Im following this thread with interest. Some good points have been made particularly Macy pointing out that she wants people to notice she is black...well hell yeah! The same if some didnt notice my Irish blue eyes. Its not a vanity thing I dont want compliments on them, but are you seeing me?
Now Im not disagreeing one way or the other with what has been said but my biggest observation here is...and please do not take this as a critiscism it is purely an observation....but this whole conversation seems very dated!...its like something out the 60's.
Then Im curious! Macy says 25 years ago, there were very few mixed relationships. How do you explain the zillions of mixed race people? Plenty my age too that would have been born in the late 60's. I grant you that I grew up in a capital city and therefore I was exposed to a variety of cultures in all directions and it was the norm but Im sure this is not a London phenomenom.
I did go to private school which was prodominently white with lots of Jewish girls, Irish Italians and Greeks. The common denominator was we were all Daddy's Little Princess's and Daddy had made it good. My father was working class Irish who made a good business for himself. My brothers and I despite expensive educations were never allowed to be snobby. Never allowed to forget where we came from and to be proud. There were 2 Asian girls at my school, sisters from Sri Lanka. Nobody liked them much, not because of their race but because they wore glasses and were super brainy geeks. Luckily I was a day girl and didnt board so I got to go home every afternoon and mix with other London kids who always teased me for being 'posh'!
When I was growing up Punks and Rastas ruled London and mixed in everyway. We shared music, club space and spliffs. I can remember going to Jamaican friends houses and hating the decor. It was all floral and plastic LOL. I always remember going with one friend to his Jamaican Grandfathers house who had an orange tree growing IN his living room and it was huge. Amazing! He claimed he grew it from seed. One of my BFF's for over 25years now is half Jamaican (her mother is from Negril) and her father Nigerian. My friend married a white guy from Manchester, Northern England which I could have a problem with LOL but the wedding was a riot! Oh then there is Mo (Mohamed) childhood friend whose parents are from Mauritius. Mo about 25 years ago married a white girl from Scotland. We went to the civil wedding in NE London which was memorable not bc it was a mixed marriage but bc it was so beautiful. All the women in colourful sahri's including the bride and the men in white kaftans. Bollywood eat your heart out. No booze tho....probably why I can remember everything!
My parents never complained about the crowd I was moving in bc of their race, creed or colour it just wasnt an issue but did moan bc he was too wild or bc she wasnt polite that kind of thing.
My kids now come under racist taunts here in Greece bc they are blonde and 1/2 English. It usually mellows out by the time they get to High School where it is still mentioned but more positive.