Of course, not only White people can make the lives of mixed heritage people difficult, but other "people of color" from similar or different minority groups can as well.

In the U.S. there are DOZENS if not hundreds of terms used by people from a variety of groups to describe people of mixed backgrounds. At my kids' school at the moment, "wigger" seems to be popular (White nigger). Used to describe kids who are of mixed heritage, or kids who are African American but are studious or use standard English and are therefore considered insufficiently Black. It'll be interesting to see if Obama--a man who identifies as African American but speaks fabulous standard American English--changes this formula.

Lisa Fontes, Ph.D.

---- Original message ----
>Date: Fri, 23 Jan 2009 13:09:37 -0000
>From: Sanyal Neil <[log in to unmask]>  
>Subject: Re: [Maybe spam] Conceptual Confusion around Ethnicity, Race and Culture  
>To: [log in to unmask]
>
>   Suman,
>    
>   Over the twenty years I have worked in health and
>   social care in both the North West and South Coast
>   areas I have yet to see any event organised that
>   addresses Mixed Heritage/Parentage/Race people other
>   than in the field of identity issues for children,
>   where people like Jocelyn Maxime have written some
>   wonderful material. Why is it not focused upon? I
>   would say that it is a thorny and potentially
>   emotive subject to tackle. The confused identity
>   issues are complicated by the fact that the White
>   British racists who have made your life hell look
>   the same as your mother!!!!! That is one of
>   the biggest problems.
>    
>   Do you have any references to point us in the right
>   direction on this subject.
>    
>   Neil Sanyal
>
>     ------------------------------------------------
>
>   From: Health of minority ethnic communities in the
>   UK on behalf of Suman Fernando
>   Sent: Fri 23/01/2009 10:22
>   To: [log in to unmask]
>   Subject: Re: [Maybe spam] Conceptual Confusion
>   around Ethnicity, Race and Culture
>
>   It should be noted that Barack Obama seems to
>   identify usually as a 'black
>   man' not as a 'mixed race man'.  I think 'race' may
>   play out differently in
>   different contexts but when it comes to racism
>   anyone who looks 'black'
>   seems to face similar issues (e.g. institutional
>   racism) in mental health
>   system. Re 'heritage' (different to 'race'), in a
>   way we are all of mixed
>   heritage - or hybrid - some more mixed than others.
>   Race as we usually use
>   the term is a socially and contextually defined and
>   I think Barack Obama and
>   many people with black and white parents are often
>   perceived (and suffer
>   disadvantage/ advantage) thru being seen as black
>   (with its subdivisions of
>   Asian etc.) or white (with its subdivisions). Barack
>   Obama's race speech -
>   'We the people' speech is worth reading.
>
>   Suman
>
>   Suman Fernando
>   <http://www.sumanfernando.com>
>
>   Hon. Senior Lecturer in Mental Health
>   European Centre for Migration & Social Care (MASC)
>   University of Kent at Canterbury, Kent CT2 7LZ
>   Visiting Professor in the Department of Applied
>   Social Sciences
>   London Metropolitan University
>
>   -----Original Message-----
>   From: Health of minority ethnic communities in the
>   UK
>   [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
>   Behalf Of Jacqueline
>   Beavan
>   Sent: 23 January 2009 08:55
>   To: [log in to unmask]
>   Subject: Re: [Maybe spam] Conceptual Confusion
>   around Ethnicity, Race and
>   Culture
>
>   Yes, although we have known since 2001 Census that
>   Mixed Heritage is the
>   fastest growing group in the UK, it's only in the
>   last few days that
>   anything has been made of this in the media (an
>   Obama effect!)
>
>   Polly Wright and her health theatre company Hearth
>   put on a moving and
>   provocative production called "Other" that was shown
>   to health/social
>   care professionals in Birmingham.  It had time for
>   discussion afterwards
>   and was very well received.  You might want to
>   explore this option or
>   something similar for your training.
>
>   Jackie
>
>   -----Original Message-----
>   From: Health of minority ethnic communities in the
>   UK
>   [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On
>   Behalf Of Truswell
>   David (Central and North West London NHS Foundation
>   Trust)
>   Sent: 22 January 2009 12:43
>   To: [log in to unmask]
>   Subject: Re: [Maybe spam] Conceptual Confusion
>   around Ethnicity, Race
>   and Culture
>
>   Neil
>
>   I think that the dual/mixed heritage issues are
>   painfully absent from CC
>   training. Any  suggestions would be welcome.
>
>   Regards
>
>   David Truswell
>
>   Acting Equality and Diversity Coordinator
>   Central and North West London
>   NHS Foundation Trust
>   Greater London House
>   Hampstead Road
>   LONDON
>   NW1 7QY
>
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