Ever been asked your race? What about your gender? Ever had to pause before answering any of those questions?
Let me start with the gender question. Gender has nothing to do with your ability to procreate. Gender is a subjective term where one is defined as masculine or feminine. Sex on the other hand relates to your biological ability to either produce sperm or eggs. Sorry for the digression, but my main purpose was to talk about race. But, if we can't agree on something that is objective and genetic, how can we agree on race.
When Tiger Woods embraced ALL essences of his racial character, he was chastised. Chastised mainly by black people who felt that he was dissing his black roots. On the contrary, he was rising above the pigeon holing and truly giving a testament to his mother and father.
This brings me to my own twin boys; children of a Puerto-Rican and Ecuadorian mother and Jamaican father. Do I wait and see how dark their skin becomes and decide what box to check? Maybe we'll just cop-out and pick multi-racial. I have already come to the decision that "African American" is one of the most ridiculous title every created.
Race should not be determined by location. Whatever race I am shouldn't change when I move to another country. Why would America have its own race?
In this "post-racial" era, let's not ignore race. Rather, let's focus our attention on culture and ethnicity; a measure of a people's common interests. Mobility and migration have mixed us in a soup that isn't so confined to 200 year old definitions. My children will share a rich Caribbean and Hispanic heritage. One that has strong roots and influences on our food, music, dance religion, language...My children will be able to articulate all that they are and are not. They will stand strong and refuse to be pigeon holed. Unfortunately, I may have to resign to the multi-racial title until another more appropriate one becomes available.
According to the slave codes, one drop of black blood made you black.
More ramblings from the head of a thinker...lol
