What's your ethnicity... Is anyone offended or doesn't like being labeled as simply black or white as your ethnicity/race?

[Soldieronmission]

Updates

+1 y

Thanks for all the answers and insight. While I was mostly thinking of Americans I get that white and black can apply to people all over the world. The question came about through my job which is jumping on the DEI bandwagon and I personally don't see the need to breakdown race and ethnicity separately since they can mean the same thing. Also that we (Americans) need to define what white and black is, or even American as an ethnicity.

[rainpeltbriver]

yes I find it super annoying and somewhat offensive I am a mixed breed of all kinds and I got my dna tested specifically because I was sick of people assuming I was half black half white when in reality I’m French, Irish, puertorican, English, welsh, Scandinavian, tiny bit of African, native. POINT IS don’t assume what I am, I barely knew. Just because my skin tone fluctuates and I have “exotic” and undefinable features doesn’t mean you can throw guesses and ask questions. Sometimes depending on the person and how they ask I don’t mind but society really does try to chalk it up these days into only a few categories that most people just don’t fit. I usually don’t answer these questions on paperwork and I think it’s crazy that this matters. Unless science is involved.

[Soldieronmission]

You are totally the type of person I was looking for. Do you have more olive colored skin?

Do you have traditions or anything from your ethnic background? Most white Americans aren't really just white, we're all from some part of Europe mostly. I love the cultures of my ethnicity but can't say we have any traditions connecting to them. Yet I've come to really not appreciate the term white or black but then other groups are clearly defined like Korean, Japanese, Indian and such.

[rainpeltbriver]

Yes I’m Olivey. Biggest thing that confuses people is how much I can look like a white girl in the winter and I walk in the sun for 5minutes and have a hard tan going on. But not many traditions. Trying to get into it with my son after the dna test but so many cultures to connect to and America makes it rather hard. There’s one restaurant that offers Puerto Rican dishes near me and my father forbid I go because it’s 30$ for a plate of something you could get for 4$ in his home city. 😐 stupid shit like that.

[menina]

Some of my ancestors were white, my grandfather is white but I'm black. I'm not offended if someone says that I'm simply black. That's how I see myself and that's how the world sees me.

[Soldieronmission]

Great answer.

I feel as if black and white Americans have lost some of their ancestral cultural connection and that it's really morphed into an American culture. However there's many subcultures within white and black America too.

[menina]

Thank you.

Well, I'm not from the US but I get your point. I guess that's true.

[Soldieronmission]

Where are you from?

[menina]

I'm from Angola (southern African country).

[BoopBoopBeep]

I don't identify as any race. They aren't "my people". Whoever you're talking about. Not "my people." "My people" are the ones that would stack on a corner with me and breach and clear a building and the ones under my roof. Some rando with a similar skin color as me does dumb ist half a world away and I'm supposed to empathize with him or feel shame or whatever? I don't give a fart in a windstorm what he does/did.

Genetically, I'm mixed. More people are than admit it. It's a silly construct.

[Soldieronmission]

So uh who said "my people"? Wasn't me, nor do I personally believe we have some connection to someone across the world just because we have the same skin color.

If you don't have an ethnicity where did you derive traditions and culture from? While I know the world has become more interracial there's still usually some connection to an ethnicity or culture.

[BoopBoopBeep]

Somebody is always whining about "my people" or "you people" or "those people" blah blah it's boring, but no, wasn't trying to attribute it to you. Sorry that was unclear. All white people don't have the same traditions and culture. Neither do all black people. Island black and African black don't have much cultural similarities. I also don't have any "traditions" per se that aren't of western origin/heavily practiced here. I do Christmas if that's what you're asking. I'm not sure. What other traditions are we talking about? I silently pray before a meal. When a comrade falls I honor them in my heart as warriors who gave it all. This could be interesting. Never thought about it before.

[Soldieronmission]

@BoopBoopBeep totally appreciate your insight and glad it's thought provoking.

Agree not all people of the same color are the same ethnically. I feel over the past few years it's made me think and more so with the DEI initiatives going on. What is it too be American ethnically? My family is a mix of European and native American by blood but we don't have traditions or cultural things that have passed down through the generations. It's sad in my opinion, and more so when there's other "white" ethnic groups in America that are still very connected to their cultural heritage but a possible majority have lost those things. However we now have American culture to tie into right..

I think as humans we want to be connected to others and some find things like culture and their ethnicity helps doing that.

