Thanks for your comments. Some revisions were made for the sake of clarity.
The fact that many people are beginning to discuss the issue of race relations in America is a good thing. As with any other important topic there must be a willingness to discuss thorny issues and false assumptions in the search for understanding.
One issue under discussion is whether Sen. Barack Obama should begin placing greater emphasis on the white part of his racial heritage in order to put the controversy over Dr. Jeremiah Wright’s comments to rest. In a recent conversation, someone suggested that Sen. Obama would experience a black backlash if he were to begin emphasizing his white racial heritage.
The supposition of a black backlash is, I believe, premised on two assumptions. The first assumption is that black Americans share a monolithic cultural and historical identity. The second assumption is that people of biracial parentage like Senator Barack Obama and professional golfer Tiger Woods are a relatively new phenomenon on the landscape of American history.
Actually neither assumption is accurate. As to the existence of a monolithic black identity, the fact is, nothing could be further from the truth. African-Americans share a historical tie to the west coast of Africa, and to experiences of slavery, indentured servitude, racial and gender discrimination and traditions of resiliency. But at the same time, we are a heterogeneous people with respect to appearance, ethnic identity, religious affiliation, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, cultural expressions, family composition and geographical origin.
There is a wide range of divergences within the African American cultural mix. There is no single voice that speaks for all people of color and there is no single person or group that represents all groups of black Americans. Within a single black community there may be differences in spoken language and dialects as well as cultural distinctions.
Self identification is also an important part of American politics and racial relations. Some people mistakenly believe that all people of color should be called black while others mistakenly assume that they are all African Americans. In actuality, many people from the Caribbean, West Indies and Africa do not consider themselves African American because they come from vastly different cultural and historical experiences. On the other hand, many people identify themselves as African Americans because their personal family lineage is deeply rooted in the unique historical and cultural experiences of slavery and racism in America and they are proud of the accomplishments of a people who were once categorized as slaves.
The second reason for a black backlash is the mistaken belief that Sen. Obama's biracial background symbolizes a new American phenomenon. The fact is that biracial births have been a part of the black American experience since slavery. Blacks have always been receptive to and inclusive of biracial children and adults because it is part of our history.
Obviously, Sen. Obama is a person of color. In terms of racial heritage, Sen. Obama is both African and American. Another exciting aspect of his candidacy is that he is embraced by Indonesians, Africans and Chinese, Filipinos, and Japanese people because of his multiracial heritage and childhood years in Hawaii. In fact, a recent article in the Houston Chronicle reported that residents of Obama, Japan are "nuts about Obama" and very interested in the U.S. presidential campaign.
However, public acceptance of interracial romance and marriage hasn't always been broad. Until the U.S. Supreme Court’s Loving v. Virginia decision in 1967, interracial romance and marriage was illegal in a number of states. California was the first state in the nation to end a ban on interracial marriage in 1948 with the State Supreme Court ruling in Perez v. Sharp.
The Supreme Court's decision in Loving v. Virginia legally ended state regulation of interracial relationships. But it did not eliminate social taboos against mixed-race relationships. In 1958 (10 years after the Perez decision), the first Gallup poll on this issue showed 94% of Americans opposed to interracial marriage and in 1968 (a year after the Loving decision), 72% opposed interracial marriage.
Public acceptance of interracial romance and marriage has developed slowly since the 1967 Supreme Court decision. In fact, the first Gallop Poll to show more people in favor of mixed-race romance and marriage than opposed was not until 1991.
Also, before 1967 not all states had antimiscegenation laws. However, the belief that it was appropriate for states to regulate interracial romance and marriage was widely held throughout the U.S. Public opposition to mixed-race romance and marriage meant that interracial couples did not receive familial support and they were often shunned by society.
As public opinion continues shifting toward greater acceptance of biracial romance and marriage a social dialogue has emerged which considers identity designations of multiracial children as well as issues that pertain primarily to black and white race relations. Multiracial children include those whose racial heritages include Asian, American Indian, Polynesian, Semitic, Arab, East Indian, Mongolian, and so on. Eventually, America's social discourse on race led to the 1997 introduction of the so-called "Tiger Woods Bill" H.R. 830 by Wisconsin Republican Congressman Thomas Petri. The Bill would have added a "multiracial" category to the U.S. Census Bureau.
Today, official estimates are that there are between 2 and 3 million biracial children in America. That's about 1 out of every 20 children.
The subject of race relations remains a sensitive issue in America and we still have a long way to go on the road to sociopolitical, economic and racial equality. However, I believe that as the percentage of biracial and multiracial Americans continues to increase it will positively affect race relations in our nation.
I don't know whether Sen. Obama will win the Democratic nomination or the General Election and I am, above all else, a realist. However, my opinion is that Sen. Obama's candidacy presents a unique and historical opportunity to America that will, perhaps, enhance our ability to reconcile the races. Moreover, current demographic patterns seem to point toward a future multiracial American society reflecting the truest meaning of the word.