage within their own "free" existence. First, it has only been in this decade that an African-American/European American person has been able to define him/herself without fearing being ostracized by society.
The history of the biracial culture began long ago on the great continent of Africa along its western and southern coasts. European invaders came to the countries of Africa to take the land's most precious resource, the people, to be used for slave labor. With this violent assault on the Africans came the murder and rape of thousands, maybe millions, of African women. The children that were conceived from this ungodly act were the first "black/white" biracial children. From what I have read, these children were killed immediately. Initially, the history of biracial people was to be eliminated. What a sad beginning to any culture.
As the enslaved Africans came to the Americas, the evil and barbaric act of raping women did not stop, but the murdering of the biracial children ceased. This was the beginning of the African-American/European-American biracial history. If the most civilized European men for example, President, senators, and judges of the newly created United States had biracial children, I think one can safely say that many European-American males who owned enslaved people fathered biracial children. So we are not talking about a few biracial people, but literally thousands who shared a commonality and culture.
Although, the "one drop of African blood" rule defined the biracial people as of Negro decent, it was clear that their history now stretched into the old England, Italy, France, Germany, and every other European country that had representatives that came to the New World.
Historical figures such as Booker T. Washington, Frederick Douglass, and W.E.B. DuBois were all biracial with African American mothers and White or European fathers. Without their fair skin, they would not be the historical figures they are today. Their abilities to pass allowed them to bypass laws and implement tremendous standards in society as they set many firsts. Though Frederick Douglass was not historically noted to fall within the passing spectrum, the power of his voice and rumor of a white father emphasized his words and ambition to continuously fight for the abolition of slavery and continued fight for African American rights.
Throughout the 1940s and 50s many biracial individuals in the entertainment industry benefited from the concept of passing. Exposure on the big screen was a major component in the jump start of many careers for biracial actors and actresses. Dorothy Dandridge, Eartha Kitt, and Halle Berry, all 3 women became big in the world of movies and film landing revolutionary roles because of their complexions. Dorothy Dandridge played many roles that left the audience unaware that she was biracial; it was not until her death that many individuals realized that she was half black.
The reason this information was kept very tight because interracial relations were prohibited up until 1967. To keep tensions down, many interracial couples found themselves moving into isolation. “Isolation of interracial families, in part because of antimiscegenist legislation, has kept many multiracial families and individuals from meeting and accumulating a critical mass, a catalyst for empowerment” (Root 146). It was still very powerful for white people to forced interracial couples to integrate amongst themselves because there was a huge disgust in their choice of lifestyle. Children were often referred to as “mullato’s” or “half-breeds,” derogatory terms to easily separate these individuals from one particular group over another.
Many biracial children dealt with an overflow of identity issues, looking to black for the white family in which they are raised, or two white for the black family in which surrounds them. “In the 1970s and particularly the 1980s, however, individuals began to assert their right to choose their own identities- to claim belonging to more than one group, or to create new identities” (Root 151). Just as governmental laws released the ban on interracial marriages, the children especially the infamous baby boomers were beginning to stand up and affirm their identities as both Black and White. Being biracial is deeper than the surface skin color; it is being able to assimilate in society while being judged based on your skin color and physical features.
There are numerous factors to this uncertainty and uneasiness of whom and where to belong which are results to the differences in one’s skin tone, hair color and hair texture. Definitely through the evolution of time, there have been particular distinct featured identified about biracial individuals. Hair color, texture, and skin completion have become the key factors used in identifying a mixed race individual in which often times can be proven as false.
Thus the multiracial person experiences an exaggerated emphasis on physical appearance, is often treated as an unfamiliar, one to be correctly racially categorized. This increased attention to physical appearance is expression in such labels as exotic, beautiful, or fascinating. Questions regarding the origin of physical features can lead to a devalued sense of self and may increase the individual’s external focus for a sense of acceptability (Bradshaw 77).
The excerpt above is an example of the physical exploitation that mixed-race individuals go through. They become objects to the eye filled with fascination, yet left with a sour feeling inside because they are still unable to fill the emptiness of who they truly are because of the mixed background. Taken from Carla K. Bradshaw’s anthology, “Beauty and the Beast: On Racial Ambiguity,” gives a preview into the world of a biracial person trying to find themselves let alone where they fit in the world.
Social and institutionalized racism invoke these thoughts and feelings for a biracial individual, but because of the stereotypes society continues to expand on. This type of environment creates obstacles for a biracial individual to truly define themselves. “The racially ambiguous features of the biracial person seem to compel other people to make attributions and to draw conclusions based only on phenotype. These attributions are usually based on racial stereotypes” (Bradshaw 81).
