AIBU?
Mixed race
Doubtfuldaphne · 21/04/2013 21:50
A silly question really..
Aibu to tick 'mixed race' on my dd's forms? My dh is half Asian half English .. He always just ticks 'white' but I feel a bit sad that he's not acknowledging his Asian background. For my dd I usually tick 'mixed'
It's not all about box ticking.. It's more acknowledging my dd's heritage..
redskyatnight · 21/04/2013 21:55
My DC have same sort of ethnic mix. I kind of think ethnicity on forms is ridiculous these days when so many people (esp children) have such a mixed background that it's hard to know how to describe it.
So ... I tend to think about why the form is asking. If it's a place that might get a grant for higher number of minority ethnic groups (and I'd like the place to have more money) I will tick mixed race (though then I get odd looks for blonde blue eyed DS). If I think the form is just being nosy, I'll refuse to disclose or put "British". Actually I never do put "white", though I can see that might be what the DC choose when they are old enough to be doing the forms themselves.
amazinsammie · 21/04/2013 21:57
Hi. I guess I'm going to be a bit controversial here my children (3childrem 2 fathers) are of mixed heritage including my own. I always tick the other box as they are not of mixed race they are of mixed heritage. In my eyes there is only one race and that is the human race. But that's just my beliefs. Also why are box ticking so important is some situations.
Doubtfuldaphne · 21/04/2013 22:02
Well our latest one was for hospital admission so that's why it came up - for other things I do wonder why they need to know.
I may have put too much emphasis on box ticking here- I think what I wa s meaning was if my dh doesn't class himself as mixed race very often then is my dd?! I know it shouldn't matter but I do wonder sometimes where you draw the line because really... Isn't everyone mixed race somewhere down the line? 
currentbuns · 21/04/2013 22:07
Op, what percentage would you say is needed to constitute a mixed race heritage? If your dc were to have children in the future with white partners, for example, would their 1/8 Asian dc still be mixed race? (Just curious, by the way, not attempting to make any sort of point)
redskyatnight · 21/04/2013 22:16
Why on earth not forehead? Ethnicity is (in part at least) about the group in which you identify and consider yourself to belong to. I don't know about OP's DH but I've lived in this country all of my life and know next to nothing about my "Asian heritage" (in part because my Asian parent chooses not to talk about it as they consider themselves to be purely British). I actually wouldn't call myself white but would consider myself (other than my physical appearance) to have more in common with that ethnic group than most of the standard "other" choices.
ThePathanKhansAmnesiac · 21/04/2013 22:26
I never tick any of those boxes. I know that the reasoning is to check fair take up, targeting of resources etc.., but they just make me feel uneasy.
All this info..just presuming we always have a fairly liberal consensus and benign government.
Fuck it, when they come for me they,ll have to guess my ethnicity
.
quesadilla · 21/04/2013 22:26
Yes I have this problem too: I am white Brutush and my DH is South American of mainly but probably not exclusively white European origin as he comes from a place where most people don't know (and don't care much) about their ethnic origin. So I have no way of knowing decisively whether my DD has non-white European ethnicity. And even if I did there wouldn't be a box to tick which would reflect this complexity.
I personally don't give a toss about it and I think it is largely arse covering ethnic monitoring by councils paranoid about being taken to court for discrimination. I don't think it really matters at the end of the day and if people massage or gloss over their racial heritage it may just have more to do with life being too short to care about it than lack of pride in their background.
Astley · 21/04/2013 22:33
My DC are a quarter non white British, but still European white. I always put mixed as the other option is 'White British' and they are not fully white British so I don't want to put something I know not to be true.
Obviously if the form allows you to tick 2 boxes I tick white British and the other European ethnic group. Mainly these forms are for medical reasons so it would feel very wrong to me to out something clearly false when the reason for asking may be genetic conditions that my DC are more likely to have due to the other ethnicity.
DontSHOUTTTTTT · 21/04/2013 22:42
I think people are over thinking this one. It's a little box, tick it if you want, don't tick it if you don't want to. It REALLY doesn't matter. (Unless it is for medical reasons 
)
Ticking a box is usually meaningless. I don't think it acknowledges diddly squat.
Jinsei · 21/04/2013 23:02
I have always ticked "mixed race" for dd, as her dad is Asian and I'm white British. However, I did this for something recently, and found out that she was astonished by my choice - turns out that she identifies herself as White. I will admit to having been surprised, as she is very in touch with her Asian heritage, speaks an Asian language, loves spending time in her dad's country etc. However, now she's old enough to have a view on her identity, I shall have to re-think what I write...
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