Do people intentionally ignore Meghans biracial heritage?

[JamSandle]

I'm not disputing that many media swipes at Meghan had a racist tone but im really confused as to how many people keep talking about Meghan as being black. I'm assuming many people saying this are American? I dont know many biracial people, myself included, who refer to themselves as only one race. It seems a very American thing to me.

When people talk about Meghan, especially when negatively, why is it considered racist, completely disregarding that she is half white? And especially when she was first introduced, many people didn't know what ethnicity Meghan was. I think she actually has a look that could be quite global in terms of being from anywhere, but she has quite a Southern European/South American look to me.

Again...im not saying there is no racism towards Meghan. But I find it off that people ignore that Meghan is not black, she is biracial.

Thanks for your post and your perspective. I also find online there is much more debate over where mixed people belong. Online youre not White enough or Black enough but in the media its reported as if mixed people are 'just' black. I cant comment on other biracial combinations as I'm not sure for example how someone half white/half Asian or half black/half Latina would be viewed. Again probably depends on where you are and who you're with.

I just find as a biracial its so frustrating feeling like you can't...'be' i guess is the word.

I don't know though if it's people referring to her, rather than her referring to herself (I think maybe the former). Maybe black is more common than Indian there, so it's a default. Really don't know 🤷🏻‍♀️

My experience is the same. It didn’t fully register that Meghan was mixed race until I saw her mum. I don’t know anyone who was bothered, much like when Rishi Sunak became our first non-white PM, very little has been said about that in the media / social media.

That's interesting, my eldest daughter is mixed ethnicity white/Pakistani. She wouldn't call herself Pakistani or Asian, she would say she is mixed race.
In fact where we used to live there were many Asian/ white mixed race families and none of them would consider themselves Asian except the parent that was Asian. The kids all identified as mixed race and acknowledged both their white and Asian heritage.
I find this all very interesting,
Do you think it depends on what mix of ethic background someone has as to whether they are influenced to identify as one ethnicity or both? I am generalising that question to anyone and not specifically yourself

• as a biracial person

Yes I think it may be more dependent on what combination you are.

I think white and black may be more charged with picking a side?

I think over the last 10-15 years it’s become a lot more common for mixed race people to refer to themselves as black.
I think that American culture is so consumed here that it’s become adopted.
You’ll get a lot of mixed race people saying things like ‘white people don’t see us anything but black’

I have noticed a bit of pushback in the last year or so though, with more mixed race people saying they are mixed, and they are proud of being so and that their experience isn’t the same as the black experience.

Megan is quite a European name…. And Meghan straightens her hair. For some reason she just doesn’t have mixed race features that I’m familiar with. Sure she’s had a nose job, but I don’t think it’s changed the shape that much…. Weird.

It must be difficult for people who are mixed heritage….

Perhaps its in how you're raised. My parents were quite open about the fact that I and my siblings are the result of two different heritages, races, backgrounds and of course families. It all felt very even and balanced which is perhaps rare.

Of course I've experienced racism. From different sides. A lot of 'where are you from?' from all sorts of different people. Sometimes its upset me and sometimes I enjoy the curiosity if I think its genuine and not a way to figure out which 'side' I belong on.

Both a blessing and a curse. I feel very proud to be who I am. But I do feel the world doesn't always know what to do with you. I dont feel this with my family at all which is a blessing as I know thats not always the case.

Anyway I'm kind of veering onto myself and away from Meghan. And this is about her.

I think the answer is that as an American, or Canadian, I'm actually not sure, she likely views race through a more American lens.

The term black is a political word and intentionally so. And it is used in that way in Britain as well.

Maybe I'm just being too logical or pedantic.

I get that black can be a political identity. But I also can't really understand this sort of...absorbing perhaps? Of biracial people into one monolith.

We are not a hive mind. Which i suppose is why people do identify so differently.

No I didn’t say I did, but I’m like Meghan in the sense that I’m “white passing” so I don’t consider myself as black and most people don’t realise I’m mixed race, however my siblings have a different father and are much darker they do refer to themselves as black and every mixed race person I know does as well not a new thing, my sister says if you’re not white you’re black

I think it's the 'one drop rule', a US things where anyone with a drop of black heritage is considered black. She'd never be classed as white so either mixed race or black.

I feel like problem like to downplay her whiteness but ultimately, she was raised by a black woman.

She's gorgeous and whatever she classes herself as!

*people not problem

Sorry for misreading Spinning and thanks for sharing your perspective.

And *blackness no whiteness - it's 1am

Thanks for your reply. Thomas did spent most of Meghans childhood raising her I think? Or am I wrong?

I know haha I should be in bed but my mind is obviously wide awake!

Wrong. They had joint custody with Meghan splitting between both homes.

I totally get what you mean. A few of my friends have said that growing up they always felt they had to pick a side. For example, in secondary school there would be the white girls, black girls, asian girls, arab girls and so on. They always felt they had to choose between the white and the black girls. So if they’d choose the black girls then growing up they didn’t understand why they’d get told that they’re not ‘black enough.’

I can imagine it’s an impossible position because as you said, online you can’t belong to one group but then the media play it out that being mixed race IS black

Thanks x

I thought Thomas Markle had raised Meghan independently for a few years. Need to re-read.

I think it just depends on your up bringing tbh, my siblings are much more connected to their black side, only have black friends don’t have white friends really, (my sister has one white friend but she has mixed race children) and don’t socialise with white people i think as someone said growing up a lot of people usually pick a side that’s been the case for the mixed race people I know anyway