Still not answering my questions. Where is the dividing line? What are the criteria? Why did people call my Italian grandfather black? Would you call him black? Why or why not?
Rather than race, you might find the cultural lens more useful. My Greek immigrant grandfather was othered by the German immigrants in the Midwest town in 1900’s. He married my Norwegian grandmother who was othered by her Greek in laws. By today’s definitions they’d all be lumped into the “white” group.
Growing up in the 1950s and 60s, I was enchanted and fascinated by other cultures and other races. I wanted to learn their languages and know about their cultural practices. I was always excited to meet someone from another country and a different culture from my own.
Well how do you know if I am satisfied since you don’t provide any answers? Your previous “answer” didn’t have any direct relationship to the questions I asked.
Interesting! I had to look up Octoroon, I don’t recall ever hearing that term before. I guess the assumption was that since their skin was a bit darker there must have been some “black” in their ancestry? Yet another example of how arbitrary all this is though!
Some examples might help. Ben Carson, that's a Black fellow.
Donnie Trump, that's a White dude.
etc.
Still not answering my questions. Where is the dividing line? What are the criteria? Why did people call my Italian grandfather black? Would you call him black? Why or why not?
Rather than race, you might find the cultural lens more useful. My Greek immigrant grandfather was othered by the German immigrants in the Midwest town in 1900’s. He married my Norwegian grandmother who was othered by her Greek in laws. By today’s definitions they’d all be lumped into the “white” group.
Growing up in the 1950s and 60s, I was enchanted and fascinated by other cultures and other races. I wanted to learn their languages and know about their cultural practices. I was always excited to meet someone from another country and a different culture from my own.
I’ve always been the same and so have many others in my family. I just find it so interesting and enjoy the variety.
Agree but as you mentioned, even that is context dependent and fluid. No truly objective criteria.
You are never satisfied with the answers. You you are welcome to believe race is only a social structure.
Well how do you know if I am satisfied since you don’t provide any answers? Your previous “answer” didn’t have any direct relationship to the questions I asked.
In the 1910 U.S. Census, some Mexican Americans in South Texas were noted as "Octoroons" even though their entire families were Mexican.
Interesting! I had to look up Octoroon, I don’t recall ever hearing that term before. I guess the assumption was that since their skin was a bit darker there must have been some “black” in their ancestry? Yet another example of how arbitrary all this is though!
I think they were 1/8th black. I think I learned that word by reading Gone With the Wind or something.
Yes with the Octo part that would make sense. That’s maybe where I heard it, I haven’t read the book in a long time though so couldn’t recall.