Are there any interracial couples here?

I'm just curious...don't see very many YM/OW interracial couples.

Oh yeah there is, Peach and I!

She's of German descent and I of Mexican! http://www.extreme-athlete.com/forums/images/smilies/rockon.gif

Originally posted by Trish
But Joe, isn't that more an ethnic difference than a racial one?


Hi Trish, glad you asked. :)
Actually, we just did some work in on this issue in three of my classes at school. To be quite honest, it would be called an "intercultural relationship." This is defined as a marriage or relationship between people from two different cultural or ethnic backgrounds. Where we get "interracial" from is society. Hispanic is defined as any ethnic or cultural group from spanish descent such as Mexican, Spanish, Venezuelan, Columbian, Cuban, etc., etc. The term "race" can be a nasty one! Yet, in society, race is defined as a socially constructed category of people who share biologically transmitted traits that members of a society consider important. That's why the term "race" is starting to disappear from surveys and government documents. It's deemed by society and not by the ethnic or cultural groups themselves. However, "interracial" is what society sees as two different or more groups or people joined together that exhibit different cultural/ethnic backgrounds.

But, yes, I agree that it is more of an ethnic difference than racial one only for the simple fact that society has built a construction on what is perceived and not known. :)

Oh, I didn't know that Hispanics were considered a different race. My ex-husband is Hispanic, so I guess my son is biracial, as well. I will have to tell him that. Do biracial people get any special benefits?

I'm African-American w/French descent(OM) and Pixie (YW) is Caucasian w/Irish, Dutch, & Native American Indian descent and we met here on the board.:)

father was caucasian...

mother was filpino(asian/pacific islander)


then you get me...:D :cool:


though most people think i'm hispanic...


i look NOTHING like my name: Paul Grant.

Originally posted by Lost_Spoiled
What??? I never would have guessed that Chosen.
Looking at your pic... I can't tell.

:eek:

Rightfully, I'm what's known down South as "Creole'. Before it became part of the U.S. in 1803, the state of Louisiana was owned by France and Spain. So there are many Louisianans who are either Caucasian or African-American with French or Spanish ancestory. In my case, it's French. However, since Creole people are mostly in the South and it's not exactly considered a national race, I simply say that I'm African-American.

Though I've been told that I look Hispanic (mostly Puerto Rican) and I play it very well (Pixie's heard me do it. LOL).

"Oh, I didn't know that Hispanics were considered a different race.,,,"
---- Patricia

This is tricky. People try to pretend that Hispanics are a
racial group, but it's more of a cultural than racial issue.

"Hispanic" is a cultural term that embraces people of many different racial backgrounds:

* A Spanish-speaking, fair-skinned, blue-eyed, brunette from Chile is Hispanic

* A Spanish-speaking, black-haired, brown-skinned dude with an Afro from Puerto Rico is also Hispanic

* And so is a Spanish-speaking, black-haired, dark-skinned Indian guy from Mexico who wears his hair in a mullet :D

I'm not sure if Filipinos qualify as Hispanic, but some of them do have Spanish heritage and the Philippines was a Spanish colony up until the late 1890s, I think. I'm guessing that those who speak Spanish or have Spanish ancestry could call themselves Hispanic if they wanted to.


To answer the question that started the thread: Yes, my wife and I are also an interracial OW/YM couple. I'm African-American; she is of Scotch descent.

I'm not sure if Filipinos qualify as Hispanic, but some of them do have Spanish heritage and the Philippines was a Spanish colony up until the late 1890s, I think. I'm guessing that those who speak Spanish or have Spanish ancestry could call themselves Hispanic if they wanted to.

filipinos aren't considered spanish. they're usually thought of as pacific islander or sometimes asian.

but you are right there's much similarity in heritage. i believe they spanish took over the philippines and the filipinos gained independence in 1898. but i do know that when i hear people speak the filipino dialect can be similar to spanish sometimes. there's many mixture of races in the philippines: black-filipino, chinese-filipino, white-filipino, dark skinned, like skinned, etc.

I know what you're trying to say, but it doesn't match up
with what the Census Bureau actually says about racial classification for the 2000 census, which is basically that
"Hispanic" is NOT a racial category, but an ethnic one.

http://www.census.gov/population/www/socdemo/race/racefactcb.html

What Are The New Standards And When Do They Take Effect?

In October 1997, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) announced the revised standards for federal data on race and ethnicity. The minimum categories for race are now: American Indian or Alaska Native; Asian; Black or African American; Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander; and White. Instead of allowing a multiracial category as was originally suggested in public and congressional hearings, the OMB adopted the Interagency Committee's recommendation to allow respondents to select one or more races when they self-identify. With the OMB's approval, the Census 2000 questionnaires also include a sixth racial category: Some Other Race. There are also two minimum categories for ethnicity: Hispanic or Latino and Not Hispanic or Latino. Hispanics and Latinos may be of any race.

[.......]

