Being mixed

[nanabrianna (deleted)]

So, I'm not Native American, I'm Puerto Rican and black. Since I was a little girl my mom taught me to ignore a person's skin color. I never understood the concept of different races and the pride that everyone holds. My siblings and I have all gone through the same thing. We go to school and... now what do we do? Elementary was the worst, I couldn't hang out with the latin kids because I couldn't speak spanish. I couldn't hang out with the black kids because I acted too white. My younger sister conformed easily, but I STILL haven't. Did I say elementary was the worst? Well I mean family is. It's like we're stuck in limbo. Both sides of my family want nothing to do with me; with the exceptions of the open minded members of my family. I've had to watch my grandmother treat us the worst while she loves her other grand children the most. I embrace both sides of my heritage, so what's everyones problem? We're all human beings, we all live on the same planet! This planet is becoming more crowded as we speak, and racial mixing is inevitable. Deal with it.

[rblyl (deleted)]

`this has been just a theme over and over..I think it's time people just accept who they ARE and who gives a damn about anyone else. If someones bent to hate, they just find a group of people to hate and blame and target or make fun of, ridicule,ect.. ect. Nothing can be done about it. Yeah, we had a pretty hateful greatgrandma toward certain ones in the family, but shes been dead and buried awhile now and WE now occupy her place on the planet...good riddence past ya know..

[lilmamaalone (deleted)]

`My son is mixed, he is only 9 months old. I feel it is my duty as his mother to make him proud of all parts of himself. His father is half Native and I am cacaisian. I hope he can grow to love himself for all parts of who he is, and will guide him anyway I can. You should e proud of your mixed heritage. It is beautiful.

[nanabrianna (deleted)]

`Thank you very much for the comment! We should all be proud of our background!

[choctawmicmac]

`I get treated like dirt by black people and white people alike, at least until the white ones get to know me enough to know I'm just like them. "Raised white" as the Choctaw say. And for us that's a GOOD thing because that's what we're supposed to do. If we "acted like Indians" how the hell would we ever succeed in the "white man's world" ?! Other races need to learn that, too. I get sick and tired of getting treated by blacks like I'm doing something to them somehow because I don't act like them when, get this, I"m not one of them!! I was raised college-prep in the suburbs, went straight to college out of high school, don't smoke, drink, or do drugs, don't have out of wedlock children, no criminal record - what, you say, "not an Indian" by those lifestyle things alone?! Wait, there's more. I like CLASSICAL music, ice skating, reading, sewing, cooking, cats, science fiction, baseball, and type 95 words a minute. And have my own laptop which I'm using right now. And I'm a Biotechnology major currently at SF State but trying to transfer to NYU so that maybe I'll be employable again someday in spite of my skin color. Oh, and a member of AISES and SACNAS and recently Scientists Without Borders.
I go to PowWows when I can find them. I don't do rain dances because they don't help. When people learn all this about me they either hate me because I'm not what they, for some reason, wanted me to be or they're pleasantly surprised. And I'm getting sick and tired of BOTH reactions. The latter being they expected me to be some sort of ghetto-trash by the way I look -just the shade of my skin. Mississippi Choctaws are DARK, people, get over it!! Dark skin doesn't make you not-an-Indian!

[incangold (deleted)]

`Im mixed heritage by definition as a Latino. I look more indian than most native americans in this country but ppl dont wana except the fact that Im indian because i have a spanish name and no affiliation to a north american tribe. I think its ignorance. Therse to much ignorance in this world people need to realize that no race is prone to one thing or another. Race was socially constructed. If people were supposed to be divided by race then everyone in particular race would have the same blood type etc. As a mixed race Latino - White ive had hostilities held by every race possible and i realized its not about one race being more acceptable than antoher. The black dude who tells me i speak "white" is just as ignorant as the white man who thinks his culture is more "superior". Its a never ending cycle of nonsense.

Peronsally nothing to me is as ignorant as whiteamerican and europeans who think they civilized the world, if that was true there would be no violence.

But i relate to the thread poster - I feel you. The key is just the be real with yourself and dont try to be someone else cuz they dont know any better than you do

[firstlastalways (deleted)]

`Well, like I said in a post before, racism always shocks and surprises me that your skin color is really such a big deal to everyone else or that people really believe that your skin color and shade of that color should determine how you act, what you're interested in, etc. And hey, I'm a white american of european blood and I hate the world and society, I don't think this is civilization at all. You're absolutely right in that if it were really civilized, there'd be no violence (and no war!).

