Comments on: Race and the Internet http://ptlawmom.com/2007/08/09/race-and-the-internet/ Full-Time Working Mom/Part-Time Evening Law Student Sat, 30 Aug 2008 07:10:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: ptlawmom http://ptlawmom.com/2007/08/09/race-and-the-internet/#comment-561 ptlawmom Sat, 11 Aug 2007 12:08:34 +0000 http://ptlawmom.com/2007/08/09/race-and-the-internet/#comment-561 I think it depends whether your background is obvious or not. I think biracial African American kids do get a lot of flack, esp. from non-mixed race African Americans and especially if they have very obvious features from other cultures. I had an AfroAsian friend in high school and she put up with a lot of "what are you?" questions. I know that for me personally I worry about my son, but more in terms of his knowing and appreciating his father's culture than in terms of him being discriminated against because of it. My three cousins are the children of a Colombian man. He refused to let them learn Spainish, wouldn't speak it in front of them, and basically denied his heritage because he thought that would give them an advantage. I think that is sad. I think it depends whether your background is obvious or not. I think biracial African American kids do get a lot of flack, esp. from non-mixed race African Americans and especially if they have very obvious features from other cultures. I had an AfroAsian friend in high school and she put up with a lot of “what are you?” questions.

I know that for me personally I worry about my son, but more in terms of his knowing and appreciating his father’s culture than in terms of him being discriminated against because of it. My three cousins are the children of a Colombian man. He refused to let them learn Spainish, wouldn’t speak it in front of them, and basically denied his heritage because he thought that would give them an advantage. I think that is sad.

]]> By: luke http://ptlawmom.com/2007/08/09/race-and-the-internet/#comment-558 luke Sat, 11 Aug 2007 05:19:23 +0000 http://ptlawmom.com/2007/08/09/race-and-the-internet/#comment-558 Interesting, I was putting together a post on race this week too. The comment about mixed-race children never fitting into either culture got me thinking - it can cut both ways. Race matters but it can also be a benefit. My father's Irish-stock, my mother Chicana. I feel comfortable in both worlds - sort of like two 'membership cards' instead of one. Racism is real, of course, as are the cultural differences, but I think the parents bear the brunt of it; to bi-racial kids it's just family. Interesting, I was putting together a post on race this week too. The comment about mixed-race children never fitting into either culture got me thinking - it can cut both ways. Race matters but it can also be a benefit. My father’s Irish-stock, my mother Chicana. I feel comfortable in both worlds - sort of like two ‘membership cards’ instead of one. Racism is real, of course, as are the cultural differences, but I think the parents bear the brunt of it; to bi-racial kids it’s just family.

]]> By: Shelby http://ptlawmom.com/2007/08/09/race-and-the-internet/#comment-552 Shelby Fri, 10 Aug 2007 13:29:22 +0000 http://ptlawmom.com/2007/08/09/race-and-the-internet/#comment-552 insightful post... I think that race matters not to me .. in blogland too.. insightful post… I think that race matters not to me .. in blogland too..

]]> By: PT-LawMom http://ptlawmom.com/2007/08/09/race-and-the-internet/#comment-550 PT-LawMom Thu, 09 Aug 2007 18:22:27 +0000 http://ptlawmom.com/2007/08/09/race-and-the-internet/#comment-550 Wow, what a great comment! Thank you for this and for the link - that author jumps to some pretty harsh conclusions. She does have a bit of a point, though, in terms of the comments people make about mixed-race children and how they never fully fit in to either culture. My nephew is biracial African American/Caucasian and my brother is not married to his mother. His reality will be sooooo much different than my sons. It's really sad. :( Wow, what a great comment! Thank you for this and for the link - that author jumps to some pretty harsh conclusions. She does have a bit of a point, though, in terms of the comments people make about mixed-race children and how they never fully fit in to either culture. My nephew is biracial African American/Caucasian and my brother is not married to his mother. His reality will be sooooo much different than my sons. It’s really sad. :(

]]> By: Scout's Honor http://ptlawmom.com/2007/08/09/race-and-the-internet/#comment-549 Scout's Honor Thu, 09 Aug 2007 18:15:34 +0000 http://ptlawmom.com/2007/08/09/race-and-the-internet/#comment-549 Thanks for the shout out. :lol: I agree there are blogs where I seek similarities. People just like me, but I also look for the opposing view point. I love that a spirited conversation is right at my finger tips.Then there are ones like yours that point me where I want to be one day. Keep on writing. I love getting my law school fix. Honestly, I have learned so much from the blogosphere--way more than I learned at Berkeley. I have to admit, there are times when it depresses me as well. Why we have to cookie cutter people by race just kills me. Berkeley was the mother of political correct-ness and I lived in a coop in which I might have been the only white girl. My roommates asked how they should refer to me to their friends. Huh? Well, one preferred Chicana and the other preferred Peruvian-American. So what did I prefer? I said, "How about my friend? an American?" All grandparents on both sides were here before the American Revolution. My buddies didn't like that and had to have a label. They chose to call me their "European-American friend." Okay. I really wish we could get past the labels. A good friend from our old town was a gay man in a committed relationship who adopted a black child. I worry about the hell they will go through. I hope , at the same time, that the world will change before she hits adulthood and they won't have the problem. I hope your child is equally freed from any bumps. I've been hanging out at this pretty radically liberal blog called Young Negro Woman in America's blog. ( See! we conservatives can have an open mind.) :lol: What I have seen there really hurts my heart : http://rosieandlucy.wordpress.com/2007/08/01/my-problem-with-interracial-dating-pt-2/ It hurts my heart how some people are so against interracial children, dating, whatever. Yet, it makes me think, learn, and discover another viewpoint I would not have had without the blogosphere. Thanks for the shout out. :lol:

I agree there are blogs where I seek similarities. People just like me, but I also look for the opposing view point. I love that a spirited conversation is right at my finger tips.Then there are ones like yours that point me where I want to be one day. Keep on writing. I love getting my law school fix.

Honestly, I have learned so much from the blogosphere–way more than I learned at Berkeley. I have to admit, there are times when it depresses me as well. Why we have to cookie cutter people by race just kills me.

Berkeley was the mother of political correct-ness and I lived in a coop in which I might have been the only white girl. My roommates asked how they should refer to me to their friends. Huh?

Well, one preferred Chicana and the other preferred Peruvian-American. So what did I prefer? I said, “How about my friend? an American?” All grandparents on both sides were here before the American Revolution. My buddies didn’t like that and had to have a label. They chose to call me their “European-American friend.” Okay.

I really wish we could get past the labels. A good friend from our old town was a gay man in a committed relationship who adopted a black child. I worry about the hell they will go through. I hope , at the same time, that the world will change before she hits adulthood and they won’t have the problem. I hope your child is equally freed from any bumps.

I’ve been hanging out at this pretty radically liberal blog called Young Negro Woman in America’s blog. ( See! we conservatives can have an open mind.) :lol: What I have seen there really hurts my heart :

http://rosieandlucy.wordpress.com/2007/08/01/my-problem-with-interracial-dating-pt-2/

It hurts my heart how some people are so against interracial children, dating, whatever. Yet, it makes me think, learn, and discover another viewpoint I would not have had without the blogosphere.

]]>