70. "RE: Could you explain what the ramifications are & how they're more ..." In response to In response to 69 Thu Apr-30-15 07:35 PM by denny
For me....what I AM is half Dutch, half French.
If I'm the only white person in a group of black people....they don't see me as half-dutch, half-French. They see me as white. If I wore an Oranje soccer jersey in Germany....they'd see me as Dutch. If I go to Little Italy....they see me as a caker. If I go to Montreal and can't speak french....they don't see me as French. So the perception of what I am changes.....but what I ACTUALLY am doesn't. But none of these circumstances carry with them heavy consequences that I need to be aware of or think too much about.
Bi-racial kids have a much wider swing in those perceptions. Not black enough amongst black people. Then they associate them with white people and carry a negative perception about them. They are more privileged....they are lucky....etc. Conversely, at an all-white school they will be seen as black. And will have to deal with the negative stereotypes that comes with that....untrustworty, lazy, etc. In addition.....this particular kid is half-jamaican, half-dutch. If she wears her Jamaican colours during caribana...people will recognize that she's jamaican. If we drive up north where there is no diversity....people won't see her as jamaican....they'll simply see her as black. Black people around the city won't see her as half-Dutch....they'll see her as half-white. And on and on and on.
So it'll help them to be aware of how they're perceived in contrasting environments so they know why they're being treated in a particular way. And so they can anticipate how they WILL be treated.