passing as White

[StonyArabia]

[Myanthropologies]

If she grew up for that long as "white," she is just white - not white passing. She spent her whole life roaming the world as a "white" woman and she's old fudge now, I doubt this discovery effects her life at all.

[StonyArabia]

If she grew up for that long as "white," she is just white - not white passing. She spent her whole life roaming the world as a "white" woman and she's old fudge now, I doubt this discovery effects her life at all.

Pretty much yeah. I agree, but it just shows how racial identification can be socially constructed.

[Heather Duval]

Americans are very obsessed with ethnicities. There are no such tv programs about that in Latin America.

[Mortimer]

white passing is a dumb concept only because of the one drop rule if someone is 90+ white and visibly european, he is white not "white passing". if you are black but have one white great grandparent are you "black passing"? muhammed ali had irish ancestry was he "black passing"? this is only because of the system of white supremacy and the very strict rules who is white, the system is based on that "who is white"

[StonyArabia]

Americans are very obsessed with ethnicities. There are no such tv programs about that in Latin America.

Latin America never had the one drop rule, and very racial purist stance that the U.S had. The one drop rule even extended to Amerindians, but then there was an exception because the "noble" American families especially in Virginia had Amerindian ancestry, and this was called Pocahontas exception. Americans are indeed very race obsessed indeed, since the start, and everything is racialized there, to lesser extent Canada as well. However Canada never had the one drop rule if you looked White you are White regardless if you have an Amerindian or African ancestor. Most White Canadians are just European, they don't have the additional admix, but you do get those who do, but not that common. Canada's racism was different applied than the U.S, but here Blacks and Amerindians both had gone under racial segregation and to lesser extent even Whites like Acadians who were French speakers. Not to forget many Whites in Latin America unlike those in North America, do have Amerindian or African ancestry which makes a difference.

[Myanthropologies]

white passing is a dumb concept only because of the one drop rule if someone is 90+ white and visibly european, he is white not "white passing". if you are black but have one white great grandparent are you "black passing"? muhammed ali had irish ancestry was he "black passing"? this is only because of the system of white supremacy and the very strict rules who is white, the system is based on that "who is white"

I disagree that someone with 90% + white ancestry is just "white." Race is a social construct that effects people differently. Some people who are 90%+ white may still descend from slaves or have a mixed great-grandparent who was under a lot of pressure to pass as "white." They may not want to erase that part of their family history, and they may feel like calling themselves "white" erases that part of their heritage. So I don't think calling them "white" is right either (if they dont identify as such). But in the case of this woman, she grew up all her life being "white."

[Myanthropologies]

Americans are very obsessed with ethnicities. There are no such tv programs about that in Latin America.

I know. It's so annoying

[Heather Duval]

I know. It's so annoying

Oh, yeah. People here dont even ask you about your ancestors in tv/real life. To know the ancestry of celebs here , we judge by their last name. It's hard to find in their biographies any kind of information. I learned the term 'white passing' on the internet. I've read that it's common in the US.

[Chocolate_Hound]

I agree with one of the first responders, the fact that she suddenly discovered she had a black ancestor that late in life is a BS excuse. She's spent the majority of her life as white, she's white, period.