Last week, the Washington Post published a column by Elizabeth Chang entitled Why Obama Should Not Have Checked 'Black' on His Consensus Form. In it, she expresses her disappointment that Obama checked his racial identity as African American instead of indicating his biracial background of a white mother and a black father.
She opposes the move first of all because it is misleading. The president is biracial and has previously acknowledged and even celebrated his multiracial makeup. Second of all, it sets a precedent that individuals of mixed racial backgrounds should conform to a certain racial identity to appeal to a given group, be it a social clique or a political constituency.
From the article:
Despite being raised by a white mother and white grandparents, despite have spent most of his childhood in the rainbow state of Hawaii, despite clearly being comfortable in almost any type of crowd (though I suppose Tea Partyers might give him pause), the president apparently considers himself only black. "I self-identify as an African American. That's how I am treated and that's how I am viewed. And I'm proud of it," he has said. But he also argued in his famous speech about race that he could no more disown the Reverend Jeremiah Wright "than I can my white grandmother." With his census choice, he has done precisely that.
I have mixed reactions to her opinion.
From one perspective, I agree with her. As I wrote previously, the option to select multiple races is a major victory for biracial individuals.
People like President Obama are now able to check the boxes that more accurately reflect their bi- or multi-racial backgrounds. Why voluntarily give up this right and conform to social pressures? I would assume all individuals would like to accurately have their identities recorded. (As Chang also points out, aren't people supposed to fill out the census accurately?)
I also agree with her second point. Mixed bloods are often put under various pressures to be pigeonholed into one race or another, either be they from family, friends or society at large. Having someone as high profile as Obama declaring his mixed ethnic background would inspire countless individuals with similar stories to follow his lead.
However, I also disagree with her. I have personally met numerous people from multiracial backgrounds who take pride in the fact that they can assume multiple identities. There is a small comfort in being a foreigner in a foreign land while still being able to camouflage oneself as a local. Personally, I have been often mistaken as Italian, Latin American, Native American and Turkish etc. With the risk of being tricked, swindled, or simply to avoid awkward stares, it is sometimes to our convenience not to deny ourselves the occasional mistaken identity.
In addition, I have also consciously used my ambiguous ethnic background to my advantage. In the event that it suits my needs to use my background to develop a relationship, I intentionally stir up the emotions of pan-Chinese nationalism. Conversely, it also helps to seem like an average American and I can do that as well. Obviously, a certain degree of language ability is necessary to successfully accomplish either, but the point still stands: the ability for mixed bloods to blend in is not only an issue of convenience, but also something from which one can benefit, just as others might benefit from an alumni or personal connection.
I have read Obama's Dreams from My Father, and can relate to his internal struggle of coping with a clear biracial background while being seen only as black. However, I can also understand his use of racial identity to achieve a goal, even a political one.
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