What race/ethnic group am I?
Discussion
My Dad's Sri Lankan, immigrated to Britain about 60 years ago. Mum is white British born here.
So I'm half-cast (or whatever the correct term is nowadays).
If I want to file a complaint or fill in an application etc, I am usually asked which race or ethnic background I am. I am not immediately indian looking, but I have a permanently good tan, some people think I am mediterranean/greek/spanish, - although I only have to look at the sun and I go dark pretty quickly.
So given my background, what race do I put down? "white"? "mixed"?.. "other" ? Or do I get the choice? Would anyone question what anyone puts down?
So I'm half-cast (or whatever the correct term is nowadays).
If I want to file a complaint or fill in an application etc, I am usually asked which race or ethnic background I am. I am not immediately indian looking, but I have a permanently good tan, some people think I am mediterranean/greek/spanish, - although I only have to look at the sun and I go dark pretty quickly.
So given my background, what race do I put down? "white"? "mixed"?.. "other" ? Or do I get the choice? Would anyone question what anyone puts down?
Username888 said:
My Dad's Sri Lankan, immigrated to Britain about 60 years ago. Mum is white British born here.
So I'm half-cast (or whatever the correct term is nowadays).
If I want to file a complaint or fill in an application etc, I am usually asked which race or ethnic background I am. I am not immediately indian looking, but I have a permanently good tan, some people think I am mediterranean/greek/spanish, - although I only have to look at the sun and I go dark pretty quickly.
So given my background, what race do I put down? "white"? "mixed"?.. "other" ? Or do I get the choice? Would anyone question what anyone puts down?
sounds like I'm a not far behind you - there's a large amount of Burmese mixed in along with some sort of UK (I've even heard, God forbid, Welsh!! So I'm half-cast (or whatever the correct term is nowadays).
If I want to file a complaint or fill in an application etc, I am usually asked which race or ethnic background I am. I am not immediately indian looking, but I have a permanently good tan, some people think I am mediterranean/greek/spanish, - although I only have to look at the sun and I go dark pretty quickly.
So given my background, what race do I put down? "white"? "mixed"?.. "other" ? Or do I get the choice? Would anyone question what anyone puts down?
), German and Czech. Back when I had hair I went to Turkey on my hols and all the locals would try and talk to me - were quite non-plussed when I told them I was a Brit.I must admit I've taken to putting in other, or decline to answer
Eric Mc said:
"Mixed" sounds about right to me.
I recently discovered that I have an Anglo-Indian great great grand mother. Am I "mixed" now?
Good question. Perhaps most of us who have been putting "white/caucasian all these years (like I have), should have been putting "mixed" - look far enough down the line. Most of us probably have a bit of Jewish in us given history and how they've been scattered to the ends of the earth. I have a bit of German and Dutch in me too.I recently discovered that I have an Anglo-Indian great great grand mother. Am I "mixed" now?
Cross-breeds are always tougher than pedigrees
I haven’t seen that question for ages, Usually it comes with some options in boxes so just tick whatever fits best.
Generally though I suppose it’s about why they’re asking, is it to physically identify you so in that case just put what you think you look like, if it’s to do with data gathering on ethnicity etc then the stuff about you ancestors might be more relevant.
Generally though I suppose it’s about why they’re asking, is it to physically identify you so in that case just put what you think you look like, if it’s to do with data gathering on ethnicity etc then the stuff about you ancestors might be more relevant.
Just put mixed. The categorisation is absurd, given how mixed society has become.
I am white British (actually 3/4 Irish at the great grandparent level). My wife is half West Indian (with whatever mix that entails - her father was quite light-skinned), half German. We have therefore have three mixed race children. The eldest has straight dark hair, olive skin and brown eyes. He looks Mediterranean. The middle one is blonde, with curly hair, blonde eyelashes, light blue eyes and a skin that will burn under a cloudy sky in half an hour. He looks Aryan. The youngest is blonde, with hair of a range of colours from auburn to platinum, curly, but less so than her brother's, blue eyes and skin halfway between the two, so more like mine.
A few years ago, I was in a pub in Bingley at lunchtime with the two boys and my Mum when an old boy came up and said with a wink "I know, brothers form different mothers, eh?" I thought for a moment that my Mum was going to lay him out.
I am white British (actually 3/4 Irish at the great grandparent level). My wife is half West Indian (with whatever mix that entails - her father was quite light-skinned), half German. We have therefore have three mixed race children. The eldest has straight dark hair, olive skin and brown eyes. He looks Mediterranean. The middle one is blonde, with curly hair, blonde eyelashes, light blue eyes and a skin that will burn under a cloudy sky in half an hour. He looks Aryan. The youngest is blonde, with hair of a range of colours from auburn to platinum, curly, but less so than her brother's, blue eyes and skin halfway between the two, so more like mine.
A few years ago, I was in a pub in Bingley at lunchtime with the two boys and my Mum when an old boy came up and said with a wink "I know, brothers form different mothers, eh?" I thought for a moment that my Mum was going to lay him out.
Zod said:
Just put mixed. The categorisation is absurd, given how mixed society has become.
Perhaps the powers that be will need to start putting the current options down the horizontal and vertical axes of a table, so people can tick the box that most accurately reflects their mix? 
Or else we could just stop collecting pointless information.
Yertis said:
Eric Mc said:
"Mixed" sounds about right to me.
I recently discovered that I have an Anglo-Indian great great grand mother. Am I "mixed" now?
Yes, and you can change your PH name to the more cool-sounding "Eric Mix".I recently discovered that I have an Anglo-Indian great great grand mother. Am I "mixed" now?
I prefer "Eric Mics".
Me? Dutch / Scottish / Anglo-Australian.
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