Such changes as new perception of the world and self, new interpretation of freedom and humans rights, new science and industrial innovations could not change negative attitude towards bi-racial families and bi-racial children. At the beginning of the new millennium, our society is still faced with the problems of racial inequalities and rejection of bi-racial family relations. In her story, “Desiree’s Baby”, Kate Chopin vividly portrays problems of a family who has a “not-white” child. The main problem is that the society did not want to accept the child who did not match their race. Desiree has to abandon her husband and her house because she had born a “non-white” child. Even Armand, a farther, depicted as cold, unloving, unsympathetic man who has to obey social opinion. The only possible way for Desiree is “ Come home to Valmonde; back to your mother who loves you” (Chopin, 2005)
These problems have deep historical roots and closely connected with the period of slavery and “white” dominance. While “whites” are universally proud of their background, contemporary African-Americans are still the target of discrimination and outright racism. The cause of this problems lies in the fact that slaves (usually “blacks’) were seen as a tool deprived of human rights and were unequal to masters. For these reason, Armand could not live under the roof with “a slave” (in his understanding), and could not give the child his name. On the other hand, the enslaved African became a ‘citizen’ as stated under the law, but he also became a ‘nigger’, cornered from all sides. These problems echoed in a century, as Freeman write: “bigotry towards multiracial relationships and families is a persistent problem”. (Freeman, 2005). Today, society creates educational and social barriers for bi-racial families who differ from them. It means that the concept of “white” dominance did not sink into oblivion.
Today, many bi-racial families suffer because they are accepted neither by their race nor by family members a spouse. Also, the problems of bi-racial families were caused by mass immigration from poor countries, which created a negative attitude towards “color” of skin. For instance, See explaines “In America I don’t quite fit in where I go” (See, 1999). Many people often blame those problems on the interracial makeup of the family. Parents may also begin to view their children’s problems as race-related.
Today, many bi-racial families face with the problems caused by educational segregation of their children, right violation and neighbors’ hostility. Lisa See in the article “Race does not match my face” describes the problems experienced be a person from bi-racial family: “Since my face and my ethnicity are in conflict, how do I express my cultural background? The same way everyone does—by what is in my home, by how 1 dress, by what 1 eat and, of course, by how I see the world and how the world sees me” (See, 1999).
The best solution, which can help bi-racial families to overcome these problems, is to teach their children how to behavior in unpleasant and humiliating situations explaining that “whiteness” or “blackness” does not mean high morals and personal code of honesty. Even if they try to adopt American way of living, they will not be able to change their racial peculiarities and become Europeans. Ritual played a crucial role here, and their power could easily be applied to race and national ceremonies. The other possible solution for bi-racial families is to be tolerant and to prove that they are worthy citizens of the state, because biological difference is irreducible, and it reveals the ambivalence and hybrid nature of race.
Also, today bi-racial family relations become a fashionable issue in political theory and, as with most fashions, this has resulted in some nonsense. Race itself is used mostly as a generic term for the co-existence of a significant plurality of diverse cultural groups with sometimes conflicting values or ways of life within a single polity. These problems should be solved on the national level, but, neither you nor I cannot change opinion of millions of people in a day.
Taking into account the information mentioned above, it is possible to say that the best solution for bi-racial families is to be tolerant to others (even if it is very difficult), teach their children how to become worthy citizens and prove that racial differences of the parents do not have any influence on personal human code. The other variant is also possible, but bi-racial oppression is a global problem which has not been solved for centuries. Nevertheless, state authorities should be tolerant to bi-racial families becomes an example of right behavior.
References
- Chopin, K. 2005. http://www.pbs.org/katechopin/library/desireesbaby.html
- Freeman, M. Bitterness From Within Biracial Families and Relationships. 2005. http://www.aribella.com/bitterness.htm
- See, L. “My Face does not match my face”. Self, Nov, 1999, pp. 60-61
