If you are of mixed race heritage, what do you identify as?

[Anonymous]

I self-identify as the race people tend to say I most look like

I always self-identify as bi-racial, etc. whenever asked

I self-identify as one race, and only if pressed, acknowledge that I am mixed

I do not self-identify as more than one race, I just identify as the one over the other (s)

I do not self-identify my race to others. It's none of their business.

[Calwri]

Not sure if I belong here, but I'm mostly Swedish Saami, and there's an ongoing discussion on the Saami people in Scandinavia about their genetic origins and whether they fall under "White" or "Asian". Some look White, and some look like they're half Asian like this Google pic of a Saami guy posted here. My grandmother also looks like she's half Asian.

I identify as a white person. I think I have a very European face (and I'm American). However, some people on a forum website have pointed out that I look kind of Asiatic. Also, most of my best friends in life, while growing up, were specifically Chinese. All my friends were white and Chinese or half-white-half-Chinese. I later in life realized that I spent a lot of time around Chinese people, and it's funny to me because it wasn't on purpose that they were specifically Chinese. Lol, not sure if this is relevant info, but even now the Asian girls in my college classes notice me and seem to be open in talking with me. You know how Asians typically cluster together because they culturally relate and feel comfortable with each other? It's like they include me. Also, Asian guys notice me.

I'm basically trying to say that I'm unsure whether or not I should be here because I don't even know if Laplanders are white or not. I'm probably just a white girl who happens to look a little Asiatic.

[Asker]

Or you know, maybe you're just a friendly person who grew up around a certain culture of people you treated in a friendly manner, and they continue to gravitate towards you. You could perhaps obtain a DNA/ancestry test to get a better picture of your exact make-up, but it more matters, who you think you are.

[Calwri]

Possibly so (although I'm really quiet, shy, and reserved, lol). They really do gravitate toward me. And yes, I self-identify as a white person. Cool, I should do a DNA test. ^_^

[Jaye234]

I'd say I'm Caucasian. Family is from England and Ireland with a little Native American mixed in on dad's side and Italy and Hungary on mom's side so... im white. I've got the red hair and green eyes from my dad and mom's side are blonde with blue eyes. I really want to do that ancestors dna test to find out where all my family came from. That'd be really cool to find out if I've any other ethnic background.

[Asker]

I think it's really eye opening to find out what your true mix is. We really are from so many different places, most people anyway, that taking the test really helps illuminate. BTW: if you want to save a little money on the test, wait until the holidays where they tend to give discounts.

[estoydorado1]

First of all, we're all the human race.
Secondly, nobody is 100% anything (ethnicity wise) nowadays. i. e nobody can claim that they can trace everybody in their ancestry back to a single country/region, themselves included.
I understand and agree that society tries to identify us as 1 "race" or another but this obsession with percentages is as productive as a dog chasing it's tail.

[Asker]

All true, however, we catergorize everything about everyone. Everything has it's label. Do you have blonde, black, red, or blonde hair, are you fat or thin, are you tall or short, are you darker or lighter, are you (fill in race). You can be one of those people who holds a banner out and says, I'm human, but that is but another label for something. It matters if you want it to, and it doesn't if you don't.

[estoydorado1]

I already acknowledged that society will try to put a label to everyone I just don't think the percentages are that important lol. Like that whole 1 drop rule. I also can't take people seriously who go around announcing that they're 10% this+ 25% that+ 65% this so they're basically mulatto even though the look really dark or pasty white. Especially when the try to claim that they are full out *insert ethnicity* because their great grandfather's uncle was born born in that region.

[estoydorado1]

Sorry for the typos

[Asker]

I don't care about your percentages. I think you can identify as whatever you want (within reason---sorry you're not a cat), however, if that is what someone feels the need to rattle off, I'm 1/8 this and 2/17th this, then so be it. Their life, their heritage/race/culture, what have you. I'm more interested in the generalized question, because I have a lot of friends who have struggled with this question, and would like to know how the majority handles it.

[estoydorado1]

Between my parents and grandparents they were born and raised on 4 different Caribbean Islands and even though I was born in the states, I was raised learning the culture, eating the food, and even visiting the islands since I was 3 or 4. Although I identify as "Caribbean American" (because they all feel like home so I don't chooses 1). I'm more familiar with 2 out of those immediate 4 so I just tell the truth when asked. I tell them how I feel and it's unfortunate that anybody would be made ashamed or feel forced to pick 1 aspect of their heritage over another.

[Asker]

.. and yet it happens. On a global scale, there are people round the world who decide what you are for you (whether you agree or not), a lot of times based on things like option A, what you look like, which in actuality makes not sense, because we're all combinations of things and just because certain features or skin tone may be more prevalent doesn't mean they are more/less important. As someone once told me, the labels are there so that we may allow ourselves to continue to keep discriminating and keep using race/culture/heritage against certain people, and how true. What other reason is race actually important?

[estoydorado1]

Labels are mere tools. It's the user's intent that determines the outcome. It's like hammers, they can be used to build incredible structures or they can be used to harm people. I for 1 think labels are useful. If I'm going to add some powdered sugar to my food and I walk into a friends pantry that also contains powder form rat poisoning, I'd really rather those 2 substances be labeled for what they are. Yeah people use labels to formulate flimsy arguments against unity but labels (on their own) are just tools to make sense of our world.

