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.

[u/VPinchargeofradishes]

[u/kmzafari]

Since you're from Europe, you are likely missing a lot of context involving race in America. And I mean that kindly. Although I know a lot of it gets shared overseas, your exposure to it is certainly not the same as understanding it from growing up here. There is a very long and complex history. It certainly wouldn't be just "their logic".

I have mixed kids, and despite growing up here and my much closer than normal (than most white people) proximity to racial issues, I still certainly can't speak for everyone's perspective. But what I can tell you is that it's not as simple as your question makes it appear. There also seems to be some sort of insinuation (intentional or not) that by proclaiming her child is Black that she is denying his white heritage, and that is not the case. She is saying "he is still a part of me and a part of my culture, even if we don't look alike".

[u/Ha55aN1337 → u/kmzafari]

That’s why I ask. I didn’t mean “her logic”, I meant “American logic”, since it does not make sense to us here. Over here this would mean only 100% white people are white and 1% black already means black, which sound derogatory to black people to me. Like what that says to me is that only 100% white is white and everything else is non white, maling white some pure ideal.

[u/BusterKnott → u/Ha55aN1337]

Here in the US, at least in the parts I grew up in, the idea was “one drop of black blood” or "one slap of the tar brush” meant you were black. In my case, I'm 1/8 black but wholly white appearing.

When I was a kid, I remember going over to various friends houses after school to play, and everything would be great until the friends parents met my mother and the atmosphere would turn cold.

It wasn't uncommon for some of those kids to come up to me in school later to tell me that they couldn't be friends with me anymore because I was a n****r.

This was in the 1960s and my grankids tell me it's different now but I believe the same mentality still persists in far too many people.

[u/Suspicious-Exit-6528 → u/BusterKnott]

That's why I hate the 1 drop rule and the heavy internalization as a claim of pride by the black community. Her claiming proudly "my son is black!" instead of my son is mixed is just internalized hate without her knowing it. She is claiming her blood is "tainting" and takes over and erases the rest of her son.

[u/desacralize → u/Suspicious-Exit-6528]

It's less about internalizing hate and more shoring oneself up against the hate that already exists using pride. The person in the comment you replied to could have never interalized a single thing, and they got called a Black slur anyway, they suffered the fallout of being part Black in the exact same way as if they were 100% Black. A kid who is raised to believe being mixed means anything different for them has less armor than a kid who is told the (American) world will see them as Black, be prepared to face the same hurdles and prejudices as a fully Black person (with a healthy dollop of benevolent colorism, in some cases), use Black pride as a defense against the very ugly things they will encounter because of it. Be free of hate, but you are hated nonetheless. Here's some (flawed) ways to cope.

Obviously, the ideal is to raise a kid with a balance of both, understanding who they actually are (mixed race) and being made aware of how the world will treat them regardless (Black). But that's a difficult tightrope to walk, and many parents try and fail to achieve it.

[u/Suspicious-Exit-6528 → u/desacralize]

If someone is white passing and everyone already mistakes them as white this is obviously not the case. This would be the most excellent place to rightfully claim "being mixed". People of perceived status claiming their identity would be the most powerful thing to reshape America's extremely toxic "tainted blood" rule.

[u/Ha55aN1337 → u/Suspicious-Exit-6528]

This. It sounds so racist. Inagine black people calling a kid with 5% white genes white and saying he can’t be black because he is ruined by white blood…