[emme2009 (deleted)]

`As the mom of two mixed boys, I think you should never let anyone take your power from you -- no matter what you look like, what language you speak, no matter how you talk, or whether you have any disabilities.

We will meet many people in life, who for one reason another, are just looking to deflate those around them. When you are seeing is their unhappiness and it's really not a reflection on you at all, no matter what words they use -- they are just looking for a target and chose you.

I was teased horribly for being fair-skinned when I was a child, some people are teased for being dark, some people are teased for being fat, skinny, having acne or big ears, what-have-you, but just disregard it and let it roll right off you. You lose precious time carrying the negative energy of those who have only their sadness to share.

Instead, try to combat them with the very thing that they themselves cannot bear to must because of their own pain -- compassion, or in the least, indifference.

[devilman006 (deleted)]

`beautifully spoken, words more than worth their own weight in gold, well if i thought gold was worth anything haha

[redwolf1 (deleted)]

`As a 1/4 mixed blood descendant of the Eastern Cherokee I would like to ask that whatever may be done to restore the rights of all Mixed Bloods, not just the Cherokee, to allow us to be allowed to follow our traditional spiritual practices and even to be allowed to say we are of the blood shall not be revoked. I am not a scholar when it comes to writing, but I do know what I want to say. This is a land where we are free to choose our religion and spiritual practices, yet there are those who feel so strong against the mixed bloods, that they don't even want us to say we are Cherokee, Shawnee, or whatever tribe we descend from. Are they afraid we will revive the old ways to a point that they themselves have lost, or is that they are afraid that we too want a share of the governmental money given to those who still live in the communities. I assure you, the money is not important to me. My concerns are the culture and religious practices that my ancestors paid for with their blood so that it was preserved for the next seven generations be restored to allow me to do as they did.

[jmar (deleted)]

`Their just overly cautious because of the abuse of spiritual practices redwolf. Look at what happened in that massive sweat down where those people died. I don't blame people for being cautious and being close knit hidden communities of tradition. People being killed off or imprisoned for practicing tradition in the recent past also has a great affect on that...It's not surprising that medicine people choose wisely who they teach and who the community lets take part in traditions. Take a look at America, from the top down, from the bottom up, left to right...it's a contagious culture that has shown it's ability to taint tradition.

I'd like to think that the traditions come in a spiritual manner, and if you find yourself on that red road, then that's just how it's meant. If tradition hasn't found you or you haven't found it, then I can only say that one must live in the best manner they know in relation to how they've been taught and experienced. There are many many people very respectful and very knowledgeable or experienced in the traditions that carry little to no blood, and that's fine as long as they understand respect and how to go about things.

I have seen people like this, and I've nothing against them, though, I'm not the only one to say that some of those people might be enthusiastic and respectful but their upbringing or cultural tendencies cause people from native communities to just see them as different, and different isn't bad, it's just cause to be warily reserved until you know them. Lots of native communities have been affected by majority culture so it's not surprising that some natives are disdainfully wary of their intentions.

I think, most natives can tell a light skinned native has exposure to community and culture, just by the look of their eyes or the body language they express before sweat. I think those of us who've entered that sweat lodge as a child and had exposure young, just see life in a different manner. I have little exposure but I've had enough to see life in a manner many non-natives haven't. I'm quite aware having no native facial features makes it much different and hard for some people but, again, that's how they see themselves and how they deal with it. To feel that you should be "allowed" to take part in tradition...It's...well, it's just different from thinking I'm used to.

[aussiekelly (deleted)]

`This is probably none of my business, but thought I would comment anyway. I think that the only real friends I have made on this site are actually those of mixed blood. They seem to have integration problems because of what would appear to me to be a little bias on behalf of those who are not mixed blood. Consequently I have found mixed blood personas on this site a lot more open to being friendly with those of us who have no blood at all but are very interested in NA culture.
I am trying to be politically correct here as to not offend anyone, but I wish more people would share their culture with me, even though I am not Native American. I used to think that any Native American would be proud to explain and share their culture, and be particularly proud that a white Euro descendant would find more value in the NA culture than in their own. I am a little disabused of this idea now.
In Australia, some of the biggest activists for Aboriginal rights and retention/education of culture, are actually white Australians. This is because some of us can see the value of it, and will not allow traditional culture to become extinct because of Western influence. Maybe if it was seen the same way here, rather than exclusion, it could be a journey of education to the wider population. Maybe if anyone who listened was accepted as a potential education project (rather than an outsider), then respect for native culture could be increased tenfold (as it should be).