How Should Hispanics or Latinos Answer the Race Question?

People of Hispanic origin may be of any race and should answer the question on race by marking one or more race categories shown on the questionnaire, including White, Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, and Some Other Race. Hispanics are asked to indicate their origin in the question on Hispanic origin, not in the question on race, because in the federal statistical system ethnic origin is considered to be a separate concept from race.

Yeah, and that actually makes sense too.

Most Mexican-Americans I've met in college and grade school looked "mestizo" which is a mix of Spanish and Indian ancestry. Biracial, pure and simple.

Originally posted by Harrison
Yeah, and that actually makes sense too.

Most Mexican-Americans I've met in college and grade school looked "mestizo" which is a mix of Spanish and Indian ancestry. Biracial, pure and simple.

mestizo is just a mixture of races in general.

i'm sometiems called mestizo.

Maybe we should start a thread about how HOT
mixed-race people can be.

I've always thought Mexican-American ladies were
THE BOMB! :D :)

Originally posted by poll_lover
And many of the Mexican-American women I've seen are the bomb. :)
I have 2 words to say to that PL.............Salma Hayek......WOW

Therefore, I second that motion. :p

When I joined Ageless there was a discussion on this going on, it was funny to see the mistakes people do because of some terms that have been in use for a long time but actually have no meaning. Referring to someone as hispanic when talking about things like "diseases that are more common among hispanics", one starts to wonder what that could be, taking in consideration the diversity of them: often they don't belong to the same race, have different cultures (ChileansxMexicans for example) and the only common trait I see is the language.
Same problem referring to Latins are a homogeneous group! This is even more insane, Latins include people coming from different parts of Europe and then closer to you, Latin America and they only share a common origin, historically based on language, and nowadays maybe on some cultural characteristics (but again, can you say French are culturally close to Bolivians?).

So interracial couples would be more something like a black French and a Japanese Brazilian, right? I know a couple exactly like this, friends of one friend, and they are perfectly okay, they even share a lot in common, being both Latin... :D

Originally posted by TheChosen1
I have 2 words to say to that PL.............Salma Hayek......WOW

Therefore, I second that motion. :p

And, like many people in Latin America, she's most probably of middle east origin, or Lebanon, Syria... that name is just very typical!! :D

Originally posted by MariaLux
And, like many people in Latin America, she's most probably of middle east origin, or Lebanon, Syria... that name is just very typical!! :D
Determination, courage and style have been the keys to amazing cross-border stardom for a “Mexican goddess.”

This beauty was born and raised in Coatzacoalcos, Mexico. Her religious parents -- father of Lebanese descent, mother of Spanish descent -- wanted to ensure that their daughter would be well-educated, and sent her a Louisiana boarding school when she was 12. Sent back home for being a prankster in boarding school, Hayek finished high school and was sent to Houston to live with her aunt until the age of 17.

I have a question for my Spanish/Hispanic friends here in Ageless.

Is it offensive to call a hispanic, regardless of what country they may be from, a Latino (male) or Latina (female)? For some reason, I addressed a nurse at my doctor's office about her nationality, since she looked Native American, and I felt strange saying "latina" to her.

I don't feel offended if someone asks my nationality or my origins. In Brazil everyone comes from a different background, we are often of mixed origins (even inside the same race, like me, my grandparents are all four from Southern Europe, from three different countries, and one was the child of a Spanish gypsy).

I once saw on TV a programm on tourism in the US and one manager said he always oriented his staff not to refer to Brazilians as Latins, for they didn't like. I guess it's true to a certain extent, as Americans tend to think we speak Spanish in Brazil and we are quite tired of that lack of knowledge from our fellow continent neighbours... :D As everybody, we think we are special, just not like the others to be put in the same bag... ;)

Remember when Reagan arrived to Brazil for an official visit and said "I am very happy to be here in Bolivia?". Left 150 million people traumatized! :D

No no, Maria, I think you misunderstood the question.

I was asking in regards to the words, latino and latina.

I have a question for anyone who claims 'African-American'...

First, are you from Africa? If so, where?

What does African-American mean? Does a person with blue eyes and blond hair from (born and raised) South Africa qualify? Is a person of Egyptian descent, born and raised here in the States, an African-American?

I'm Dutch, German, Irish, Canadian descent... My grandmother was born in Virginia in 1889...so what does that make me?

A southerner:D from Pennsylvania:rolleyes:

Originally posted by SaltwaterBlues
I have a question for anyone who claims 'African-American'...

First, are you from Africa? If so, where? :rolleyes:

This question is coming from a person who's subtitle is "unknown".:rolleyes: LOL

Keep in mind, SWB, unlike the other races this one is more of a "politically correct" term to identify the race.

Afterall, we went from Negro, to Colored, to Afro-American, to Black, and now African-American. I predict that by the year 2010, we'll be considered Caucasians with darker tans. And let's not mention what we were called from slavery to the early 70's (and in the minds of racists today).

