Mixed People Monday – Bruce Lee

None better.

Man I was a huge Bruce Lee fan growing up. So had to throw my old hero in here. The American–born actor was born to a Chinese father and a mother of Chinese and German ancestry.

Mixed Couples – John Legend and Chrissy Teigen

A good looking couple.

Singer John Legend and his fiancee, Chrissy Teigen - who’s of Thai-Norwegian descent and models for Sports Illustrated and Victoria’s Secret, are expected to marry sometime this year.

So What Determines Your “Race”?

So is skin color the key to what we are now?

Good Lawd.

From Gawker:

Former Democratic strategist Karen Finney, who was once the first African-American spokeswoman for the Democratic National Committee, was revealed today to be the new host of a 4 p.m. weekend show on MSNBC. Good for her, and good for MSNBC, which adds Finney, pictured at left, to an already diverse roster of talking heads that includes Chris Hayes, Melissa Harris-Perry, and Al Sharpton.

Don’t mention Finney’s race to Tim Graham, however. Graham, a so-called media “watchdog” for the conservative Media Research Center, doesn’t think it’s fair for MSNBC to herald Finney’s entrance as an arrival of another African-American host—y’know, considering her skin is so light and all.

 

 

Finney has a black father and a white mother so she is actually mixed. However, much like President Obama, Finney has the right to self-identify however she chooses. What is most interesting to me though in situations like this, that show once again how silly our “race” notions are, is that the key to determining if is is ok for her to be called black (or African-American) is her lighter skin and straighter hair. But Graham has no problem labeling Obama as black (also black father and white mother) presumably because he has darker skin and less straight hair.

So I guess this is kind of an admission that what your parents are has nothing to do with your “race.” Just how you look.

Just silly. I say again people, there are no different “races,” just different blendings.

 

Mixed People Monday – Tatiana Silva

Miss Belgium 2005

The former Miss Belgium, has a Belgian mother and a father who is Cape Verdian.

Mixed People Monday – Michaela Conlin

Success right out of NYU.

The actress, most known recently as a regular on the TV show “Bones,” has a Chinese mother and a Irish father.

Kim Kardashian & Kanye West Will Make Interesting Parents

The happy couple present their own unique challenges.

Kim Kardashian recently spoke about her pregnancy and thoughts on raising her baby with Kanye West:

Kim Kardashian recently opened up on another topic that has honestly been on our minds, the challenge of raising an interracial child. During an interview with BET, the reality star discussed preparing for motherhood, including what she plans to teach her bi-racial baby about race.

“Obviously you want your children, for me, to travel the world and experience different races and different cultures everywhere so I think that would be something that is important to me to give as much information as I could.

The mother-to-be said she’s also gotten some tips from some of her pals.

“I have a lot of friends that are all different nationalities and their children are bi-racial, so they have kind of talked to me a little bit about it and what to expect and what not to expect,” she said. “But I think that the most important thing is, how I would want to raise my children, is to just not see color.”

I am sure her heart is in the right place, because one thing about Kim we know is that she has no problems with seeing beyond skin color. But she has the idea wrong though. Our goal should never be to ignore color or ethnic differences. Indeed, we should revel in them. Enjoy them. Different colors and looks and cultures make the world so much more interesting. We don’t want a colorblind society. We want one that appreciates “colors” and embraces them, and does not discriminate against them. I think in a way that is what she meant though. But I just wanted to note the difference. Nothing wrong with seeing color. How we react to it is the issue.

One other point on the excerpt above, which I read on The Huffington Post. The writer used the phrase “…the challenges of raising an interracial child…” Well of course I don’t agree that people are “interracial” since we are all one race, only culturally or ethnically different. But I also take issue with the idea that raising a mixed child is more difficult somehow. I have two and have no particular difficulties compared to friends who have kids who do not benefit from being mixed. All children are a challenge. Girls present challenges. Boys present challenges. Being a minority religion presents challenges. Disabilities present challenges. Let’s not make it out that being mixed is somehow a particularly tough situation. It, like the others mentioned, means different things. But all children are unique in that way.

 

Mixed Couples – Janet Jackson & Wissam Al Mana

Imagine a celebrity couple who stays out of the limelight.

Janet Jackson and Wissam Al Mana married secretly several months ago, after a three year relationship.

Mixed People Monday – Shannon Elizabeth

As mixed as they come.

The actress (American Pie, Scary Movie and Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back) has a Syrian Lebanese father and a mother of English, Irish, German and Cherokee ancestry.

Mixed People Monday – Michael Copon

Multi-talented.

The actor is of Filipino and German heritage.

Mixed People Monday – Alex Wagner

A very bright lady.

The MSNBC host, one of my favorites, has a  mother who is is an immigrant from Rangoon, Burma and  her father is from Iowa, and is of German and Irish descent.