"What Are You?"

The line of questioning typically goes like this and I ALWAYS know how it'll end...

"Where are you from?" DC.

"Where are you parents from?" Maryland and DC.

Next comes the real question that's been burning in their mind...

"Well, what are you?" African-American.

and invariably the statement that's been uttered countless times...

"Really? But you don't look Black"

It's at that point I'm often tempted to say "You got me. I'm lying. I'm really Chinese (or something else snarky)." Instead for the non-believer I go into my standard "Well, you know Black people are all shades of color, etc. etc. etc."

Having had this conversation, oh, about a zillion times, most recently over the Christmas holidays, I can generally understand such questions when they come from someone who is not Black. Although, I do think a bit of a subconscious (or depending on the person maybe conscious) racism is seeping out by the incredulous look of disbelief by some and I'm always perplexed when these questions come from a Black person.

My response from now on may simply be "Does it really matter?"

In any event, that was a long way of saying this recent discussion on NPR is quite interesting...

Sen. Barack Obama has been hailed as the country's first African American to win a major party presidential nomination. But some have questioned why Obama hasn't been characterized as bi-racial, given that his mother was white. A roundtable of biracial Americans share their thoughts on racial identity and why Obama's is so important.

One ridiculous point raised in the show is that at one time in Virginia there was a law that if you a mix of American Indian and African American then you were considered Indian on the reservation but Black when you left.

Crazy huh?

Have a listen...

Part 1 (about 10 minutes)

Part 2 (about 7 minutes)