Well, I don't mind at all, I like it actually! Call me latina and I won't complain...

As for African American, Afro Brazilian sounds kind of strange, we just use the word "negro". Now in Portuguese, you are very impolite if you use the word preto (black in English), because it's the word used for describing colours of things, objects or animals. Negro is the name of the race. That causes lots of problems when Brazilians translate from Portuguese to English while talking, because they tend to use that word and it comes up very offensive. Be kind to correct them, but don't take it as discrimination.

I know an older man whom I mistakenly, in a conversation, refered to as African-American. He corrected me.

"What do you mean African-American? I have never been to Africa.
I'm an American, just like you. I'm a negro. Your a caucasian. Now, I may be of African descent, but I'm just an American. Where do you descend from?"

"Me? Have Dutch, German, Irish and Canadian."

"Shoot, your more of a mongrel than I am. Some kraut huh?"

He's one good guy.

Ok having a "black" son, what should he be called? LOL

Colored, negro... well those have bad connotations. We call people Mexican-Americans, that seems ok right? Italian-Americans.

What should I call my son?

He was never from Africa as far as his family can remember. But by his features, skin and hair he is from Africa at some point.

What about Native-Americans? Most of them are fairly mixed by now.

So is my son.

I say... are we talking about dog breeds here? I mean aren't we all HUMAN.

I'm white, I mean the countries that comprise me are many. So I am a MUTT DOG.

I remember when I was in college and working at the University Library, I had a Spanish coworker who seemed to have been trouble in every form of the word. She would come into work late, if she'd even bother coming in at all, and the supervisors learned that she was flunking out of her courses. One evening, I guess she just wanted to start some type of trouble for whatever reason.

We were checking in some government documents and sitting next to one another. Then suddenly she turned to me and asked, "Have you ever thought about going back where your ancestors come from?" From the looks of all of my White coworkers (I was the only African-American person there), they all looked embarassed to hear her ask such a question. Not to be outdone, I looked at her and replied, "No, I never ever thought about going to France but thank you for asking."

Originally posted by MrsHedgeHog
And then there's the opposite situation. Some time ago I had two friends (who have since moved away) -- an interracial couple. Their kids are both light skinned, blonde haired and blue eyed... they look Swedish but are as biracial as anyone else who has the right to claim to be. I remember people usually thought they were lying.

I used to belong to a multiracial adoptive family group and at one time we had a guest speaker who was the head of some .. I don't know now, black journalists group..... but she was blonde haired and blue eyed... but her father was black. And her sister looked black... and she was anti discriminted against for being part of this black journalist group... because she didnt look black, and meanwhile the black looking sister was trying to pass for white... DANG

Originally posted by Swan
I used to belong to a multiracial adoptive family group and at one time we had a guest speaker who was the head of some .. I don't know now, black journalists group..... but she was blonde haired and blue eyed... but her father was black. And her sister looked black... and she was anti discriminted against for being part of this black journalist group... because she didnt look black, and meanwhile the black looking sister was trying to pass for white... DANG

you can't win either way i suppose. it's stupid really.

i was just filling out a questionaire for college just right now.

again...the dreadful race category:

they never let you fill in more than one race. and nowadays so much of us are bi racial or even multi racial.

but i could only chose bubbling in filipino/pacific islander or i could bubble in caucaisian.

but not both

i used to ask which one do i fill out when i was a little kid. they always said "just fill out what your most identified with"

then i thought, most strangers identified me as hispanic, so that confused me even more, lol.

so now they have the "prefer to not say" option.:D

Originally posted by Swan
Ok having a "black" son, what should he be called? LOL

Colored, negro... well those have bad connotations. We call people Mexican-Americans, that seems ok right? Italian-Americans.

What should I call my son?

How about..........ummmmmm...........Jr.?lol

looks like we all got off topic.


Oh well... we're dealing with the best and very brightest thread hi-jackers.

there's no stopping them.
:D

Originally posted by Trish
LOL! True....so true! Now if only Captain1997 were here! We'd really have a thread-jacking! OMG! That didn't sound right!
Never mind! I've had a bad week...and it's only Monday. I'm relieving stress with my warped sense of humor! DAMN! That's when I really need Tim! Where is that guy?! :D ;) :p

maybe he's thread-jacking elsewhere. i'm sure he'll be back after the jobs done.:D

Oh these lovers! Always kidnapping threads...

http://www.fortunecity.de/wolkenkratzer/stern/799/gifsammlung_010104/lovlie35.gif

Originally posted by MariaLux
Oh these lovers! Always kidnapping threads...

http://www.fortunecity.de/wolkenkratzer/stern/799/gifsammlung_010104/lovlie35.gif
:D

i'm learning from the best jackers in the world!


...thread-jackers that is.:p

My honey is from Chile - South America...thats his culture. He is half Chilean and half Spaniard
I am Italian.......we have definitally had our share of cultural barriers.....but its worth it!!