More on Skin Color Terms

[[deleted user]]

There's not a wrong or right answer, as we may all interpret the answer differently. I'm not sure where my heritage lies before my Cuban parents and grandparents. My mother and I recently found out through ancestry.com in the 1800s family from the uk came to live in Cuba or something, but done were black Britons, some were white. I don't have the luxury to know or find out much past slavery. Which is weird,seeing as how most the African slaves were brought to the Caribbean and South America. The United States actually had very little Africans in comparison, which is why Afro Latinos do need to recognize this.

But any who, I can't say that I disagree that biracial shouldn't be it's own race, but if it only includes black mixed with white, I'm not sure what it would accomplish. Indigenous American/ Native American/ First Nation ethnic groups don't consider themselves white, even when it's apparent they're mixed with European. Asians are by far one of the most ignored marginalized groups in the United States. Even people of color tend to rate then as an "other" and I've yet to meet a white person that felt an Asian person was so much like them. I wonder where they might fit in this?

This conversation is just making me think :)

As a black Latino, I can't say that I'm as passionate about other struggles as much as blacks, and even that's not very fair. Blacks are the most marginalized group of all, so it's within reason, but sometimes we forget other groups need nurturing as well.

[Savannah- Quad Motherin' Book Readin' Diva]

And I def dont consider myself narrow minded. I realize considering the subject how that was intended, but still wanted to point that out. I think my point was obvious and not indicative of a lack of thought or narrow mindedness. I just believe it would be beneficial to have the mixture acknowledged. Thats it. Just a subjective point where I'm more invested in one perspective over the MANY others that I definitely would agree deserve the same acknowledgement. Its simply that, as the old folks would say, I gotta put out the fire in my own kitchen first. lol

[[deleted user]]

Hell if I know what is right. Perhaps multi-racial covers it better if we're talking counting ppl for census sake but biracial sounds as limiting to me as having to chose one race over the other if ppl WANT to acknowledge all parts of themselves. If you're Black and Asian and that's it...biracial it is...but if between your parents and grandparents you're 1/4 each of White, Black, Asian, and Native American, then it's not as simple. I have a cousin who is the former but her son is the latter because she married a White/NA man. I have relatives who are all over the spectrum of racial mixtures so the issue has never been (metaphorically speaking) black or white to me. I also grew up in NYC where I my exposure to so many different ethnicities/races may add to my POV.

[Savannah- Quad Motherin' Book Readin' Diva]

I think this goes back to the original topic which we can agree there is no way to please everyone. Some are not going to be happy with color descriptions limited to food, some aren't bothered by it, others would add to it. Some would ban it LOL No pleasing everyone and a lot of it is for personal reasons.

[Paganalexandria]

I can't put definitive stamp on what terms are correct, but God knows I can feel to the marrow of my bones when it's wrong. It's like telling the difference between nudity and porn, the differences are small but glaring.

[Savannah- Quad Motherin' Book Readin' Diva]

Guinevere wrote: "There's not a wrong or right answer, as we may all interpret the answer differently. I'm not sure where my heritage lies before my Cuban parents and grandparents. My mother and I recently found out..."

AGREED. We tend to advocate by passion and as a parent, I tend to focus on issues that affect my kids way more than other worthy topics.

[[deleted user]]

Paganalexandria **wicked juices bubbling over** wrote: "I can't put definitive stamp on what terms are correct, but God knows I can feel to the marrow of my bones when it's wrong. It's like telling the difference between nudity and porn, the differences..."

I know that's right!

[Danielle The Book Huntress , Sees Love in All Colors]

I think that it boils down to the context in which the 'food' skin terms are used. If they are used to objectify a person, then it is wrong to me. If they are used for clarification, then I'm all for using caramel or cinnamon or chocolate. I'm a visual person, so it's very clear to me what color the person's skin is.

I think dark and light skinned are way too indistinct. You could be any ethnicity and still be one of these in relation to others. Also, it depends on the frame of reference.

I was watching Beauty and the Beast and there was a scene in which a man of Indian (country) descent was standing next to an African American, and the Indian was much darker. However, a fair-skinned white person might consider them both dark-skinned just because they are darker than that person. My point is it tells me nothing!

As far as the biracial thing, I agree we can get into splitting hairs territory, although my gut feels that people should be able to identify themselves in the way they want to. I wish we could all just be human beings, although I am also all for appreciating one's cultural heritage.

[TinaNoir]

For me, the food coloring is problematic because it is so pervasive in romance novels as to be almost the exclusive means by which to describe a woman's skin. It is as if writers have abrogated any other descriptive terms to simply tell us that someone is < insert race here >.

I just read a Barry Eisler book where he describe a character as 'a pretty young black woman, petite with a short afro and light skin.' This gives me a pretty strong picture of what she looks like. I don't need to know that her exact skin tone is 'coffee with a liberal dose of cream.'