Is my mixed race child black or white?

Question

I am filling out a school application for my daughter who has one white parent and one black parent. The application asks for the race of my child, and I can only choose one. I don't know if I should choose black or white, and there is no "other" or "more than one" option. If you've dealt with this, please let me know how you've decided to deal with this issue.

Answer 1

Choose white, they'll be treated better... And if that causes you to be bent out of shape; which would you prefer - your child to boldly proclaim their heritage or be treated with dignity or respect?  Because like that form you can only choose one...

My best's son is mixed like that - she always forces the black down everyone's throat and then questions the treatment he gets...

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

That's a dreadful form! Quite apart from your situation, what is the parent of a child of Chinese or Indian origin supposed to put?

I would ring the authority in question, tell them that your child is neither black nor white, and ask them what they want you to do. Don't assume racism, though - it's likely to just be a programming bug. I've never seen a form like that that didn't have a whole lot of options.

Answer 3

I would check the race which they look more like if your kids look more black then check the black box if they look more white then check the white box either way their race will be covered

Answer 4

My mom's a teacher and she said it's up to the parent what race to "claim" on paperwork.  My daughter is due in September and she is biracial, too.  I haven't decided what I will do when that time comes.  I guess if your child clearly identifies more with one race, put that.  Otherwise, I don't know how to decide.

Answer 5

I'd leave it blank.

Answer 6

BLack. I am mixed - Ive filled out forms. If I choose white or other it is always erased and black is filled in for me. So, we don't choose - its just the way it is. The world is changing so much now though I think Biracial will soon become and option.

Answer 7

Leave that pigeonhole blank!  

Race and nationality is whatever the person in question most closely identifies with.

Answer 8

Your child is birracial but to society black and white mixed simply means that they are just black.

Answer 9

Fill in both white and black.

Answer 10

Sorry I am not sure how to help you with this question, however, I had to comment on this..

"that's what happens when you have both.. sorry but it's true... should thought of this when you had s*x...."

What the h**l is this Clumsy Braceface thinking? Should most likely be racist braceface if you ask me. Why wold you comment this? What sense does it even make any? Lets see, I am about to have s*x, wait, I may need to describe the result in a form some day.. WTF! Crawl back into the hole you dragged your a s s out of anyway...

Answer 11

Since you can't leave it blank you could ask her what she wants? Make it a joke.  "Isn't it strange that your school's website doesn't have enough choices for us?! How goofy of them to make that mistake. Well, I guess we have to pick one.  What do you think we should put down?"

The only reason I say this is because she is going to have to deal with this same issue by herself at some point, you might as well introduce it to her in a way that makes it obvious that it is a bizarre thing for any institution to do.  I know a lot of kids who had to make this choice for the first time while filling out standardized testing forms at school and had never been aware that they might have to do that before.

Answer 12

My children are half race as well and we always put the minority race on registrations and applications. I don't know why, probably because we want to preserve that identity in them so they don't become generic white people, like me.

Answer 13

To be honest I've always avoided the race box whenever possible. People tend to put entirely too much importance into race, when it reality it's not important at all (with the exception of some race related medical conditions and cultural beliefs). I don't feel that the fact that my ancestors were a variety of different races has any impact on my ability to learn, fill out applications, take certain jobs ect. Add to the fact that most of us are unable to go back farther then 10 generation (and even then usually only through a couple branches of the family) and the entire idea of race becomes even more ridiculous. For all I know my European ancestors may have intermarried with Middle Easterners, my Turkish ancestors may have some African blood in there, and maybe my Native American and Spaniard ancestors weren't so pure either. The same could be said for anyone, I honestly don't believe that anyone is 100% anything. I'd just leave it blank and if they say anything, tell them that she's mixed. That's what I've done all my life and what I'll do for my children.

Edit: Hmm, that does complicate things. Perhaps you could have a conversation with he father and between the two of you decide which box would be better to check. Or ask her which she wants if she's old enough to understand.  In the long run it really won't matter which box you check, she'll probably be recognized as multiracial in person (based on appearance), what's on paper isn't important. Or just close your eyes and pick one, lol. Good luck hun, I hope it all works out.

Answer 14

I believe by law they have to give an OTHER option on the form. I would leave it blank your child is both, white and black ..So DUH on their part. How irresponsible for them  to leave that off...

BTW my daughter is white and Asian.. she looks white tho and i get hassled all the time. It is very frustrating.

Answer 15

Wow! That is a question that I never thought of with a biracial child...

I think if it was me, I would put black because they look more black than white... and then I would be calling the school to complain ;)

Answer 16

well im 15 [caucasion/hispanic]  and at school we had to fill an application out at school and they asked my race and so i picked hispanic because i look more like one and i feel more like one

Answer 17

I think this is a very interesting question. I've noticed that in the USA mixed parentage has a person classified as black (the minority) whereas in Africa you are classified (by blacks) as white.

Would I send my kid to a school that produced such a badly thought out application form? That's another question....