Adult
Letters
April through June, 2000
My Shoes is a forum where we can meet other multiracial individuals with a white appearance and express our thoughts and feelings.
Adult
Letters
April through June, 2000
My Shoes is a forum where we can meet other multiracial individuals with a white appearance and express our thoughts and feelings.
This page allows members and non-members to ask questions or comment on anything they wish related to the mission of the support group. Help the support group grow by talking to group members, by contributing to discussion topics, by sending your personal story, and by posting announcements on the bulletin board. Join us!
To send your questions or comments press 
Letters:
Name: nicole, naomi020@hotmail.com
Subject: to all the biracial people out there we love you!
My comments go out to all the bi-racial people of the world and in the support group i respect you and you should be happy with the way you are i know many people that want to be bi-racial including myself actually well not all the time but sometimes i do. so take my advice love yourself and have fun.
Having seen your site I am obliged to comment. As a distinctive group of people coming historically from the African continent it is important to realize that there is a tremendous amount of diversity. The knowledge of this has been consistently challenged for centuries therefore your site is of value. I went to a school where I was the only African American child for more than ten years. Further we lived in an area were we were the only non-whites. When I went to High School and University the difference was very little.
When I began to travel I was shocked to learn that there were so many people who were African-Americans i.e. Chicago; D.C.; New York etc. I was even more shocked when I traveled outside of the US and learned that the racial divide didnot stop there. Problems of race travel as well...
I was able to deal with the situation from an early age because my family belonged to the Marcus Garvey Movement. I was conveyed a tremendous sense of security about the: warmth; dignity and beauty of black as a culture. I recall my grandfather reading the bible to me at about four years of age. It was the Song of Solomon; 'I am Black but comely as the tents of...' My Grandfather further told me how a Black man by the name of Simon helped Christ with the Cross. I visited the spot in Israel and thought of the wonderful heritage that my family left me.
When I started school at six I was amazed that there were no images in the classroom that looked like me. No one spoke about Africa or people that I was told made contributions to our distinct culture, heritage and the world. In fact guilt of teachers was such that they told me not to talk about slavery. However when I went home from my classes my family always augmented what was lacking,
If African Americans examine there genealogy especially those that look like europeans they will find that it is a history of sadness. Laws were made in the US and elsewhere to forbade the marriage of different races. Africans in the US and elsewhere were forced to 'breed' with anyone in order to have more free labor. The more children the better whoever or whatever the color of the father. There is no innate dignity in being 'light bright and damn near white...' The first Europeans to colonize Africa intentionally 'bred' with the indigenous population in order to create a community who would through various forms of 'social control' manage their affairs. It is for this group that the first schools in Africa were established. It is from this that African Americans inherited the 'house concept' pattern of 'social control' whereby color became an important asset on the ladder to favors (such as they were) from the whites who manipulated and dominated their lives from birth to death of all ages.
To prefer to have a color of skin; eyes or texture of hair is one matter to let it dominate the lives of African Americans as an extension of slavery is another...
Thank you for the opportunity to comment.
www.marcusgrarveylibrary.org.uk
HELLO, I AM A MOTHER OF THREE BIRACIAL CHILDREN. I HAVE A SON 18, A SON 14 AND A DAUGHTER 6YRS. MY PROBLEM IS WITH MY DAUGHTER. SHE SEEMS TO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH HER AFRICAN AMERICAN SIDE. SHE MAKES COMMETS ABOUT WANTING TO BE LIGHTER AND HER HAIR TO BE STAIGHT. SHE SEES ONLY WOMAN WHOM ARE WHATE AS BEING PRETTY AND THE SAME WITH MEN OR BOYS. SHE HAS ALWAYS BEEN EXPOSED TO BOTH WHITE AND MANY DIFFERENT CULTURES INCLUDING AFRICAN AMERICAN AND ASIAN. SHE HAS FRIENDS FROM ALL RACES. MY QUESTION IS; IS THIS SOMETHING TO WORRY ABOUT NOW OR NOT? AND IS SO HOW DO i CHANGE HER VIEWS ABOUT THIS. MY HUSBAND SEEMS TO THINK SHE WILL OUTGROW IT, BUT I DONT WANT HER TO GROW UP THINKING SHE IS NOT PRETTY OR ISNT AS GOOD AS A WHITE PERSON. IM THE WHITE PARENT, HER MOTHER AND HER FATHER IS AFRICAN AMERICAN, I DONT KNOW IF SHE IS TO YOUNG FOR COUNSELING OR IF I AM MAKING A BIG DEAL OUT OF NOTHING HELP!
