Quote:

Originally Posted by OTHER
Most likely, we all know what you're talking about to a certain extent. Being mulattos, whether FGM or MGM, we are not quite one thing or not quite another. For me, looking the way I look, I have been accepted AND not accepted by black people and by white people, but always accepted by black and white people. With the various mixes that make us up, I'm sure we can all relate to being accepted and not accepted by various groups. Who among us has ALWAYS been identified by others as a mulatto? See what I mean? Oh, and I have been highly accepted by Puerto Ricans and Italians, too, due to my looks, even when they know that I am what I am.

My father's solution to his own in-between appearance ("high yella" with blue-green eyes) was to identify as an earthling.

In regard to how you might think "I'm not mixed like that" or "I'm not black", I have been in a room full of white people and thought "I'm the only black person in here" and I've been in a room full of black people and thought "I'm the only white person in here", which is CRAZY because I seriously don't consider myself to be black or white. I think it might just be our mind's way of acknowledging that we are different, you know? We are the unique-est!

So, in conclusion, in the sage words of DMX, "Do you! 'Cause I'mma do me, truly! Woowhee!"

We are who we are INSIDE (mixed/mulatto/blended/other), in spite of what people perceive us to be.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ben
I think there is a difference in the experience of being FGM ( a term I don't use, or care for ) and a MGM. I've met a couple of MGM's, and I'm one of the FGM's who don't feel racially and culturally a 100% full connection to them. But then again, I do share some points of view with them, so I'm not too dismissive of them.

I my opinion there is a hugh difference in having a white and black parent, and have a darkskinned and fair skinned parent. For a start I think very few FGM's would describe there black parent as "darkskinned" and there white parent as "fair skinned". Shades/skin tones are something most FGM's I'm aware of don't think of or use in social terms.

I don't hear FGM's saying Halle Berry is darkskinned and Rashida Jones is fairskinned. They are Mixed Race/Bi Racial or FGM's (whatever term you use). The use of skin tone to describe, ones self or other people is something MGM's and black people use.

Quote:

Originally Posted by OTHER


Ummm, you mean EVERYBODY doesn't use dark-skinned and light-skinned to describe people? My dad is black and my mom is white, yet I JUST referred to my dad as "high yella". In fact, not only do I use the terms you mentioned to describe the skin tones of blacks, mulattos, Italians, etc. I also use many other terms, such as honey, milk chocolate, olive, medium brown, fair, pasty, etc. etc. Dude, I'm sure I am not the only mulatto that does this. Am I? I have even heard white people use such terms to describe skin tone, but to a lesser extent.

Of course, I understand where you're coming from when you say there's a difference, when it comes to experiences, between someone with a black parent and a white parent versus someone whose whole family is mixed over generations. BUT, there are also differences between those of us with a white mom versus a black mom, those of us raised with both parents versus just the black parent versus just the white parent versus adopted, etc. One thing we do have in common, though, is that we all have a significant amount of African ancestry and a significant amount of European ancestry. And that's what makes us all so