Why do people think they're 'mixed' if they're half Italian and half German [they're both white]?

Question

O. o

Or half Spanish half Mexican - both Hispanic...

BearsAnswers · Accepted Answer

A lot of the modern concepts around race are culturally driven, and constantly changing. Some of the early concepts around race, from the late 1880s, had just three 'great' races: Mongoloid, Caucasoid, and Negroid. Dravidians and Sinhalese at the time were classified as 'uncertain'. And that was it. Three races, period.

But when you look at races in terms of biological differences, with linguistic, cultural, and social differences, it gets a lot more complicated. Now, a lot of people use race to mean ethnic group, and there are way more ethnic groups than three.

Is there a lot of difference between a Norwegian and a Swede? Some, but not a lot, they are both Scandinavian. What about between a Norwegian and a Scot? More differences, you are getting into differences between a Scandinavians (North Germanic) and Scots which are West Germanic thanks to the Anglo-Saxon influence. Or Celtic if they are more 'pure', with more original Pict genealogy. And then what about a Russian? Now you are getting into East Slavic, as opposed to, say, a Serb, which is South Slavic. A Russian will be more similar to a Serb than a Norwegian, but both are still 'white'. And what about a Kurd? Branching from Iranian, but still Indo-European, do you really think that a Kurd has much in common with a Norwegian?

It depends on granularity, on how many 'categories' you want to divide it into. An Italian could be Roman or Lombard, by genetic heritage, and actually the Lombard would have a lot more in common with the German, genetically speaking. So a Lombard/German mix wouldn't be much of a mix, it would still be Germanic. But Roman and Saxon? Sure, that's a mix. Iranian and Icelandic? Pretty different, I would consider myself to be of mixed race if one parent was Icelandic and one was Persian. As would someone with one parent who was Japanese with the other parent being Estonian, even though both technically would fall into the 'Mogoloid great race'.

Splitting the world into three huge buckets is no use, really. Splitting it into a thousand little buckets isn't much use either. But where to draw the line? That changes for everyone.

madhatters4 · Accepted Answer

Spanish is not Hispanic... at all. by the very definition of the two they are wholly different... and Mexicans are technically not Hispanic unless they are of Spanish decent which not all Mexicans are. Hispanic people are those of Spanish decent but not Spaniards themselves (technically speaking) but rather people from places like (but not limited to) Puerto Rico, Dom Rep, Haiti, etc

and you are of different nationalities (ethnicities) if you are half Irish half Italian...

sorry to say but you. you may be Caucasian but you are still of different nationalities

sjoes006 · Accepted Answer

Well most Mexicans are very dark because they have native people blood in them. I guess I have heard white people call themselves a mutt but they usually mean it under the idea of, well of course I'm white but I'm a little bit of this and that.

My Dad is Irish and a Catholic. My mother is French by way of Canada but her whole blood line is French save a person is two. So of course she is Catholic as well. For me I do t feel like a mix because of the church I guess. 😕

I'm an atheist hat sill sometimes goes to mass. Growing up my parents present a very united front culture wise for the most part through the church. Sure one half of my family spoke a language the other didn't understand but you can dance your way through Carholic Mass no matter what language it is in. 😂

The biggest divide was that my fathers family liked potatoes and my mothers family did not. I think you feel more mixed when you have different culture norms, religion and what not. The culture you grow up in has soooo much to do with who you are.

I'm French American and look French but when a French family moved in two houses down fresh from France with kids my age it was slightly different. I guess what I'm saying is your ethnic tribe isn't about race it is about culture. 😊

Paris13 · Accepted Answer

I am from the USA, born here, @Little Sally. However, I have ancestors that go way back to Other countries, who came over here from everywhere and settled and this is why I Am: English, German, French, Irish, Dutch and Polish.. A Mixed breed I call "Mongrel."
Good luck. xx

iamyourneighbor · Accepted Answer

I have no idea but it's funny
That's like a black person saying I'm half Nigerian and half Kenyan it makes no sense. Saying they are half Italian and half German makes no sense to me either. That doesn't make you mixed. Maybe they don't want to use the word white

DessieDoo · Accepted Answer

Maybe they don't understand the definition of "mixed" or have different views on what mixed means.

RandomUsername3464 · Answer

I am half Italian and people say I am not completely white. I asked the Italian side of my family, and they agree, that we are not white. My other half comes from Western Europe. This has been a huge identity shock to me, and it has rattled my life. I always thought I was just another white guy, but apparently I'm not. This has deeply disturbed me beyond words.

Hajar_Whitestone · Answer

LooL They are talking about nationality's not skin colors lool, they are mixed from 2 different nationalities..

PiuBelloAmante · Answer

They are mixed! Mixed ethnicity!
not mixed race!

same thing with Spanish, and mexican

Spanish is european not Hispanic, and mexicans can be white, indigenous, or a mix of indigenous and Spanish
So mixed race and mixed ethnicity

LiveFreeorDieHard · Answer

Lol, who cares. Why did a blonde women with freckles pretend to be black and tell everyone she was black when she was 100 percent white. People are dumb. Too me, this whole argument of who is mixed or not is being stupid. But im like you, your mixed unless its off different races.

jacquesvol · Answer

Why do people care so much about 'race'? Race is a sociological concept, like castes in India today, nobility and commoners in Europe 200 years ago.

abundantlyrich · Answer

There's nothing mixed about it. I suspected they just want to feel extra superior or are just proud of their cultural background, they come from

Explore2016 · Answer

Because Germans (northern Europe) and italians (southern europe) are different ethnicities therefore you mixed if you have a german parent and and italian parent. A line on a colour bar that says white is just too vague.

DMBradley · Answer

Hawaiian's and Samoans are pacific islanders but they'll raise he'll if you call them that. There's a lot that comes with the name and history that follows it. People want to just generalize, label, and bunch people together so they won't have to actually think to much about it. Mexicans and Spaniards both speak Spanish but one can tell where they're from by its dialect. Plus, some words used in Spain and phrases are obtuse to those who live in Mexico.

Dave20152 · Answer

I think someone doesn't understand the concept of "mixed" ^^^^^^

Strider90 · Answer

If I remember correct the last time I said this you were mocking me calling me a racist. All of a sudden you agree with me?

ThisDudeHere · Answer

Apparently people around the Mediterranean are not white somehow...

OpenWine · Answer

Cause having genes that can withstand sun are not included in some true germans. Normal germans turn into crabs when they take a good amount of sunlight

Maeves · Answer

I'd still have the habit of call it a mix, because of the different places :/

qrincess · Answer

They would be referred to as white mixed.

Afrochick · Answer

Still white to me just two nationalities lol

sluggognatface · Answer

Some people are fucktards?

vekin · Answer

But it is mixed

Why do people think they're 'mixed' if they're half Italian and half German [they're both white]?

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Why do people think they're 'mixed' if they're half Italian and half German [they're both white]?

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