I myself am a result of an interracial family. Adopted from Korea I have experienced no serious problems. I do not understand how the problem of people opposing this or wondering why someone would want to adopt a child of a foreign culture would do so still exists.
Any web pages, books pamphlets, journals, magazines or newspaper articles that you could recomment about this topic, I would be very grateful for recieveing.
I am hoping that your experiences might help to give my wife and I some things to be aware of or avoid while raising our son.
I could go into detail about what is ethnic makeup is but the world will see him as either black or white.
His coloring, hair and facial features might allow for some confusion.
He regularly visits both sides of his family, and we try to be sure that he has a respect for all cultures and a pride in who he is, and where he comes from regarding both sides of his heritage.
Both sides of our family really get along well and we all participate in activities together when we can.
I would greatly appreciate any advice that might help him to avoid, or at least diminish his possible confusion or feelings of not fitting in.
I'm assuming this may become more of an issue as he gets older.
Thanks
how does the child benefit from growing up in a home which is not of his/her race? how would the child benefit from growing up in a fostered home
(Moderator's Note: Please provide a complete email address.)
wanted to say that although I don't look white and noone has ever been mistaken me for being remotely mixed, no one knows how to place me. I 've got chocolate brown skin, the nappiest hair ever but I don't act black nor do I act white nor Chinese. I'm myself. If someone asks me where I'm from, that's a difficult question for me to answer. I was born in Nigeria, my parents are from Ghana and my passport says Ghana but I've lived in Spain for ten years. So where would you say I'm from? I've never fit in anywhere. Even my accent cannot be placed. I've lived in England. English people have told me I sounded kind of American and Americans have told me I sounded kind of English. I don't care. I like being the way I am, who else has the same experiences as me? I'm different and I've been enriched by at least four different cultures. My best friend is Thai but she lived in Japan for seven years and there was a point in my life where most of the people I hung out with were Japanese and I picked up mannerisms from them so you could even say I'm partly Japanese (not deeply of course) Hey, who wants to be like everybody else? I'm complex like an onion, peel me and you'll be surprised at what you find. Many of my friends are biracial. Do not try to choose one heritage, it's more fun being many things. Life would be extremely boring if we only had vanilla and chocolate. There's strawberry, butterscotch nut, peach, pistachio, vanilla with pecans and a whole lot of delicious combinations. The important thing is a person is a person.
I'm from the caribbean (trinidad) and I'm of "mixed" heritage. My mother is of east indian origin and my father is of african origin. And I'm proud to say I'm BLACK. It kills me how some of the people on here don't understand the politics of racial identity in the U.S. Forget all this bi-racial, tri-racial garbage. None of that crap matters, if you look "black", you are black in this society and if you're not willing to accept that, then you're only playing yourself and threatening any show of solidarity that black people in this country need to show in order to survive as a people because we are under attack.
Calling yourself black when you're mixed has nothing to do w/ not accepting that other part of you, but about dealing with a reality. You can embrace both sides culturally, but politically you will have to make choice and unfortunately that choice has already been predetermined by the way you look.
Deal with it and know who's got your back and who doesn't.
Peace.
