For those of us who aren't biracial yet still mixed-race/mixed-heritage...

When did you first realize... you were mixed-race?

I have a memory from my Middle School years, of my Chinese Mom sitting across from me, and examining my facial features.

I remember a few times she’d note certain things that seemed to be related to my White Dad’s features.

I never did ask her why she did this (my sisters told me they never had that experience, ad they were younger). The best I can assume was my Mom was worried that if my features were “Too Chinese,” it might hinder things later in life.

Anyone else given an examination like that? Bear in mind my Mom wasn’t the brightest person.

To mods, I read the rules and feel this is not a political post. If i violated that I apolgize and I will delete it.

TLDR: I live in Argentina(3+ years) and I have never experienced any racism.

I am 37 y/o male. Born and raised in Southern California. My mom is from Argentina but emigrated to the USA when she was 5 or 6 with her parents. She grew up in Harlem NYC and eventually met my dad, who is black and eventually they moved to California where I was born. If it's relevant she is very white, like pale lol.

If it's relevant, I am not white passing. My experience growing up in southern California was very interesting looking back on it. I never identified with a race or image, I grew up with mostly Mexicans and Filipinos, I moved around a few times, in my mid to late teens is when I had more black friends, and spent more time with my dad's side of the family.

I'm annoyed at the smear campaign I'm seeing towards Argentina, that they are all racists or n\\\*zis as if the USA doesn't have/had it's own issues. Despite living here for 3+ years, and having been here multiple times when I was a kid and teenager, my voice has no credibility because they decide it doesn't, it's very insulting. Through out my youth I was called white boy or whitewashed from either my dad's side of the family or my black friends, many instances from both because of my interests and hobbies. I listened to punk rock, mariachi music, was really into skateboarding all through out my youth, almost was sponsored by a local skateshop at one point, was into surfing, camping. But I was always made fun of and critized for it because this was "white people shit". I just liked what I liked, pursued the things that interested me, to me they were never "white people things" they were just my interests and hobbies.

A few weeks ago I saw a video on instagram of a young black woman who likes to hike and all the comments were from black people making fun of her and saying things like "that's what happens when you grow up around white people" or "she must of been adopted" implying camping is for white people. Whenever I dated a white girl I always got the side eye from my cousins on my dads side of the family. There is such blatant hypocrisy and double standards. It's annoying and disheartening and God forbid if you address it you are considered horrible for defending it.

When I mention that I live here and never experienced racism I am met with the counter argument, "well what about Argentinas blanqueamiento!?" Yes that happened, no one is saying that blanqueamiento didn't happen(the government attempted to ignore the history of African influence, culture and presence in Argentina). Yes it's unfortunate that blanqueamiento happened but it did not catch on well, especially today with the access of information we have. What about slavery, what about Jim Crow laws? Argentina never had racial segregation. The era of blanqueamiento is nothing close to a reflection of the people that are from here and live here. Argentines I have found to be incredibly warm and welcoming, the easiest country to make friends in. A countries history is not an indication of what the people are like today.

Was there racism? Yes, but unfortunately every country has had racism and many still experience it to some degree. But to act like the history of this country is on par with the USA or somehow more deplorable is a laughable comparison and I hope no one pulls a muscle with that stretch.

America has edited so much of it's own history. The horrid atrocities Christopher Columbus committed were always conveniently left out in school, there was a literal concentration camp in San Francisco after the Japanese attacked pearl harbor, how that was never mentioned once in my highschool in CA is insane to me. Thanksgiving in history books just shows happy smiling native Americans and colonizers eating turkey together. We devalue and glaze over so many parts of our own still to this day.

I've been to 15+ countries, I have experienced racism in 2 of them, they were both in Europe. The only times any assumptions about me were made based on my skin color here in Argentina was from Argentines and one time a Brazilian who assumed I'm Brazilian and started talking to me in Portuguese, TBF this happened to me when I lived in south FL too. They were apologetic and embarrassed when I explained I'm not Brazilian but I wasn't offended, it was coming from a place of interest/curiosity. A lot of Argentines like to vacation in Brazil and they just wanted to talk to me about Brazil. But no, Samuel L Jackson said so so fuck the guy that says otherwise that actually lives there.

Edit: to clarify I am not denying the history of the country. I am talking about the people and present day.