Anyone here have experience with biracial children?

[nolansmom]

My Ds is mixed - dad is hispanic and I am caucasian. There are some medical things that came up when he was little that I wasn't expecting. He has dark pigment spots in the whites of his eyes and apparently that is typical for those with darker skin - I hadn't heard of it and almost didn't believe it when Dr said so..

But my Ds also has a very Irish first and last name so I don't think anyone would ever identify him as hispanic based on first glance. I can def see people being treated differently being bi racial - although maybe it's even more specific to "which race" you are mixed with.

 

[maybebayb]

I'm white and my partner is middle Eastern, haven't had anything negative said. I do live in a place with many races so no one bats an eyelid.

Spoiler

our kids are also more attractive

 

[floridamomma]

I don't know about everyone else but it seems like people maybe in a delusional world. racism is still very much present. my baby will be biracial im black dads white and we already get comments. I have biracial family members as well and while you guys are right the kids don't care the parents are usually the culprits. I also have kids from a previous marriage and it scares me to think that my fully black children maybe walking home with their siblings and be accused of something. with that said the country(us) has come a long way but has so far to go. we live in the surburb/urban mixed area as well so everyone knows better than to comment, but the whispers are still present.

 

[maybebayb]

I find that so sad floridamomma. I'm glad I live in a very tolerant and diverse place. There is probably more mixed race kids at my daughters school then 'straight white'

 

[floridamomma]

there a more mixed kids this year but its an inner city school. but since my tots are brilliant they understand it somewhat

 

[Beyond]

Well i'm not mixed but my grandmother was (her father was white and mother black) of course she had it VERY hard back then but times have changed, thank God. Although racism is still very apparent today. My best friend is mixed (white dad , black mom) and she has mixed children. My DD is not mixed at all although she looks like it and the child i'm pregnant with right now will be White/Black/Mexican. I'm black, his/her father is white/mexican.

I live in Virginia and the part I live in is very weird. Mixed children don't really get the horrible teasing , it's the mixed couples that do. A lot of black women look at the black men with white women and think of them as stealing "our" men. (Which is BS) and the black men look at us black women as betraying our race.

 

[HBGirl]

It is so interesting to me to read this and see different cultural perspectives. We have only been a democracy since 1994 yet mixed race kids are just kids, like every other kid. I have honestly never given much thought to it until reading this.

TBH, most of my friends have mixed race babies, I am one of the few having a single race baby. Although I swear DH is a different species alltogether!

 

[Katt36]

Well i'm not mixed but my grandmother was (her father was white and mother black) of course she had it VERY hard back then but times have changed, thank God. Although racism is still very apparent today. My best friend is mixed (white dad , black mom) and she has mixed children. My DD is not mixed at all although she looks like it and the child i'm pregnant with right now will be White/Black/Mexican. I'm black, his/her father is white/mexican.

I live in Virginia and the part I live in is very weird. Mixed children don't really get the horrible teasing , it's the mixed couples that do. A lot of black women look at the black men with white women and think of them as stealing "our" men. (Which is BS) and the black men look at us black women as betraying our race.

If your grandmother was half black and half white than that makes you mixed race as well. Even if people can't see it with their eyes. Also your daughter is technically mixed as well. The only reason I bring it up is because it is a possibility and I think it's good for all children to know there family roots.

 

[Katt36]

I am white and my two sons are Jamaican and Chinese mix. I got a divorce and am remarried, baby number three on the way is white and African. My husband is Zulu. My boys have no issues being of a mixed background. I live in the suburbs am it is extremely culturally diverse. That's not to say none of my children will never face adversity because we all do at some point. For being women, for being married to someone of another background, being rich, being poor, being skinny or fat. A large population of children in this area are mixed. It is common around here.

 

[tryn4]

I guess we are a mixed race family, but my husband & I are born in the same country. He is black Jamaican, I am German Jamaican (thats European heritage but I'm 2nd generation Jamaican) My kids are brownskinned, but they're father is Chinese Jamaican. So we are just a bag of mix race however we are proud Jamaicans and don't really think about our "race" perse. My children identify as Jamaican-Canadians (all born in Toronto, Canada) Here lots of children are biracial, or from diffrent countries or cultures. I couldn't imagine my kids feeling out of place anywhere. I feel these racial issues are much more prevalent in the u.s...

