What is the deal with anti-race mixing?

@Tropetown - I had to look up Tall Poppy Syndrome cause I hadn't hear of it before (another reason TV Tropes rocks). And that is most definetely a case of Black America.

However, I find the quote hilarious because of both the derision and the lauding of Hewitt (who isn't a dick, just...well...Australian ).

Seriously, that needs to be a new trope in and of itself; Lleyton Hewitt Syndrome, or Worf Syndrome, or Black American Syndrome.

The trope basically shows how people will find fault with a given member of their group because they deviate from the others, but, when it's convenient, they'll cheer all the positive press said deviant generates.

Oh wait, there is a trope for this...

edited 6th Dec '11 12:47:22 PM by TheStarshipMaxima

@ Maxima

haha yeah, I used to get heated about it until I realized that he was getting the same thing on his side. His mother even told me that we are the most culturally confusing couple ever because of our choice of education and how we carry ourselves.

I guess it's better to confuse them than encourage their narrow minded attitudes.

They also call it crab barrel/bucket mentality.

@Gabrael - Clearly, your man and a great many of us black tropers could start a club....

Captain Maxima: Okay, the today's meeting of the "I AM Black" support group is in session. Today we welcome a new member. Why don't you introduce yourself.

Derrick (Gabrael's boyfriend *made up name*): Hi, I'm Derrick. And...really I'm black.

Maxima and others: Hi Derrick. And yes you are truly black.

Derrick: I was out with my girlfriend when this older white lady said I spoke so well for a "brotha"! I mean what is that?

Captain Maxima: Don't worry. This white kid was shocked I could name every episode of Star Trek in order of airdate.

Black Elephant: I got kicked off my block because I visit TV Tropes!

• Silence.....*

Derrick: Damn.

Maxima: Word.

J Wow is hot.

@secretist Don't worry ! We lust after her together.

ROTFL

funny, he is a troper!

So full of win!

You're dating Tropetown???

(That was totally a joke!)

oh my sides are hurting! Nah, even if you guys did guess who he was, you probably wouldn't believe it.

Well, who knows how many of us tropers arguing and laughing with one another, might well know each other in Real Life?

Who knows who has bought coffee from who, or sat next to who on a plane, or saw someone at a baseball game??

Kinda cool actually...

edited 6th Dec '11 2:27:55 PM by TheStarshipMaxima

^^ Oh God, it's Tongpu, isn't it.

It's one of the Mods, for sure.

Well, anyhow, I don't wanna make Gabrael think we're actively trying to triangulate the location of her guy so......

Nail on head, Polarstern. But this alludes to another All the Other Reindeer - style problem.

Extreme social pressure on any minority, or specifically, disadvantaged group, will cause a kind of....striation...in their ranks. As you point out, some will dial their stereotyped identity Up To Eleven. Meanwhile, others will engage in all kinds of behavior to almost completely shed any characteristic of their group. Passing in the days of legalized segregation is the key example here.

The expected friction between these two groups leads to the middle members experiencing severe consternation from their own, rather than without.

Put simply, the true modern average black person, who fits the stereotypes in some ways, but defies them in others, will find he is exiled from two groups.

The 40 oz swilling, weed-smoking, hip-hop listening crowd will dismiss them as posers, and white-bread and mock their love of snowboarding and sushi. But then, the "elite" blacks will shun them for being a little too "hood" and failing to speak fluent French or having a sufficiently diversified portfolio.

I mean, it reaches a point where you start to wonder how they WOULDN'T wind up dating outside their race!

And then people talk about the "white man holding us down." No, we might be holding ourselves down and contrary to popular belief, we are NOT immune to racism/classism.

(suppresses rants on skin tone, double standards, and other race-related pet peeves)

edited 6th Dec '11 5:40:56 PM by BlackElephant

The white man is holding the white man down. It's a classic form of self-racism. U.U

I don't understand?

White man's guilt is overused.

Don't get me wrong. Caucasians have done a lot of things wrong. But as long as we perpetuate these old dogmas instead of working together to be more progressive, we get stuck in a cycle where everyone looses.

I was talking about black people holding each other down with Tall Poppy Syndrome.

I said "we're holding ourselves down" in reference to (some) black people.

Because I'm black, too. (well, half, anyway)

edited 6th Dec '11 6:32:13 PM by BlackElephant

I think s/he was talking to me.

Little does s/he realize that I wasn't being very serious.

Quick question...

Since some of you are of different ethnicities, I really don't like the term biracial because it keeps this idea of race going. I much rather highlight and give props to someone's ethnicity than someone's melanin content-

What is the correct term for someone with parents of drastically different ethnic and cultural backgrounds?

I hate calling Barak Obama black because 1) He's not a color, he's a person. and 2) That just seems very disrespectful to his Caucasian mother.

I would say just American, but I get yelled at for that one too. What is the PC Term? Or just a preferred term?

I think you'd just say "multi-cultured" or "multi-ethnic." But I'm not sure if everyone likes that, that just seems to be what the people around where I live use.

On a slightly related note, it would probably be best to disregard the one-drop rule.

edited 6th Dec '11 6:49:07 PM by BlackElephant

Multi-racial would involve more than two races while biracial is just two.

I believe I'm multi-racial,but I'm not entirely sure. I could just be biracial though.

@Polarstern You could just use the word multi-ethnic.

edited 6th Dec '11 6:53:47 PM by TheWesterner

Well there's a big difference between someone who is mostly African American but most likely has some other blends in their ancestry and someone who's parent's are obviously and directly of different groups. Some people are really sensitive to this and I just want to be respectful.

Hey, Gabrael, you're Caucasian and your boyfriend is African American. If you two were to have children what do you think you would prefer them called?

Happy Accidents

The words multiracial and mixed race encompasses both those meanings.

Barack considers himself an African-American just sayin'.

Incoming Correction: Race isn't based on melanin content.

edited 6th Dec '11 7:00:42 PM by TheWesterner

YES. This so much. You can be light-skinned, but still black.

Well that's an interesting question. Is it disrespectful to Obama's white mother (and heritage?) for him to say that he's black?