Biracial Ambiguity: Riding the White Line

The unique racial ambiguity of biracial people offers them a rare chance at looking at and attempting to live life as different races throughout their lifetimes. Because biracial people have both black and white heritage they generally have to side with one race as it is extremely difficult and possibly dangerous to straddle the racial line. In order to decide how they want to identify themselves as either black, white or biracial, they have to live in each environment for a period of time to test whether or not it is right for them. Although the larger majority of biracial people decide to live their lives as black individuals, a smaller portion choose to identify themselves as biracial and an even small minority chooses to live their lives as a white individual. For a biracial person, living as a white person can be both advantageous and detrimental but some people assume the positives outweigh the negatives and choose the white life.

In American culture, Caucasian is considered the most advantageous and opportune way of life or way of identification. Ever since slavery, blacks who were extremely fair skinned have tried and sometimes succeeded in passing for white. During slavery, this was done as a means of escaping slavery itself and becoming free but as time wore on and centuries came and went, the reasons for "acting white" changed as well. After the end of slavery, it was no longer necessary to attempt life as a white person, in order for biracial people to gain their freedom. Although this reason for switching races was gone, multiple other reasons for it immediately sprang up from its' ashes as soon as slavery ended. After slavery was abolished, America went through a period known as reconstruction, in which blacks were experimentally offered better jobs, political offices, the ability to go to college, the ability to own businesses, land, homes, etc. One of the first things blacks noticed about these newfound opportunities was that they were disproportionately offered to fairer skinned blacks first or in some cases exclusively. This led a lot of biracial people who had fair skin and hair as well as European facial features, to act white or completely jump race lines and live life as white people in order to take advantage of the opportunities which were presenting themselves. Once they were given land or the ability to own homes, businesses and go to college, they did so and found that they liked the life so much that they would completely abandon their black heritage and start over again as white people.

In the entertainment industry during the first half of the twentieth century, it was widely known and accepted that the more "European" a black person looked, the better the chance at becoming known and subsequently becoming famous they would have. Fair skinned women were allowed to act in movies and became popular singers. Some of the women accepted their biracial heritage, others tried to emulate their white counterparts as much as possible and some others decided to try to pass as white altogether. The same was true in the industry of business as whites were more likely to do business with fairer skinned blacks as they felt them to be more intelligent because they had white heritage mixed with black heritage. Banks were more adept to loan biracial people loans, businesses were more likely to do business with biracial businessmen, and overall it was easier for biracial people who acted white to get ahead in life than if they had of leaned towards their black heritage. When biracial people would act white or try to pass as white, they would have to create different personas for different environments. When they were around other blacks, they would act black and when they were around whites they would act white. But when someone tries extremely hard to be white, they sometimes lose their own identity and honestly begin to believe their own lies. As weird as it may sound, a lot of biracial people who denounce their black heritage often end up more racist towards blacks than whites are either because they psychologically now believe they are white or because in their attempt to blend in with whites, they over compensate when it comes to racism towards blacks and end up being more racist than their white counterparts.

Whereas whites would just treat biracial people who "acted black" as just another black person, they would treat biracial people who acted white with more respect, at least to their face that is. I have been witness to more than a few occasions where a white person would socialize with a black person who acted white and treat them like another white person when they are around but would completely denounce them as illegitimate the moment the biracial person was no longer in sight. Most whites will treat a biracial person nicely when around them but will treat them like just another black person when they are around their other white constituents. Other whites on the other hand will look down at biracial people who act white as cowards and fakes because they abandon their black heritage because life is easier being white. They feel as if it is morally wrong not to be true to your heritage or to try to attempt life as another heritage on the grounds of a better chance at a successful life.

In the black community, biracial people or black people for that matter, who identify themselves as white or try to pass as white, are treated extremely harsh by other blacks. They are considered traitors to their race and completely ostracized from the African American community. Unlike whites who will not necessarily accept blacks who act white but will undoubtedly generally be non confrontational towards them, blacks have no problem confronting biracial people who act white. They refer to them as "Uncle Toms", "sellouts" and "race traitors" and treat them either like second class citizens or ignore them altogether. In the eyes of a black person and the black community as a whole, the worst thing a biracial person could do is try to act white or try to fit in with whites. They would much rather a biracial person identify themselves as biracial and not black than claim to be white instead of black because at least by identifying themselves as biracial they are acknowledging their black heritage whereas when claiming to be white or acting white, they are spitting In the face of every black person by saying blacks aren't good enough.

Unfortunately, because a lot of biracial people who chose to act white do it to further themselves in ways such as better jobs, houses, or education, a lot of black feel as if someone who is biracial and achieves one or all of these things is a sellout as well. This also applies to biracial people who date people who aren't black because the black community will misconstrue that as the biracial person feeling as if blacks aren't good enough and this usually isn't the case. I can recall multiple times that I have been called a "white boy" by blacks because I work in a white collar, corporate environment instead of a blue collar one. I have nothing against blue collar jobs; I have just noticed through out my life that I excel at white collar positions more than at blue collar jobs for a lot of different reasons. Furthermore, I can also recall a number of blacks who looked down upon blacks or biracial people who moved out of the black community into the suburbs. They would generally be asked if "the neighborhood isn't good enough for you anymore". When I first went to college, a few of my black relatives stated that college is "only for Uncle Toms who want to learn the white man's account of history". They felt as if college was not only unnecessary but a hindrance and a negative because it "fills your head with nonsense". I find it both ironic and horrendous that a lot of people in the black community as well as some in the white community, look down on their brethren for attempting to better themselves and their lives. This occurs out of jealousy as well as ignorance and is rather unfortunate.

As far as dating outside of one's race is concerned, all races generally are against it for multiple reasons. Whites who date blacks are referred to as "nigger lovers" and as having "jungle fever". They are thought of as muddying the superior genetic pool of Caucasians and dating below their standards. They are often times ostracized from their families or have relationships with their relatives dissolved. When a biracial or black person dates someone who isn't black, they are looked at as sellouts or traitors. Instead of being thought of as dating or socializing with people inferior to them, they are thought of as feeling as if their own people are the inferior ones. They are asked why blacks aren't good enough for them and if they are racist. America as a country is slowly beginning to accept inter racial dating but it still remains a taboo in many cultures and is one of America's dirty little secrets. America claims to be the cultural melting pot of the world yet looks down upon its own people when they stirs that pot.

Because of the subjects mentioned above, riding the white line, or portraying yourself as white when you are biracial can be a very dangerous game. Like my grandfather said, "if you are on the middle line, you will get hit from both sides" Unfortunately this is still true because leaning towards your white heritage can cause a biracial person to be ostracized from the black community and simultaneously, fraternizing with white women or men in the wrong area can literally get you killed. I cannot wait until that solid line in the middle of the two way street of American traditionalism is torn down and rebuilt as a one way highway towards equality and progressivism.