i have a club,which i started in '91,called "INTERRACIAL LIFESTYLE CONNECTION". it's a corrsepondence club for couples,families,biracial adults,single(and married)mothers raising biracial children and penpals(females corresponding with other females that date interracially).also,it's a dating service for singles.free lists.nationwide.i just want to bring people together.if anyone is interested,all i ask is for a long s.a.s.e.,info about yourself,what you're looking for to:4406 north 54th street fort smith,arkansas 72904.i don't accept responses from inmates or swingers.hope to hear from you soon.take care and good luck. sincerely, gary bowden
On the topic of biracial children....i should begin by saying that i
do consider it to be a very touchy subject....with opinions destroying
the chances for right and wrong.....i am filipino....i grew up in a predominantly
white town in long island with occasional filipino contacts with the children
of my father's circle of friends........ my brother is four years older
and had roughly the same experiences....but branched out when he got to
school...choosing to affiliate with a more non-asian crowd and way of life.....i
sought out my filipino peers and culture when i hit college so my point
of view is from there, where A was marrying A, B was marrying B.....my
brother and i have both dated women who weren't filipino....and my parents
expressed some limited objections ......but i have come to look upon those
moments as times of experimentation.........my brother is now engaged to
an italian-irish american who of course is a good person deep inside........but
regardless of her personality traits.......i have reduced her to the color
of her skin.......and although i expected my brother to marry outside of
our race and culture......i'm having an amazing amount of difficulty accepting
and supporting his engagement........we've barely spoken since he broke
the news of the engagement.......and i've declined his request for me as
his best man.......believing that i'm sparing him an embarrassing moment
due to my resent towards his fiance.........the greater concern for me
is also the children that may come from this union........where the thought
of becoming an uncle and godfather was once a greatly anticipated experience....the
idea is now incredibly upsetting and depressing........with the term "half
and half" running through my head constantly........... i do love my brother.....in
the way that most brothers do.........i'd take a bullet for him and he's
welcome to one of my kidneys should he ever need one.....but on this topic
we are divided.........
I would appreciate any information on what it is like for bi racial
children growing up in mixed marriages of African Canadian or American,
and Caulcasian. Books,studies,experiences,ect. I am a concerened mother
wanting to be prepared.
Wow! I was very excited to finally find a site like this...the powers of the internet. I just wanted to commend this site and say that I am very happy that something like this is out there. The world is slowly changing and I think if we keep talking and sharing, it will make the change a lot smoother.
I am looking for my daughter. She was born in Nupai, Paju, Korea on
11 Aug 1962. We have tried to obtain help from the Korean Social Service's
people, but to no avail. The INS say they have no record of Ena entering
the US under the name of Ena or Ina Kim. Her Korean exit paper work could
have been under another name. The date of her birth on any adoption paperwork
could
also vary because of the lunar calendar and translation problems. Possibly
the date could be 9 Sep., 1962. Her given name was Ena (Ina) Kim. Her adoption
was forced by a baby broker. She left Korea, from Kimpo Airport, in Sep.,1966.
I thought she lived in California for awhile as a child, but she may have
lived in New York or New Jersey. Her American family may have given her
the name Mary. The man who adopted her was in his 40/50's in 1966 and a
song composer of some type. He and his wife had raised a adopted son who
was in his 20-30's in 1966 and was a college graduate, who had attended
school with a Mr. Yun (Yoon), who arranged the adoption. Mr. Yun was from
Seoul, Korea. Ena's father was an American soldier. She had brown hair
and eyes as a child. She only spoke Korean before she left for the US other
than a few English words. She learned this English because Mr. Yun took
her to Seoul for several weeks for lessons at his home in 1966. Mr. Yun
specifically sought to find a little girl who looked Caucasian and had
light brown hair and brown eyes. She had a scar on her back from a burn.
My name is Sun Po Ace (Kim). Please email me if you can help or the email
on my web home pages.
http://msnhomepages.talkcity.com/DeckDr/jmace46/http://www.geocities.com/jmace46/http://sites.netscape.net/jmace46/homepagehttp://www.webspawner.com/users/jmace46/
I'm a freelance writer/reporter working on an inspirational book for
biracial children. If you think your kids would be interested (ages 8-18)
please feel free to contact me. The book will include a page or paragraph
from each child on their experiences and advice for other kids. All states/countries
welcome. Photos also needed, especially family photos including the child
with the parents. I am based in Columbus, Ohio.
I think this is a wonderful thing that Dr. Juanita Brooks has created
to support "mixed" people.
They are 1/4 black but basically appear non black or even white.
Are they considered mixed or white?
I am a reporter who works for the Virginian-Pilot newspaper. A group of reporters and I are working on a project about race, identity and the census. I am looking for people who are from different backgrounds who wouldn't mind talking honestly about race, how you identify yourself, how the world identifies you, and how that effects you and your family. Feel free to email or call me at 446-2949. I really want this project to be truthful and honest, and right now, we have a lot of people who aren't of mixed heritage trying to figure out was is important to people who are of mixed heritage. It would be a lot better if we had some input from people in groups like My Shoes.
