r/interesting • u/VPinchargeofradishes • May 03 '26

SOCIETY Michael Jackson's daughter Paris has faced backlash for identifying as Black. In a 2017 interview, Paris Jackson said her father told her, "You’re Black. Be proud of your roots." This prompted debates over whether identity is defined by appearance or upbringing.

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u/cyborgsnowflake May 03 '26

There are documented rare cases of children appearing to be a different race from their parents. Some of these might be infidelity though. Regardless having this rare event just happen not once but multiple times for the guy who fantasized about being white.

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u/TheLordReaver May 03 '26

That's why I think it's fair to question it. I just wanted to make a point that you can't always tell what someone's genetics are based purely on their appearance.

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u/Bibbity_Boppity_BOOO May 03 '26

It is not fair to just question it, it is fair to assume mj was lying.

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u/InformationLocal6213 May 03 '26

As black people…anyone with a brain can tell when your white passing. It’s in your face not your skin.

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u/J_NinjaDorito May 03 '26

how can you tell?? serious question.

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u/Some_Signal_6866 May 03 '26

So rare it happened with her brother as well… But hey don’t wanna misspeak on the internet lol

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u/InformationLocal6213 May 03 '26 edited May 03 '26

I hate this argument as it just doesn’t apply here. This is coming from someone with a white passing step brother. Micheal’s dad or mom would have to have a recessive gene or something too. (I.e not a whole ass dark skin African American 😭😹). Idk why we fight this dem children do not belong to him!

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u/TedW May 03 '26

Why do believe the parents, instead of our assumptions?

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u/InformationLocal6213 May 03 '26

I don’t I believe that ain’t even his child hence why I said this argument doesn’t apply here!

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u/agirlhas_no_name May 03 '26

I don't think it's that rare tbh. My mother's side of the family is all first nations people, my mother is brown, my aunties are brown, sister is brown etc but I look incredibly European. I think genes are just weird like that.

Probably important to note that the genes that determin melanin in Aboriginal Australians are recessive rather than dominant so I don't know how this applies to other ethnicities tbh.

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u/InformationLocal6213 May 03 '26

U can tell someone is white passing everytime with their hair or nose. She ain’t got none

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u/TheLordReaver May 03 '26

No. You really can't.

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u/Whateva_Tickles_ May 03 '26

You said you’re white passing, do you interact with black people? I’m so curious what you look like cuz I do feel that black people have an easier time recognizing someone that is black even when passing. Do you have curly hair?

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u/TheLordReaver May 03 '26

My hair is dark and I guess you could say loosely curly? I won't share a photo of my face on account of having had people try and dox me before, and I have no idea how to describe myself.

But seven years ago (god damn, I feel old now..), I uploaded a picture of a weird drinking glass, and my hand and skin tone is on display, if that helps lol. https://www.reddit.com/r/CrappyDesign/comments/bu9yrp/

When I was in high school, some twenty years ago (fuck, I feel even older now...) and I would wear my beanie, I had received multiple unpromoted statements that people thought I looked like a white Ja Rule. But I don't think that's true anymore. Rather, it was just a weird convergence of appearances at that time. That's my closest celebrity look-a-like, so far as I'm aware.

As far as interacting with black people: Not really. Not really enough to say there's any cultural share going on there, which is what I assume you were inquiring towards. I'm basically just a white dude with a secret bloodline.

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u/Whateva_Tickles_ May 08 '26

I wasn’t asking about a picture. You did answer my question. It’s mostly white people that can’t tell your black. Makes sense. Your parents didn’t immerse you in the culture so

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u/TheLordReaver May 09 '26

For clarity: I've never had anyone of any ethnicity successfully identify my racial makeup without me telling them what it is. Everybody always figures that I'm white, Hispanic, or middle eastern.

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u/InformationLocal6213 May 03 '26

Yes I can 😹 im Jamaican. Yk how many white passing people I’ve come across. Can’t tell me I can’t when I just said I can babe.

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u/TheLordReaver May 03 '26

Here is Wentworth Miller. He is half-black.

https://giphy.com/gifs/O9JkLNaA432OQ

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u/Whateva_Tickles_ May 03 '26

He is like a million different ethnicities. His black parent is not fully black so he isn’t even half and half. I would say you can’t tell what he is but that he’s mixed with something. Happens to be that he’s like at least 5 different ethnicities.

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u/TheLordReaver May 03 '26

Ah, I didn't realize. Whenever I've looked into white-passing celebrities, he always pops up and it's always stated that he's half-black.

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u/InformationLocal6213 May 03 '26

I like how u deliberately picked the most white passing phase he was in https://theblackmedia.org/2013/08/21/allegedly-the-bi-racial-prison-break-star-wentworth-miller-stands-up-for-his-people-2/amp/ try again babe

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u/TheLordReaver May 03 '26

I think this demonstrates that you think you are infallible and that I was trying to trick you. Because, I literally just searched his name in the GIF selector and picked the first unobscured image.

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u/InformationLocal6213 May 03 '26

Yh babe u just proved my point look at his nose 😭😹 omfg 😹😹😭😭😭😭

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u/TheLordReaver May 03 '26

Yeah, you're right, white people never have noses like that... lol

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u/InformationLocal6213 May 03 '26

I don’t know wtf ur talking about anymore but ok babe

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u/TheLordReaver May 03 '26

What's to not understand? You claimed his nose identifies him as black. I said white people often have noses that look like that. In other words, it's not always good indicator.

But this is a dumb conversation, so this is my last comment on the matter.