 

[BintUmmi]

I'm biracial (half black, half white) and it was never really an issue for me growing up. That said I grew up in quite a diverse part of London where race isn't really an issue lot's of mixed families and different cultures. I think experiences will be different depending on where you are.

I live in Egypt now & DH is Egyptian so DD is half Egyptian and I'm yet to come across any negative reactions and I honestly doubt we will. Egyptians are very diverse when it comes to skin colour anyway so it's easy to blend it whatever your shade!

 

[cupcakemomma]

MY DH is a black/white mix, and I know he had it hard growing up. I've seen first hand the awful way he is sometimes treated even now in 2013. I'm white, so I can hardly call my babies bi-racial, but my DD definitely has some of her dad's qualities. She's gorgeous, and the perfect mix of slightly darker complexion, dark curly hair, and my blue eyes. I don't really think she will have a hard time growing up, but just because it's not super obvious.

I think a lot of it has to do with where you live too. Up here in suburban Michigan, it's not really that big of a deal. But we've traveled to other parts of the country on vacation, and DH was treated horribly in some places! I'm guessing maybe it's a cultural thing?

Does you DD identify as black?

She's still a toddler so it hasn't come up much, but since she is predominately white, I would mark her down as "Caucasian."

 

[44npregnant]

I live in Houston, Texas which is very diverse but yet I still see it's going to be an issue. Maybe I will need to move to West coast? I just want my child to be comfortable with who they are. I grew up in a small central Texas town and felt quite a bit of racism and I am a light skinned hispanic. So, I know what it feels like. That's why I moved to a city.

 

[tryn4]

That's a real shame to hear that. I'm sorry that ignorance has affected you.

 

[nolansmom]

I think people are super super great at being "tolerant" of mixed race children, but I also think that racism is still alive and doing well for itself so I would be concerned about my Ds facing additional struggles. He really just looks like a white kid with brown hair and eyes, as compared to me with light hair and eyes. Like another poster I am in Toronto which is highly diverse but it wouldn't be a far drive to get to a place where diversity is not the norm - I'd say 1.5 hours.. I actually think that while people love children and treat them well they are less accepting of multiracial relationships - even your closest friends who you would imagine don't care might make comments.. I've had many (mostly guy friends in the past) comment on the "type" of guy I was dating. I still find many would comment if I were dating a black man let's say - regardless of where he is from. I also have mostly black female friends and I think they also might say something to me if I were dating a black man - a snide comment here or there nothing major.. It's still an issue for lots of people who have learned how to hide it well.

 

[madetomother]

Humanity will look back on this time of categorizing humans according to melanin content and shudder that we could have been so ignorant.

.. Plus, I like to think all the people with some sort of "problem" with a multicolored expression of love will die out soon

 

[LaDY]

Hi hun...my son is mixed race and honestly we have never had a problem...if anything the only problem that we have experienced is trying to explain to him what he is and why he is different as he has so many questions regarding his identitiy (and this has nothing to do with others saying things to him however him noticing his own differences...my son has a mix of white, black and asian in him xx

He must be lovely! I think it's hormones...when I think of someone saying something to my child about their being different I want to tear them apart.

Awww thank you, that's really kind! He is adorable...however bless him the confusion never ends when it comes to his identity! xx

 

[AC1987]

I don't know if there is really any one place where you won't find racism. I never felt it growing up, however I agree with PP.. (sorry can't remember username) about the couples getting judged. both my parents got judged for marrying each other... I don't get what's the big deal is though.
I would like my daughter(and future babes) to be able to accept everyone no matter their skin color

 

[Paperhearts]

I haven't read all the comments but just wanted to say that I've known a LOT of biracial children. Have you ever noticed that these children are always gorgeous?! It's like they get the best from both races and always end up beautiful.

 

[StarlitHome]

I haven't read all the comments but just wanted to say that I've known a LOT of biracial children. Have you ever noticed that these children are always gorgeous?! It's like they get the best from both races and always end up beautiful.

The most gorgeous children I knew growing up were my cousins, who are half white (mom) and half Indian/Southeast Asian (dad). Seriously, they are beautiful. And I can honestly say that all of my husband's cousins and relatives (whether on his dad's side which is mainly white/Japanese/Hawaiian mix, or his mom's side which is Hawaiian/Portuguese/a million others) are extremely attractive people!!
In a hundred years our descendants will look back and laugh at the arbitrary notions of "race", I think...