To ask if I am mixed race?

[800caloriesofwine]

Such a strange question but here goes... I have had limited contact with my bio dad. I did a dna test and it came back I was about 70/30 white to black British.
I have always classed myself as white British, I can only speak from a white British point of view. However racism is everywhere at the moment. My FIL just sent me a particularly vile meme about black people, and I just sent back 'you know I'm mixed race right?' without thinking.
Now I feel like a fraud. I am barely mixed race. I have had none of the experiences (positive or negative) of being part of another culture. Am I lying to him and myself? Am I mixed race?
My dad is definitely not white passing. However I am. My mum and stepdad are so white and we look like a family.

Do I care? Frankly. I don't. Bring your children up well, to value education and the opportunities Physics A level might bring. Dont be snobby about vocational skills; we all need a practical person but there's no substitute for expertise. Your plumber probably earns more per hour than your solicitor.

I would say you are mixed race

Race is a social construct so is ethnicity. It is for you to decide how you identify.

My BFF comes from a mixed background. Even though her and her sister have the same (mixed race) parents her sister is dark skinned and has Afro hair whereas my BFF is pale skinned with smooth wavy hair. BFF has had the choice all her life of living the easy ‘white’ life or speaking up in the face of racism. I am proud to say that she has never taken the easier path. We both turn 60 soon and although her life is easier now than when we were South London teenagers many years ago, she still speaks up for BLM constantly. I’m proud to be her mate.

@quarantimespringclean you and your bff sound awesome

You are overthinking!

Of course if you are mixed race, then you are mixed race.

It doesn’t matter so much how your FIL was called out. Just that he was called out was important.

I wouldn’t really find that acceptable. It’s a toxic trait to spread any kind of hate .

Who do you think you are. That would be my answer.

My results came back mostly Scandinavian but I have no affiliation or family from this area. I think I am British and hence I think you are who ever you think you are and not what a piece of paper says.

My daughter also has some heritage that neither I or my hubby have. No idea where that came from but it has no real meaning on her identity.

It's up to you if you want to use that term (or concept) in relation to yourself. Race is a social concept, not a biological one. You can decide what it means to you indivudually.

My friend is 1/4 black and considers herself mixed (rightfully so).

I think if you know/can see if your dad looks a bit mixed then you can identify as so (with the knowledge you have lived as white-passi like my mate).

DNA test are fun things though - I am 35% British according to mine. Otherwise I'm italian/spanish/French and 10% Arab.

My family has no knowledge many gens back of anything but English or Scot. So it's not like a true makeup check.

Funny things*

And I of course do not identify as mixed

@cabbageking your DD genes come from any of your ancestors. She could be 20% Nigerian but that gene could be 30 gen back and she just got lots of the genes.

I am white Irish, brought up at a time when pretty much everyone in Ireland was white Irish. I don't want to sound ignorant so please forgive my questions if rude,
Why do people talk about passing as white, as if its a test that you might 'fail'
Does it matter if you are mixed race or not,
Can a mixed race person identify as white,
And in what circumstances would you have to tick a box asking whether you are mixed race or not? Genuinely curious.

I meant to say, your fil is an arsehole for sending vile racist memes to you or to anyone else.

@Deadringer have you never had to tick a box answering your ethnicity?!
In a hospital? On a form? When applying for a job? When having children at the midwife appointments?

If you have always known you were mixed race then you have experienced racism everytime someone assumed you were white and made a racist quip or remark. Those racist barbs would have wounded you.

And of course you are mixed race if your father was/is. Own it. Any other position is fraudulent OP

Race is a social construct. In so far as it ever meant anything biologically, it denoted two separate populations that did not interbreed, such as African and Asian lions. So 'mixed race' is thus a contradiction in terms.

DNA research has discovered that we are all mongrels, one way or another. It is just a question of how far back you want to go.

Regards your ethnic identity, that's a matter for you, based on your upbringing and your contact, or lack of it, with different cultural traditions.

You don’t need to be mixed race or the targeted race of your FIL to call it out. I heard a relative say some vile things about Asians and I called them out sharpish even though I’m not Asian. It actually hurt me to hear her say it and really diminished her in my eyes.

You are mixed race - being able to pass for white is irrelevant. Sure your issues might not be the same as a MR person who was darker skinned (or a black person) but that doesn’t negate your identity.

^This. I wouldn't worry about this, your FIL is a vile racist and you were rightly disgusted and you called him out on it. It caused you to react the way you did.

@Deadringer

I am white Irish, brought up at a time when pretty much everyone in Ireland was white Irish. I don't want to sound ignorant so please forgive my questions if rude, Why do people talk about passing as white, as if its a test that you might 'fail' Does it matter if you are mixed race or not, Can a mixed race person identify as white, And in what circumstances would you have to tick a box asking whether you are mixed race or not? Genuinely curious.

"Passing" was generally done in the USA during Jim Crow. People who could 'Pass' could get access to facilities out of bounds for black people. 'Passing' now might mean people are not discriminated against, I suppose? I'm not sure.

Do they not collect ethnicity data in Ireland? Most places have you tick a box asking if you are white British, white other, black British, etc etc. It's for sure done in healthcare, employment, applications for work (the data like race, sex, age etc is separated so in theory the company only sees your application and has no preconceived ideas about you).

Race isn't a colour though is it. My kids are half English and half Turkish. They are mixed race. They are mixed of two different races. However they are as white as snow! That doesn't mean they are not of a mixed race