yes it is a throwback rule.. used to be called the ';one drop'; rule
you could have all white features, even look white and have 1 drop of black blood and they called you black... extremely rascist
look at this guy
http://scienceblogs.com/gnxp/jason-kidd-鈥?/a>
looks white right? in USA he is considered black
see the news snippet quote below
';Part of the issue is that in the United States we accept hypodescent, which means that one drop of black blood or any hint of black features can imply that one is fully and totally black. Consider Jason Kidd, the point guard for the New Jersey Nets. He is a black man in the United States because his father is a black man (his mother is white). In fact, from the interviews and pictures I've seen of his father Jason Kidd is likely well below 1/2 black in ancestry, because his father looks to be mixed genetically. In the United States though people who have noticeable black ancestry are considered black. Does Jason Kidd have noticeable black ancestry? A few years ago I recall reading a story about a reporter who was in Russia where Jason Kidd was described as a white basketball player. The reporter was startled, but he had to admit that if you didn't know Kidd's father was African American you might not necessarily assume he was African American, especially with his hair cut short. ';
edit: I also found an article about president Warren Harding his great grandparent was black
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/06/magazi鈥?/a> (so we already had a black president under the one drop rule.. lol)Why do people call Obama black when he has one white parent?
what is wrong with you people some of u are so ignorant? i am white my husband is black my son is black british the word mix i find offensive.
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I believe it may have to do with the percentage of ethnicity- in other words he's 50% black, 50% white therefore it's accepted to call a person of this mix black. The same would hold true with other mixed races-it's a legal issue as well I think; for instance you can only claim to be a certain ethnicity if you can prove a certain percentage of it in your lineage. Native americans can qualify for fed aid but only if they can prove a certain percentage of native american heritage- I think it's 25% on either side of the family.
Frankly, I'd imagine you'd be hard pressed to find very many white Americans who have ';absolutely no black heritage.'; Over the generations, although some people would never admit it, there have been a few drops of black blood in even the ';whitest'; of families. And vice versa.
I believe Obama is referred to as ';black'; (by himself and others) simply because of his skin color. And his wife's. And his children's. Race is pretty much ';visual'; across the board. If you appear black, you are black. If you appear white, you are white. Most of us don't care enough to carry a pedigree around to prove our bloodline purity. And I believe that constantly bringing mention of your mixed heritage would be as much bad form as would be persistently touting your race purity. Who cares?
Obama has never tried to hide his mixed heritage, but, look at most all forms and you can get an idea of the linear issues in explaining a biracial pedigree. Your choices are usually Caucasian, Black, Asian, Hispanic, etc. There's no gray area. You either is or you ain't. Using the term ';black'; or ';white'; isn't a caste issue, or a ';racist system'; it is simply a fact based on visuals.
There's a huge discussion on this general subject going on right now on the following forum. Perhaps one of those contributors will have more insight.... http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/yasmin-alibhai-brown/yasmin-alibhaibrown-calling-obama-black-is-an-insult-to-his-mother-842808.html
I'm from the US, and I don't have a good answer. The history of it is so messed up, and in the present day there are so many confusing and conflicting forces. Biracial children often report problems...if they identify as white, they are accused of trying to';pass'; by blacks. This was seen as a betrayal, denial of heritage. It has a long, sad history. Racist whites view someone who identifies as white to be trying to put one over on them, so they hate them more than the average black person. Of course, to a racist they are stark reminder if ';miscegenation';. The views on both sides aren't starkly defined. They exist with greatly varying levels of strength. A discussion could get into P. C. trouble very easily.
So yes, if you have some African American features, ancestry, you are considered ';black';.
So it wasn't just a hundred years ago...the influence persists.
50 zillion other people have already asked this question. It's become a daily thing here on Y!A.
Because Obama considers himself black. It's not up to anyone else but him. Learn to deal.
And this ';racist system'; of labeling people was LEGALLY used by the U.S. Census department up through the 1970's, so no, it was not ';a hundred years ago';.
because he considers himself to be a black man, and he would be laughed out of this country if he even fixed his lips to say he was white.... also if he was criminal no one and I mean no one would be saying ';hold up he isn't black , he is bi racial';
because people are stupid and only base their identifications by appearance. i've known half black people that look more white than black and people identify them as white. people just base their things on looks. really stupid and useless.
Did you know that the swedish prime minister is like a quater african but no one, and a mean no one, would call him nothing but swedish!
Because he considers himself black.
It's probably because of the colur of his skin. not his parents
wHATEVER he wants......
IDK. I just say he is a ';person of color'; maybe its an American thing IDK m8.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN, THAT YOUR NOT UNDERSTANDING THIS ISSUE,ALOT OFWHITE PEOPLE IN EUROPE ARE RACIST TOO,ITS SAD BUT ALOT OF BI RACIAL PEOPLEAND NOT SPEAKING FOR ALL,IDENTIFY THEMSELVES AS BEING BLACK,SO(OBAMA)SAYS HE IS BLACK,BECAUSE AS A RACIST SOCIETY,EVERYONE ARE CONDITONED TO BE RACIST AND ITS SAD MOST PEOPLE ARE STILL TODAY SO RACIST AND ITS NOT BLACK PEOPLES FAULT ,PEOPLE FEAR WHAT THEY DONT UNDERSTAND AND WHY BECAUSE OF WHITE PEOPLE HAVE ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT THEY WERE SUPERIOR OVER ALL RACES AND THAT LIGHTERSKIN IS BETTER,OUR PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS LIVED THROUGH THIS STUFF,WE NEED CHANGE,ALL RACES OF PEOPLE COME IN ALL COLORS,BUT NATIVE AMERICANS AND BLACK PEOPLE HAVEBEEN THE WORST TREATED EVERYWHERE,OBAMA KHOWS AND ACCEPTS HIS WHITE SIDE,BUTLET ME TELL YOU LIGHTER SKIN IS MORE EXCEPTED BY PEOPLE WHO ARE RACIST AND I THINK IS THE MAN UPSTAIRS MADE ALL PEOPLE.BUT UNFORTUNATELY,BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL AND ALL OHTER COLORS THAT FOLLOW.AND THIS STILL IS A RACIST SYSTEM ,TODAY NOT TO MENTION THE BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS THAT HAS WENT ALONG WITH IT .
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