[estoydorado1]

And I stand by my initial statement that we are technically the human race. If you want to talk ethnicities or nationalism then yeah, there are drastic variations between what is seen as *fitting the criteria* and the actual reality of the diversity within any nation or "race" as you put it but then again genetics aren't the same thing as pride in your countries government or sports team.
So it makes no sense that you're talking about phenotypes and genetics and trying to draw parallels with culture and nationalism.

[estoydorado1]

Any "race" can be found in literally any nation across the world and the way that each race is treated varies drastically around the globe. So I'm not sure what point you're​ trying to make with such vague statements. Also, if someone's skintone is brown, then their skin is brown (my skin is brown). Why are you so gung ho about denying that fact lol. by the way, brown skinned people can come from all over the world so I'm not denying that they have legit claims to different cultures.

[Asker]

I feel like you're trying to turn this into something it's not. You're all over the place. I don't know if we're agreeing or disagreeing or what. Whatever. You are what you are. I am what I am. Other people are what they are. Other people got the gist of what I was talking about because it isn't 8 paragraphs of complication.

[Hal2002]

I self-identify as mixed-race black, because growing up I was raised in a mostly black community exposed to black culture and values.

In my own country those that were born here, will classify me as a very light skinned mixed-race black or High Yellow.

When I have traveled to and lived in the U. S., I was always assumed to be Hispanic/Latino. Even by others, of Hispanic/Latino decent.

But even as a school aged child, whenever I was asked to put my race on something. I always marked other in the race question box, I still mark other to this day.

[curiousnorway]

I'm not hundred percent sure what my ethnicity is since my biological family are anonymous and I've no knowledge about my heritage. But I'm probably East-Asian, but I guess I'm mixed too. I sees myself as genetically Asian, but nationally Norwegian.

[Anastasiya00]

I am Arab, White and Hispanic. The dominance goes by that order. People I think arab and hispanic is not a race itself but you know, the nationality and characteristics. I don't live my life thinking shit like oh I'm arab I must act like this or oh I'm white I must think like this or but as I am hispanic I must do this. nah, I am myself and if someone asks I simply answer what it is.

[HOAAH]

I am not biracial but my kids are, the boy looks more white and the girl looks more Asian so at the hospitals and schools, I mark the girl as Asian and the boy as Caucasian but they are both mix

[apexalpha]

According to scientitfic taxonomy I am homosapien predominantly with some neanderthal thrown in I go with homosapien easier to explain to people. I have my neanderthal moments though.
(don`t let the cat avatar fool you I am human as they get)

[AdviceTerrier]

are you sure? are you sure you're human?

[lovelyhoneybones]

I let everyone know I'm mixed, but I identify as black even though people think I'm Asian or something different than what I actually am. It's amazing.

[victoriameliegray]

Half Finnish half chinese

Identify as bi racial because I have values from both the Finnish and Chinese culture

[IsabelGuimaraes]

i'm considered white in my country, so, officially, this is how i have to classify myself. it's funny because my own sister is not considered white.

[abc3643]

I identify as a Human-American and that is all that is relevant.

[Asylumsfinest]

My mum's white, Irish parents
My dad's an arab
I see myself as English
Identity and ethnicity are 2 very different things

[Asker]

Again..."what do YOU SELF-IDENTIFY" as?

[BeautifulPromisesx]

I just let them guess.. more fun that way.

[Hispanic-Cool-Guy]

My father is of European decent white Hispanic and my mother of Indian decent mix with European white Hispanic since my grandma is white Hispanic. Overall I'm a mestizo of both parents that are hispanic.

[Jakov]

omg do some option if yoi just want to see the results

[vishna]

I say I'm biracial, and then give them a rough breakdown.

[luvstoned4him]

Have Indian, carib and black in my blood but black is dominant and I identify most with that.

[Nukina]

I'm not sure what's my race heritage, but I identify myself as mestiza (mixed).

[Sloane]

I'm mostly of German ancestry, and some French and Native American. I guess my title is German American, born in the US, has US passport and ID.

[Sloane]

I guess someone hates Germans lol pinky downvoted me.

[Asker]

Are you talking to me, because I didn't down vote you. Every time I'm Anon, someone accuses me of down voting them. You realize there are other people who can up/down vote you right? LOL. Someone else hates Germans.

[Sloane]

I was talking to the downvoter but I wasn't sure if it was you or not I try not to assume.

[goalbuster]

I am 1/4th afro American and 3/4th Caucasian, my sister is blond but I have dark brown hair and a dark-ish skin: That's also my explaination when people ask about my heritage :P

[fsu19]

I just tell people I'm black even though my dad isn't.

[suppakappa]

I'm weird...

All my Asian friends think I'm Asian.

All my white friends think I'm white.

All my black friends think I'm black.

[TacosRAwesome]

I am of unknown mixture, as are my parents, and there parents before them. I identify as white because I'm not black or Asian.

[Anonymous]

somtimes ill say biracial, sometimes ill say that i am half white and half ijapanese because thats the 2 races/nationalities that i am (russian and japanese because my mom is japanese and my dad is russian)