Many of the naysayers of our efforts have come, surprisingly, from the ranks
of African Americans. I say "surprisingly" because the social construction
of "race" (especially the terms "black" and "white") has long been identified
with racist oppression. The idea of "blacks" struggling to maintain a system
which, in effect, cordons off African ancestry from the rest of humanity
seems ludicrous -- until one looks at some of the things that "blacks"
associate with the idea of "mixed race".
The idea of "mixed race" has not only denoted acknowledgement of all of one's
heritage (which is what we here at Interracial Voice have been championing);
it has also been associated with intermediate status between a dominant
("white") group and a subordinate ("black") group. Thus a mixed race person
who chooses to not be associated with the subordinate group ("blacks") would,
supposedly, be looking to raise his status by identifying with the dominant
group or, at the very least, not identifying with the subordinate group.
The "blacks" have a point. In my own country (Dominican republic), lighter
skin has been associated with higher status. Same with Brasil. Same with
South Africa, where the "Cape Coloureds" have historically been an
intermediate group between the Afrikaner/British folks and the Africans the
Afrikaners first encountered.
Before I wrote my first word in Interracial Voice, I was aware of all of
this. Furthermore, as a Dominican, I had experienced it, since I am not the
lightest-skinned Dominican around. Why did I (and still do) advocate for the
saliency of multiracial identification?
Because the United States is not Brasil. It is not Dominican Republic. It is
not South Africa. Without going into an essay on the respective cultures of
the aforementioned countries, suffice it to say that I believe the U.S. has
ingredients in its culture as well as characteristics of its population
sufficient to not go down the path of Brasil or Dominican Republic or South
Africa.
First, the African American population is, by and large, too self-confident
and familiar with what the U.S. has to offer to submit to what darker-skinned
persons experience in other countries. Millions of African Americans are
middle class (there are, proportionately, fewer darker-skinned persons of
middle class in Brasil, for example). At the upper end of the spectrum, Ervin
(Magic) Johnson is worth $200,000,000.00 (U.S.). And he's joined by others
like Oprah Winfrey, Michael Jordan and Bill Cosby. Any Brasilians or South
Africans or Dominicans who can say this, please email me as soon as possible.
I would like to make your acquaintance. Second, laws are in place
guaranteeing certain rights to all North Americans, regardless of color. In
other countries this is a pipe dream. Vigilance is required to see that not
only are the laws to remain in place but the social mores and values which
underpin these laws remain as well. Third, the U.S. legal system, along with
the media, provide more opportunities for expression and protection of
darker-skinned people than either Dominican Republic or Brasil.
There is one very important thing that we of mixed race must do to complement
the strengths the U.S. has in avoiding the fates of my country or Brasil: we
must maintain our commitment to being horizontalists. What is a horizontalist?
In order to shed some light on this term, allow me to (under assumed names)
introduce to you my two best friends from work. Their names are Roberto and
Robertito. Both are in their late fifties/early sixties. Roberto is from West
Africa and very dark brown. Robertito is North American with a Welsh surname.
Both Roberto and Robertito are aware that I consider myself "multiracial" or
"mixed". They also are aware that I hold each of them to be equal to me and
to each other. Thus their placement -- and mine -- on a superior/inferior
equality scale would go like this:
I am pleased to have had the privilege of writing in Interracial Voice over
the last four years. During this time, I along with others have respectfully
called into question the mechanisms associated in maintaining the
"black"/"white" "racial" schism in the United States (especially the one
drop rule).
not like this:
("white")...............ROBERTITO = superior (mixed)...............JAVIER = medium ("black")...............ROBERTO = inferior
Thus, the top scheme of social relations involve those among three equals.
Some final questions: Why call ourselves any race at all? Well, I don't have any problem with stopping it. And as for calling myself "mixed", it just so happens that I AM of mixed African/Indian/European ancestry. Moreover, my culture (Dominican) is a syncretic blend of -- you got it -- African, Indian and European. And none of that has the least thing to do with superiority and inferiority.
A recent email I received from Fred Kirby told me that a certain pro-one drop African American columnist out of Wisconsin shouldn't be taken too seriously by me as he was "limited by his own experiences". I agreed with him and still do. African American experiences here in the United States have been largely negative, especially when placed alongside those of other "racial" groups. As a quote from Herman Wouk's Winds Of War stated (in recounting a conversation of an upper middle class girl in discussing a potential suitor), "well, he's not so bad; he's a Swede at least." African Americans realize that they are not Swedes, Norwegians, Germans or any other of the Northern European groups who have eventually blended into "American-ness". I am aware of all that and I was aware of it before I ever wrote a word for Interracial Voice.
The time has come now, however, for new paradigms and dynamics in "race" relations. Some of it we as "mixed" persons will have to assist in. Other adjustments will have to be made by African Americans. Sometimes the doom never comes. The practice of allowing persons in the U.S. to identify as mixed may sound like doom, but, as I stated above, there are too many safeguards in place for that to happen. Just as the communist revolution never took place in the industrialized West because of factors not thought of by Karl Marx, the doom sayer (probably labor unions among other things), so the idea of mixed North Americans will not harken us back to a reduction in the quality of life for "blacks" -- because of factors I described above: and certainly not thought out or mentioned by African American doom sayers.
William Javier Nelson, Ph.D.
 |
 |
©2001 all rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part prohibited without
the express written consent of Interracial Voice.