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Trinis Like To Say I Am Not Black, I Am Mixed

We know that in Trinidad and Tobago a lot of people are mixed with different races now I would like to ask when is really appropriate to use that term and when is not. Is it when you see different physical features that tell the person is "Mixed" Or really does not matter as long as you indeed are mixed with other races?

The reason for asking this is that I know many people who do not consider themselves "Black" But "Mixed" Because (As an example) one great-great grandparent was from Venezuela or England, yet their features do not tell at all that they are "Mixed", they look 100% Afro-Trinidadians. The same applies with some East Indians.

Is it that Trinis love to say they are "Mixed" Or is it that they want to hold to one particular heritage for some reason?

Mixed I Black Not I To Trinis

Trinis love to talk about their mixture, even if they do not look mixed.

The truth of the matter is this... to someone in the UK we are ALL black, there are no mixtures, no 'grey' areas - all black. Here in Trinidad only we see differences or 'textures' or 'shades', as a for instance it is laughable what some people refer to as 'white' or 'fair', because from living abroad I know that same person would be considered 'black'.

One must understand though that if you are born in the Caribbean and you come from a long line of ancestry also from here then it IS LIKELY that you will be mixed with either European, African, Indian, Native Indian, and Latin blood. I believe the number of people totally pure to one race or ethnicity is higher than 40%.

Trinis Like To Say I Am Not Black, I Am Mixed Caribbean / Tobago & Trinidad

JB said:

What's the reason for it? I remember this East Indian that I met when I first came to Trinidad. She looks 100% East Indian but she loved to say how she had German ancestry and probably she did but she certainly did not look as it was. It may be a cultural thing I guess.

Yes, most Trinis are color conscious and yes, those same people would be consider "black" in the US, UK, Europe in general. You see, when Trinis talk about "whites" most of the time they are talking about their perception of skin color NOT race hence if they see someone who is very light-skinned they will refer to them as "whites" even if the person is "mixed".

Mixed I Black Not I To Trinis

All countries, being products of mestizaje or mulataje, like to claim the opposite of what they really are. My Cuban friends (with roots in Galicia, Catalunya or Pais Vasco) talk about being sons of taino, Yemaya or Ogun when they look like Cameron Diaz. WIth some people it is obvious but Anglo-Saxon sensibilities do tend to predominate regarding ethnic phenotying (way how one looks) and it works on all sides.

Mixed I Black Not I To Trinis

Yeniseri, good points. Do you think phenotypes should be considered when one makes a claim to be of a particular race or ethnicity? I just cannot imagine someone of a particular race/ethnicity (Let's say a blonde with blue eyes Finnish) saying she is "mixed" with African blood. Maybe true (probably 6 or more generations ago) but I would find silly if she considers herself "mixed" because one or two ancestors several generations ago were of a particular race.

Trinis Like To Say I Am Not Black, I Am Mixed

LDS, I do not believe people should be judged by how they look but the reality is that is how it is done. If I am looking for a life with all the positive attributes of decency, fairplay and other seemingly good qualities, then the best way is to look at godly and ungodly qualities. But decency, fairplay often exists in a fantasy utopia and only a few people stand out in everyday life.

You know in Triniland that people's names and their phenotype often clash like I used to know a Mr Chen but he was a black Chinese (look Pilipino) and Mr Singh who was a white fellow and a Chinese fellow with a French surname!

People are what they are but when others try to tell you who they think you are, then that is a different matter.

Some of Cuban friends are blacker than me because they can sing in Yoruba, they know the chants of the Abacua and they can play conga! I am not necessarily referring to colour as an indication of anything but of culture, which is far superior as it represents a tradition!

Message Edited... LDS_forever: Fixed a couple of words and separated into paragraphs.

Trinis To I Not Black I Mixed

I called myself mixed when I was in Trinidad I guess I did it because everyone did it. I did not consider myself black. Now I know my grandmother on my father's side was black. Also on my mothers side my grandfather' s mother might of been black. I look very Hispanic with light skin. Most people consider me Hispanic and some Hispanic people start speaking Spanish to me. They get annoyed when I do not answer them in Spanish. I then have to explain I am from the Caribbean the English speaking Caribbean. It was nice at first when they taught I was one now its annoying.
Paintingblue

Trinis To I Not Black I Mixed Trinidad & Tobago / Caribbean

Mixed in T&T is a strange concept even though we know what it means!

Are we mixed if we refer to Madrasi and Punjabi (North India)? The offspring will still resemble an Indian phenotype. Even a mix of African and Madrasi will produce a recognizable Indian phenotype unless the hair texture of the African remains a dominant genotype to say that this is an African.Indian mixture.

The most famous Trini offspring I am aware of is Gabrielle Reece! She is beautiful, athletic and the best example of hybrid vigour and she is more European looking than the so called white girls who appear so plastic. Her father was a Trini. Obviously he was a mixed ancestry Trini (I hate reference to race!)

Can we say Gabrielle Reece is mixed? Obviously yes but her dominant genes do show themselves as being more European than others. Even when DNA tests are done, MtDNA (mother) and Y chromosome (father) the genetic profile shows percentages where an individual is x (67% example) percentage European and y (23% example) percentage Africa and the rest Asian as in the recent BBC Brazilian DNA genotype tests.