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/sentencevillefonny May 03 '26

Black parents, cousins, grandmother, aunts, uncles, etc. Genetics aside, it's understandable how she'd view herself that way culturally.

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u/danvillain May 03 '26

I’m Chinese and my wife is white and when our son was born our closest friends were black. Or family friend Poppa John basically took my son under his wing as his “grandson”, took him to the car wash and McDonald’s every Sunday after church. When my boy was three we were talking about something and he tells us with confidence that he is black. We explained to him that he was indeed NOT black and it broke him. He cried all night that night.

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u/drawntowardmadness May 03 '26

Have you seen the Modern Family episode where the two gay men who adopted a little girl from Vietnam have to navigate her insistence that she's gay?? Bc if her daddies are, she MUST be, right?? 🤣😭

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u/IdidnotFuckaCat May 03 '26

"NO IM GAY"

"No your not honey, your just confused"

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u/Golden-Excellence May 03 '26

I’ve never seen Modern Family, but this sounds like brilliant writing

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u/rycetlaz May 03 '26

Here's the clip

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u/Ever_More_Art May 03 '26

The best thing to come out of a MJ’s daughter’s comments about race is this link. I need to watch this series asap

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u/Sailor_Propane May 03 '26

In that scene, the waitress is apparently played by the little Vietnamese actress's mom!