[BoopBoopBeep]

I am very much connected to others. My fireteams and I are beyond brothers, and I have a couple of female teammates from prior jobs that'd I'd very much run (back) into a burning building with. We have our traditions, ceremony and cultural things.

We (gamers) have those as well.

Every weekend I do a charity 5k/10k/half/marathon. You see the same people after a while, and even when you don't, everyone is so accepting.

In each or these instances we've got a plethora of "races" or "ethnicities" present, but that's never why they're there.

[bolverk]

I have never been concerned by being described as 'white', as I'm Northern English (99.5% of whom are white) with a German Grandmother Northern Welsh Grandfather my other two Grandparents are Northern English,

[Soldieronmission]

Do you live in the states or UK?

[bolverk]

UK, though I've lived in the US.

[Jazzy54]

It doesn’t matter to me. Anyway, I’m African-American.

[Soldieronmission]

Can I ask what makes you African?

[Jazzy54]

My ancestors came from Africa.

[Soldieronmission]

Ok cool! Do you know how many generations back that was? I ask because all black Americans alive today are not from Africa, but can have ancestry dating back to Africa. Do we ever lose our ancestry which is part of our ethnicity?

By black Americans I mean those born here not immigrated within the last 2-3 generations.

[Jazzy54]

Oh, I have no idea.

[Soldieronmission]

Do you think using the term black American is proper for clarifying ethnicity/race?

[Jazzy54]

Yeah. I think that’s an appropriate term. 😊

[Soldieronmission]

Thanks for answering and being part of the discussion!

[Jazzy54]

You’re welcome.

[Babygirl_S]

I am an Indian and I hate being called mixed or "hybrid"(yes someone actually said that to me)

[Soldieronmission]

Wow super sad to hear that, people can be so rude and inconsiderate.

I'm a quarter native American but can't tell by looking at me.

[nolabels]

I'm a human being.

The time is now for all of the woke BS about "that" subject and "this" issue to end.

Until I see human/something else hybrids, everyone else is a human being also.

[Soldieronmission]

Very true. However I do think ethnicity and culture have it's place and don't have to be "woke".

[nolabels]

Absolutely true when pertaining to facts to describe or to express appreciation for different ethnicities or cultures.
It's when those attributes are "used" to promote woke agendas that I draw the line.

[Soldieronmission]

Agreed! Which is kind of what triggered my question.

[mandyfire98]

Caucasian. Italian/danish/Irish/dutch

[Soldieronmission]

Isn't it funny how you don't see Caucasian as an option much anymore, just says white.

Interestingly Caucasian originated from the Caucasus people and then changed into a group of people with European ancestry.

So you don't like white Mandy?

[mandyfire98]

I mean I'm white but Caucasian means the same these days.

[Soldieronmission]

Are you ok being called white? Do you have much cultural connection to your European ancestry?

[mandyfire98]

Yes I'm ok being white. I have way more cultural connection to the Italian side of my family.

[Pinay_ako]

I’m a mixture of brown, yellow and white.

[Soldieronmission]

It's a beautiful mix! You look mostly Filipina so I'm sure claiming or being called white doesn't happen much at all.

[Pinay_ako]

My dad’s dad was pure Spanish. My mom’s dad was pure Chinese. And I’m Filipino…

[Soldieronmission]

Isn't it crazy how the different features come through. My wife is half Filipina so ours kids are only a quarter and one has the brown features and other 2 are totally like me.

[Pinay_ako]

Beautiful family indeed

[Astarlessnightsky]

I never labeled myself with either of these.

[Soldieronmission]

Do you have a ethnicity that you would claim?

[Astarlessnightsky]

No, if i must choose something i check caucasian, as i am a person who needs sunscreen.

I also fill out german as my nationality,

But i never claim any of these by myself, just when i need to check some boxes.

[cloud9vortex1234]

He doesn't bother me at all being labeled white. I don't take it personal. I could think of things in my life that would really offend me and this isn't even on the list.

[TheUniqueOne96]

Pakistani, but born and raised in the UK.

[Soldieronmission]

Awesome!

[TheUniqueOne96]

Thank you. 😀

[Avicenna]

Jewish and Basque

[Soldieronmission]

So that's your ethnicity but doesn't answer my question. Are you ok being called white if you look white?

[Avicenna]

Of course

[Anonymous]

I'm white. You?

[Soldieronmission]

Is white an ethnicity?

[Opinion Owner]

Hispanic... so ur white

[Blackcupcake]

I’m mixed.

[Pohjolan]

Mixed.