With the underlying issues of being able to identify with a particular group over another in accordance in how society viewed by society can play a major role in a biracial individual’s self-identification. For those fortunate to be raised by their parents or other adult influences to help them find not only themselves, but come to a better understanding of the cultural influences. Being biracial, African American and White has caused a difficulty in self identification because of the visual physical features. Lewis Gordon makes a statement “One finds, then, that offspring who are biracial mixtures with blacks are pretty much excluded from most racial categories except for black” (Gordon 158). This statement marks all other efforts of trying to dual identify as a stigma to the realities of what can truly happen. Gordon continues to make the following remarks:
The biracial offspring who attempts to affirm both identities faces the social reality of both identities existing on unequal terms. In short, to affirm whiteness on the level of blackness has the consequence of equalizing whiteness, which, in effect, is to “blacken” it. There is thus the catch-22 of being unable to affirm their white side as white without encountering two perversions of reality: Wither the white side is treated as superior or it is treated as a form of nonwhite whiteness; a, in a word, colored (Gordon 162).
The statement poses a good point for both sides; it is difficult for a biracial individual to formulate an accurate balance between two ethnicities. The deepest struggle comes in between the Black and White mix because of the historical clauses that have only left a negative perception of generalizations on the views of both groups. There will always be the clause of balancing both sides of the family, exposure to both cultures and histories equally to avoid tensions.
Parental influence may more or less guide a biracial child into affiliating themselves with one side over another. Associations with one particular side of the family over another and with or without both parents play a big role in the child’s ability to select their particular terms for identification; Black, White or Mixed Race. Gordon’s statement was strong, setting the tone and posing the constant thought and reminder that a majority of mixed race individuals that are mixed with African American often select that path or identification. Through the upbringing, the parental balance and incorporations of both cultures helps the child understand who and where they derive from. For those not able to have the education provided by parents, they tend to associate themselves with groups and organizations in which they feel they look most like and or feel a connection to.
Carol Camper expressed her experience in her anthology the difficulties she faced trying to identify with any one consistent group in respect of being adopted by a white couple with her African American roots and physical features. Television and other media figures became the immediate association of race due to the texture of her hair and the complexion of her skin. “The only people I knew that resembled me were Polynesia. I eagerly watched movies that featured actual Polynesian” (Camper 177). For many biracial individuals, the importance to find out who they were and indentify like so came as a result in finding out more about their heritages. The emphasis on African American and white mixed individuals will always be a larger battle to “choose sides” because of the historical context of black and white. If a biracial individual could certainly get past that, it would make all of the difference in being able to comfortably identify as both ethnicities instead of choosing one and diverting to identifying as African American as Gordon provided.
Growing up as a biracial individual entails many clauses of culture and history that can only be implemented by choice of the parents. Many individuals have a unique ethnic background but it becomes a personal choice to incorporate the mixed identities into their lives. Being a biracial individual of African American and white descent is a difficult task to handle. Not only are you treated differently based upon your skin completion to allow you to pass through society, there is yearn to suffice and meet both ends of the culture scale.
The reality that yes, a person with an afro and the most porcelain skin faces discrimination may feel like a joke. in comparison to the society we have grown into, interracial relations has not only been accepted but embraced by many individuals trying to build a strong foundation for these individuals are considered and thought to have incomplete ties with anyone particular group. Raised in a home with their interracial parents, many biracial children are able to grasp a feel of their being and who they are because of the dual guidance and education from both parents incorporating both cultures. Whether this knowledge is passed through a family dinner, or incorporation of both ethnicities, a biracial individual still has the opportunity to decide for themselves how they will then portray and present themselves to society.
“I identify as Black for the purposes of census-taking or any other purpose, but I am not ashamed of my non-Black ancestry. I should be allowed to be who I am a d so should everyone else (Camper 182).
Gradually evolving throughout history, biracial individuals are now able to openly express who they are when asked “What are you?” Growing from a time when you were unable to admit your black side because it would get you kicked out of school and fired from your job passing as white day by day. Isolated families because they were interracially married and had biracial children changed the scope and instilled growth within the society that we live in today. Though we have not completely grown from judging another based on their phenotype, there has been a clearer understanding of the mixed race individuals to allow for their clear expression of who they are without a heavy line of judgment to follow.
Parental guidance and exposure certainly play a key component in a biracial child’s ability to identify, but the support there of for that decision is what is needed the most. Living in a world where you constantly battle with the idea that you are alone can simply be eased with the support of both parental units and the family members of the perspective ethnicities.
As previously mentioned, majority of biracial individuals mixed with African American tend to identify as African American. This is not only because of the color of their skin, but also of the higher acceptances of biracial individuals in the African American community. Ultimately, whatever community is accepting and supportive of a biracial individual. It is the decision of that person to then select to identification of Black, White or even both for purposes ranging for census information or personal gratification.

Works Cited

Camper, Carol "Into the Mix” in Jane O. Ifekwunigwe (ed.), Mixed race Studies: A Reader (Routledge, 2004).
Root, Maria P.P. "Within, Between, and Beyond Race" in Jane O. Ifekwunigwe (ed.), Mixed race Studies: A Reader (Routledge, 2004). Gordon, Lewis R. "Race, Biraciality, and Mixed Race,” in Jane O. Ifekwunigwe (ed.), Mixed race Studies: A Reader (Routledge, 2004).