As for mixed race issues....try being part German and part Jewish lol (that's my lot)

xx kelly

[mimi07c]

aussiekelly wrote: `This is probably none of my business, but thought I would comment anyway. I think that the only real friends I have made on this site are actually those of mixed blood. They seem to have integration problems because of what would appear to me to be a little bias on behalf of those who are not mixed blood. Consequently I have found mixed blood personas on this site a lot more open to being friendly with those of us who have no blood at all but are very interested in NA culture.
I am trying to be politically correct here as to not offend anyone, but I wish more people would share their culture with me, even though I am not Native American. I used to think that any Native American would be proud to explain and share their culture, and be particularly proud that a white Euro descendant would find more value in the NA culture than in their own. I am a little disabused of this idea now.
In Australia, some of the biggest activists for Aboriginal rights and retention/education of culture, are actually white Australians. This is because some of us can see the value of it, and will not allow traditional culture to become extinct because of Western influence. Maybe if it was seen the same way here, rather than exclusion, it could be a journey of education to the wider population. Maybe if anyone who listened was accepted as a potential education project (rather than an outsider), then respect for native culture could be increased tenfold (as it should be).

As for mixed race issues....try being part German and part Jewish lol (that's my lot)

xx kelly




I'm 100% and I respond to everyone and don't mind talking to other races and mixed people.

As for the post There is a ugly side to the "mixed" indian I just read Without Reservation: The Making of America's Most Powerful Indian Tribe and Foxwoods the World's Largest Casino by Jeff Benedict. I would recommend anyone to read it


Without Reservation: How a Controversial Indian Tribe Rose to Power and Built the World's Largest Casino

Also I am a light skin 100% Native I was treated the same. I don't know. A lot of South American Natives are light skin naturally no mix racing or anything but then again North Americans are different. Down south a Indian is a indian no matter what skin color you are. Maybe our cousins up North should learn from this.

[redragdoll (deleted)]

`I'm half native as well and my sister and I had trouble all through school because we could never identify with anybody.

Not native enough for the natives, not white enough for the whites.

Some people just assume I'm white because I have red hair, others have never been able to figure out what I am without asking.
its confusing.

I really want to find a Native. I believe they are more closely matched both culturally and mentally.

[timeconsuming]

`Being a Hispanic American myself born here, father from Dominican Republic and Puerto Rican mother I find myself questioning what ethnical background however you want to call it should I consider myself. Why I say this? I am of fair skin color with blues eyes with natural brunette color hair which I paint red and it makes me look whiter as hell. The think is that being a Latina and not looking the part has made me self conscious and bothered by this fact, I have the voluptuous body of a Latina but the color does not match the other Hispanics calls me gringa which by the way I hate because I am not a white person and you see this is where the problem is I am of white skin but I don't like being called a white person because I am Hispanic so this is where my confusion comes from.
A couple of years ago I decided to do a DNA research on myself and on my brother and to help me deal with my racial and color issue and wanting to find out if I had TAINO blood in me because coming from the Caribbeans I was proud to say that my people tried hard to survive the Spanish conquest before dying out completely. To my surprise I did not have any TAINO DNA marking in me but I did and do have Haplogroup L3 which by the way is of African descent so I am not a TAINA but from the indigenous of the west of Africa that came to Puerto Rico as slaves. Funny I am as white as a paper but my DNA marking makes me black and there is no evolution in this marker in my blood.. As for my brother well we are descendent of the Celts from Cataluna in Spain which by the way were also prosecuted during their time and fought for their survival and were considered barbaric and indigenous by the Romans
I don't want to be rambling because I tend to confuse myself when it comes to this issue but seriously all this add more confusion in my mind. What am I? What culture or ethnic background should I consider myself. I don't speak out for the Whites I speak out for myself and calling me white is not a good idea because like you Native Americans I hold a grudge towards the Whites who even though I don't have a DNA link to them destroyed my TAINO people but hey I still think I have some blood link to my people in the Caribbeans because there is a long history in our blood and the Africans did marry TAINOS and the Spaniard as well. This is an issue that has been bothering me since I've been a child and seeing the first post from a half Puerto Rican and Black it just makes me think and know that I lot of people have the same feelings I have.
My husband who is French always ask me why I call the White people on America White when I am white color myself and I never have a good answer to tell him I just tell I am a proud Hispanic and for the Caucasians here in the USA I am Hispanic or Latina however they want to call me, the color of my skin does not make me one of them and my accent well it just throws them off.
I guess life is just that and we have to embrace who we are, easy said than done.