What does 'mixed race' mean to you? How would you describe a 'mixed race' person?

My background is white British and my grandchildren's mother has Afro-carribbean heritage. I was there when the midwife asked for the ethnicity of the child and offered a tick box list. I used to work in a hospital where they would ask the same questions.
The children describe themselves as brown. They did query where all the black people were when we were on holiday in Norfolk. It might not matter to us but it does to others.

I don’t think any one would refer to British/ German or French/Swedish parentage a mixed race, within the Caucasian type there are several groupings, Nordic, Slavic, Latin, Celtic to name a few.
Then other wider major groups that might be termed mixed. Negroid, Arab, Asian, Oriental and a few others, these major groups have only mixed in recent years as travel has become more usual. Travel to the Americas to see 3 distinct populations, White, Mullato (the majority) and Black each with their own separate cultures.

That’s interesting Suzie in that the Government encourages people to identify as whatever ethnic group they want to, rather than passively accepting a label that’s been given to them.

Jura my family IS mixed race

No doubt the next year will see some discussion on the subject of ethnicity as there will be a census in a year's time and we will be asked how we identify ourselves. My senior GD is of mixed ethnicity and is proud of it. The late, great cricket commentator, John Arlott, while on a flight to South Africa had to fill in a form that asked about his race. He wrote 'human'.

Mine's mixed-heritage.

But who the hell uses that in ordinary everyday life.

People "protecting my rights", apparently.
Fools cause more unrest than anyone else!

I think that many of us would be very surprised indeed if we took an extensive DNA test.
Only Africans do not have Neanderthal DNA for instance.
Some of us may have Denisovian DNA.

Is that mixed race enough for the research I wonder?

I’ve always wondered what exactly mixed race is. And yes, GrandmaMoira for some reason which is a mystery to me there are very few black people in Norfolk. Lots of other nations and mixtures but few with black complexions. (Is it ok to say black?)

Thanks Jura2 for full reply.

I can understand “ mixed culture” more easily than mixed race - and that can apply to people of the same race - look at how just a different division of the same religion divided Ireland, and how Sunni and Shia Moslems have fought each other.

I knew a lady who was 50% white with all sorts of ethnicities in her inheritance including African American and Native America. When I met her ( in Africa) she identified solely as black even though she was not very dark and the 100% blacks did not accept her as one of themselves. I thought it very sad, and also wondered how her Caucasian parent felt about her rejecting herl ‘white’ inheritance.

Does it matter?

The word race is a rude word in the USA, I'm told. We host young travellers from all over the world and they try to keep me up to date with the changing language.

It seems odd to describe people by their colour, heritage, sexual orientation, size etc.
You wouldn't say "this is my short fat gay black friend - have you met?" cos you might get the reply " no you old bigoted ugly stupid racist"

Starbird religion only divided NI.
because thats how the British planned it,it was they who settled protestants there .Protestants had many more rights than catholics so the arguements wasn't so much religion as civil rights .There are pro testants and catholics living happily side by side in Eire .
Gramaretto I would call my Scottish/asian friends as Scottish and they are happy to be Scottish,I thought the question was what term would you use to desrcibe them if asked their ethnicity

Maybe the question is about ethnicity. As stated above, anthropologists and medical researchers have defined specific traits or ilnesses specific to race. Our ethnicity defines us as individual....family, culture, etc. we need not use the latter to elevate or denigrate another human being.

There's bit of a joke here because the Press and the foolish people who parrot them, tend to talk about some people as 'part-Maori'.

I have a very good friend who, when faced with the question, 'Are you part Maori?' said, cheekily.
'Yes, would you like to guess which part?'

If I saw this on a form and was the product of more than one heritage, I should probably answer with the one I felt most akin to.

Kiri Te Kanawa is Maori of mixed heritage but brought up as Pakeha and has always said she doesn't feel Maori.

I can think of only a very few reasons, one of them medical, where race matters at all.
We are people.

Exactly bradfordlass we are humans, we are all a mixture
of many and isn’t that the best
Life started in Africa
Sometimes the medical world does need to know but otherwise what is the need and words, descriptions change every few years what was acceptable a few years ago is now rude or derogatory and in a few years it ll change again

Often our heritage is not noticeable heritage is so much more than colour There is too much emphasise on outward appearance and too much division

I have a beautiful mixed up family black white brown olive shame I never did manage blue or green

Lets forget colour and think of what’s inside what’s in hearts and souls

Going through the court/ high court system for special guardianship for my granddaughter,she was referred to as dual heritage.
E is white/black African.

And I also live in Norfolk,a move into one of the villages, from Essex,with my then partner 20 years younger, and my beautiful brown GD certainly had the curtains twitching

Thinking back to the 70s, what we needed then was a “great big melting pot”.
I do so hope that is what the future holds for man(woman)kind.

Is it OK to say “black”, Meghan the Duchess is refers to a black, in reality she is mixed. Father is white, Mother is mixed - probably Hispanic/ Black heritage at a guess.

Harry and the rest of the Royals are very mixed if you look back, not the pure pedigree you might expect.

David it is ok to say black and people define themselves in which way they want, if a mixed race person prefers to identify as black that’s fine but it’s very inhibiting because if a mixed race person identified more with the Caucasian side of their heritage they couldn’t really call themselves white could they because of the pigmentation of their skin. I have one mixed race grandchild who is light skinned and blonde haired but totally identifies with their black heritage it’s a minefield We are all what we are We are all
So basically colour definitions do not work and are a very odd way of achieving anything, that’s why I was questioning this research
I think it’s awful that we are encouraged on forms and other things to define our colour or creed (and I do understand the reasoning behind it) because that does not define us, they are both a tiny fragments of the whole they may as well ask for height or weight they are just part and parcel
I always leave that question unanswered

Esspee - Yes!! turning out coffee coloured people by the score...

As a mixed -race person.

mixed race to me .well black parent white parent .but thats a bit old fashioned ...it can mean any race really .as i'm sure we have all got somewhere along the ancestors welsh/irish/scots/french/european......

My ex husband, African American, was discovered to have a condition that usually comes from Italy. So somewhere along the line, probably from his slave heritage, he has Italian genes. He also had a great grandmother who was native American. He's never identified as mixed race whereas my daughter does.