Thank you, Stephanie A. Crockett, phone: 757-446-2949
Can you tell me the exact date when the law against inter-racial marriages
was repealed in California? I appreciate any help you can give me. Wilma
Wall chinagal@mobynet.com
When I received my Census form, I was eager to see the racial categories
listed and the questions asked on the form. I received the short form that
only asked for my name, my social security number (which I did not provide,
how people lived in my household and my race. Every African-American radio
and televsion announcer was all hyped up about filling out the Census form.
Slogans like "It's the Count that makes the Difference" and "If we get
missed, we get dissed" were coming from everywhere. I looked at the form
and I immediately got upset about what I saw. Somehow, it didn't make any
sense to me. Why is it that my race makes a difference as to whether or
not my community is in need of public funding for schools, jobs and housing
etc? From that point going forward I couldn't understand why so many people
were bought into a system that continues to perpetuate division and separation.
I filled out the form. For my race I put down what race I truly belong
to - "Human". The government knows by my address what funds are needed
in my community, that's what my congressman is for. I'm not buying into
that farce. The government wants to know which race is catching up to the
dominant race. As if we all don't already know, it's Latin Americans and
people who choose to refer to themselves as Hispanics that are going to
superceed us all by 2010. That's why that question appears on the Census
Form "Non-Hispanic Whites" because now there's a "Hispanic White" classification.
That's all good for people who need to be emotionally attached to the race
classification system that was set up by European Colonial Settlers (more
like Robbers). Whatever floats your boat - maybe oneday we'll all snap
out of it!
My daughter is pregnant with a bi-racial baby. I love my daughter very
much and will of course love her baby. My problem is the comunity we live
in is very cruel and unexcepting of white women with black men. They look
down on bi-racial children. They are treated as if their are less than
human. This child will not have a chance to grow into a happy well-adjusted
adult here. My daughter says it doesn't bother her what they think but
I'm afraid that as time goes by these so calles "pillars of the community"
will just make their life miserable, moreso after her baby is born. I've
tried to get her to move but she won't here of it. Please send me advice
as to help her. I was also raised that you do not mix races especially
black and white but I will always stand by my child in every way I can.
Thank you.
I would like to know of a support gruop in the Bay area in California where I reside if possible.
I have three beatifull Bi-racial children and each of them have special
qualities about them, they are not denied any of their qualities. Your
title statement was either misunderstod or another negative for all Bi-racial
children. We cannot put each other in different class like all other races
do, we must come together as one and teach the people who shun us. The
whiter they come is not always the better. If that statement was saying
what I understood it to be saying you and whoever else writes in to your
e-mail have a very low self asteem and sadly you have not found out who
you are. If I did misunderstand I do apoligize deeply. I am very happy
someone is trying to come together and change things for our "race" yet
it has to be positive. Please look for my book and web site and support
group. We unfortunately need to come together as on, but not to hate or
condemn, but to educate!
I am a white woman and I have a 6 year old daughter who has a white father. I am engaged to a black man and we have a biracial son together. I am not really sure what to consider myself or my daughter or even my son. I do not know enough about the Africian American heritage to give out son the necessary background I feel he should have and I do not want him to solely have Catholic background.
How do I know how to identify myself and my children?
During my high school years, I dated only white men. Once I went to college, I started dating black men. I am happily engaged to an African American, and we have a beautiful son together. My parents really like him and so do my siblings. But I have family members who are older and do not believe in inter-racial relationships.
One of my family members voiced her opinion about my fiance after an incident occurred. Up until that point, race was never brought into a discussion. But after this, my fiance will not go to that family members home.
When the horrible statement was made, I did not stand my ground and defend my fiance. I just let my family member speak her mind and said very little. Now I have come to the realization that if I do not make the first step and confront my aunt, the situation will never be resolved. And if I do not resolve the situation, my fiance will never spend a holiday with that family member.
If anyone can give some advise on how to successfully handle the situation,
please feel free.
i'm an IB student who is doing an extended essay on the topic of interracial marriages between westerns and asians. i myself am a biracial kid and live in thailand. i'm looking for information about the laws and how people except interracial marriages and to see if acceptance of it has change. books, magazine articles, web sites, anything would be good thank you