So the time has finally come... I've been presented with the first form (for the twins' preschool) which asks for their "race/ethnicity".
It is probably one of the more universal experiences of dating/marriage/life to wonder what one's kids will look like, though when you and your DH are of different backgrounds, you really wonder what combination of features will win out. Mari definitely looks more like DH (and that hair), while Alistair looks more like me (though he has his daddy's coloring).
Not knowing many Indian/white couples with children, in the years we waited to become parents, I used to "joke" w/DH that they would probably just look like they are Hispanic (w/dark hair and olive skin), and while they kind of do, they aren't. He likes to call them "pretanned", though Mari is as fair as me if not more. DH is pretty fair, for an Indian, though he photographs darker than he is. I'm what I affectionately call a "Euromutt" or "EFG" (English, French, German, though not necessarily in that order).
"Biracial" or "mixed race" sound antiquated and strange to me, but maybe I just don't like labels. Yeah, I definitely don't like labels. Maybe "Caucasian, heavy on the Asian" or "Eurasian" or "White/Asian"/"Whindian" or maybe just "Adorable"? ;)
It is probably one of the more universal experiences of dating/marriage/life to wonder what one's kids will look like, though when you and your DH are of different backgrounds, you really wonder what combination of features will win out. Mari definitely looks more like DH (and that hair), while Alistair looks more like me (though he has his daddy's coloring).
Not knowing many Indian/white couples with children, in the years we waited to become parents, I used to "joke" w/DH that they would probably just look like they are Hispanic (w/dark hair and olive skin), and while they kind of do, they aren't. He likes to call them "pretanned", though Mari is as fair as me if not more. DH is pretty fair, for an Indian, though he photographs darker than he is. I'm what I affectionately call a "Euromutt" or "EFG" (English, French, German, though not necessarily in that order).
"Biracial" or "mixed race" sound antiquated and strange to me, but maybe I just don't like labels. Yeah, I definitely don't like labels. Maybe "Caucasian, heavy on the Asian" or "Eurasian" or "White/Asian"/"Whindian" or maybe just "Adorable"? ;)
I like adorable ;)
ReplyDeleteAdorable is the best, lol.
ReplyDeleteI've always struggled with this label. In all technicality, I'm 1/2 Mexican/Native American. But my family is Tejano. Try explaining to some that just because my family is from New Mexico and Texas when it was Mexico doesn't mean I'm not Mexican and you get some st.ran.ge looks! Then you add in "Euromutt" on the other half and you get a Mexican Scotch-Irish, German, English, Greek. Yeaaaah...
I generally leave those questions blank.
ReplyDeleteI just leave it blank & would probably leave my kids' demographic box blank too. I'm Brazilian & Irish, but even within the Brazilian there's Portuguese & Hawaiian, plus God knows what else. There aren't enough boxes in the world! And DH is Indian, but Tamil. And since your DH is from India but Aryan & not Dravidian like my DH, there's that complexity too. It's weird to say because I know the risks of twins from being infertile & seeing you go through your pregnancy but I always thought it would be neat to see the color spectrum in our offspring.
ReplyDelete