User:Gojazzygo1/sandbox/ racially ambiguous

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Racial Ambiguity

Racially ambiguous is a term used to define individuals who are often misidentified by others because they do not possess the stereotypical genetic features that are typically associated with the racial group or groups to which they belong to. Racial ambiguity is most often attributed to those who possess a culmination of one or more racial or ethnic identity that originated in different parts of the world and/or resembles one another. Race is commonly used to categorize people. Specifically in the United States there are six races that are identified by the United States Census: White, Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian,Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. The social construction and categorization of race are increasingly unreliable as immigration and interracial marriage begin to bridge the socially defined gap that is racial categorization. The study of racial ambiguity is new, yet important competent when discussion the trajectory of the United States population because the individuals who possess this identification make up a large portion of the population.

The "Other"

Barack Obama

There are a number of reasons for collecting data on race in the United States. This information can be used to influence federal programming, policy, promote equal employment, affirmative action and to assess racial disparities among many topics. Since its origination the census has been self reported, adding the option of “Other” in 1910, and the opportunity to select more than one race in 1997, granting those who are multiracial or racially ambiguous the opportunity to self select as many racial or ethnic groups they qualify for. This option of “other” has been a popular means of identification for a large number of people in recent years. The results of the 2010 census, “other” was selected, behind “White” (first) and “Black or African American” (second). The results of the 2010 census, alarmed officials; they fear that this non-categorization group of people have the potential to surpass the selection of “Black or African American”, making it the second-largest racial identity in the United States.

Racial Fluidity

Rachel Dolezal

Racial fluidity is a term used by those who identify as two or more races. For example, someone who identifies as “White and something else” has the opportunity to identify as white when it is more socially valuable, or non-white during the limited times that it may be more favorable to present themselves as so. This term is most applicable to those who appear white, yet have ancestors who are classified as non-white and choose to identify as “Some Other Race”, further complicating the value that American society places on race. Two modern day and mainstream examples of individuals who are considered racially fluid are the former president of The United States, Barack Obama and former official of The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Rachel Dolezal.

• Barack Obama says in an interview that he "chose" to identities as African American, because of the way that he has been perceived all his life, despite the fact that his father is a native of Kenya and his mother is white.
• Rachel Dolezal, was born white and personally identifies as black.
  

Racial Ambiguity in the Media

The United States demographics continue to reflect a more diverse population, requiring corporations, the entertainment industry, institutions and other large networks with influence to make an effort to be socially aware and able to prepare for an array of interpretations from their respective audience members. While there is a declining significance of race and ethnicity in America, some would argue that it is being highlighted and/or used as a tool to demonstrate inclusion through branding and marketing strategies. For example, the people who appear in advertisements tend to be multiracial, as an attempt for a wider range of individuals to be able to identify with a broader range of audience members.

In spite of these efforts of said inclusion, it has been described by some that this movement is the advertisement company pursuit of an individual with an off-white shade of skin in an attempt to drive profit and avoid offending someone, rather than include everyone.

Racial and Ethnic Representation in Collegiate Marketing

Establishing a healthy and competitive learning environment is well supported by a diverse student body. Many of the highly ranked liberal arts institutions in the world boast impressive ethnic and racial representation, compared to other institutions. Because of this, efforts to increase diversity or at least portray and broadcast diversity within an organization or institution is used as a tool to recruit minority students, this can be preserved as racial capitalism. In a Harvard Law Review article titled "Racial Capitalism," the term is defined as "the process of deriving social and economic value from the racial identity of another person". This article written by Nancy Leong highlights the instances of racial capitalism in the American education system, by discussing the long term effects of Affirmative Action doctors and policies. These policies, have influenced white and predominately white institutions the use non-white and racial ambiguous individuals across many mediums in order to project “diversity”. To further support the ideology and movement described above, according to a New York Times article, of the colleges' promotional materials found that were surveyed, Black or African American and Asian students were over-represented in photos by about 50 percent.

Literary Portrayals of Racial Ambiguity

Racial ambiguity and the passing narrative are popular motifs in the American literary canon. Although some passing narratives were recorded in the pre-Civil War era of the country’s history, the genre flourished in post-war America, especially during and after the Harlem Renaissance.

Charles Chestnutt, an African-American novelist, explored the phenomenon of passing several times throughout his career, most notably with his 1900 novel, The House Behind the Cedars. The House Behind the Cedars focuses on two African-American siblings, John and Rowena, who pass as white in post-war South Carolina. Although the novel ends in tragedy, it thoughtfully explores the psychological and social ramifications of passing during a time of intense sociopolitical fragility.

Nella Larsen, a novelist of the Harlem Renaissance, furthered the tradition of passing narratives with her 1929 novel, Passing, which follows two childhood friends who reunite during their adulthood in Harlem. Passing explores the trope of the “tragic mulatto,” whose racial ambiguity isolates him or her from both white and black societies; because she is unable to successfully become a part of white society and has distanced herself from the black community, she meets a tragic end at the novel’s conclusion.

More recently, American novelist Philip Roth explored passing in his 2001 novel, The Human Stain. While most of Roth’s novels explicate both American identity and the American Dream, The Human Stain follows the events that unfold when race, identity, class, and gender collide and conflict. The novel’s central character, a Classicist named Coleman Silk, is described as a black man who has passed as an American Jew for nearly forty years. The novel is rich with classical allusions, especially ones to the hero Oedipus as a tragic figure. Patrice Rankine explores the connection that exists between Silk and Oedipus, claiming that Silk’s denial of his heritage and black identity are tantamount to Oedipus’ patricide, highlighting the conflicts that arise when family identity and personal identity disagree.