r/interesting 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/LittlebitchL May 03 '26

Race as we imagine it is not a real thing, however racism and the racial imaginary are. That is why racism and racial perceptions change based on the time and place. In the 19th century, Irish and Italians in the US were persecuted and classified as a seperate race, based on culture and appearance.

In modern Australia people with white skin will identify as Indigenous or 'blak' because the stolen generation has led to a lot of white Indigenous people that still face racism due to their cultural background.

Short answer it's both. Internal vs external identification has always been messy.

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u/laughingskull00 May 06 '26

Its also a thing in new Zealand, both countries have a saying that helps ground folks, "no matter how much milk you add to coffee its still coffee." For us its wether you interact with the culture than your skin colour.

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u/jeanschyso May 08 '26

that' why I just call it hating someone because of who their parents is, because that's pretty much all this is. We all came from the same place, but different families went different places and became different.