[aclee]

So while we were in NJ, I had to go to the ER. We stayed in Newark, so when I went to the hospital, I was mainly waiting with AA people. A woman walked in with a baby sleeping in his carrier. I would guess he was at least 3 months, maybe closer to 6. Who knows, maybe he was just big. Anyway, another older woman there, had been talking with just about everyone there about kids, and when she saw him, she said he was cute, and asked Mom (who was darker than Ty) what color his eyes were. The baby was almost as dark as Ty, so I'll make the (maybe stupid) assumption that they were both "full" AA. It seemed pretty clear these women did not know each other. So the mother answers that he has the "gold and hazel flecked brown eyes" the older woman, nods her head and says...oh that's so pretty.

Because most AA people have brown eyes, do they sometimes "break" down the brown into different browns? I had just never heard this before. It makes sense because Matty's eyes are a completely different brown than Ty's are.

Anyway, I thought it was interesting!

[kakuehl]

I don't know the answer to your question, but I can say that my one biracial grandson has gray eyes. (Much lighter eyes than either of his brown-eyed parents.)

[BethanyB]

Gold and hazel eyes like that are very specific. That is how my sons eyes are. He was born with blue/grey eyes that lasted some time and then they turned to gold hazel. It does not alway show up that way in pictures. If I can find a picture where it shows up I will post.

I have biracial (AA and CC) cousins. They are brother with different fathers but one is light with blue eyes and the other is REALLY dark with brown eyes. "Full AA" and biracial kids can come in all colors. Most AA people have mixtures in them anyway from slavery times.

[MamaS]

There is a wonderful book called Shades of Black by Sandra Pinkney. It is a board book format for children all about the different colors of black skin, the different colors of eyes and the different textures of hair that can be "black". I bought copies each year for my granddaughter's preschool classes.

[aclee]

Originally Posted by MamaS

There is a wonderful book called Shades of Black by Sandra Pinkney. It is a board book format for children all about the different colors of black skin, the different colors of eyes and the different textures of hair that can be "black". I bought copies each year for my granddaughter's preschool classes.

THANK YOU! That is exactly what these brothers need as they get bigger

[SupaModel]

Aclee I have a friend who's darker than me (u know how dark i am) and he has natural blue eyes!! NOT KIDDING.

[OakShannon]

Originally Posted by MamaS

There is a wonderful book called Shades of Black by Sandra Pinkney. It is a board book format for children all about the different colors of black skin, the different colors of eyes and the different textures of hair that can be "black". I bought copies each year for my granddaughter's preschool classes.

We have that book. LOVE it!! Supa - There is a woman at my church who fits that description, too. Quite dark, but with very light blue eyes. I think I did a double take the first time I met her!

[nickchris]

Blacks do have hazel eyes, depends on both parents carrying the gene. Its all in the genes. lol DD's skin color is a medium brown. Her eyes were a light brown as a baby/smaller toddler. The eye color has darkened up, but is still a medium brown. In addition to the shape of the eye, the color will be one of her noticeable features.

[aclee]

Okay, I know this is a weird question, but this reminds me of a conversation I had with a geneticist regarding my BR nephew with the blue eyes. His father was born in Pakistan and his mother is my sister (CC obviously). When I spoke to him, he said, that the baby was obviously BR because of his parents, but in order for him to have blue eyes, it mean there was either CC or east Indian on the Pakistani side as well, other wise there would not have been the blue recessive gene. He said that when two people of the same race gave birth to a child with "non typical" or not expected genetic results (such as eye color) that it indicated one of two things. 1) that both the parents were in fact multiracial. It might be very far back, but there was clearly another race in their genetics in order for them to have passed on an atypical gene. or 2) a gene mutation.

I know that many AA have multi ethnic genes, and if two of them have a child, they can have light eyes if both parents carry the recessive gene. I guess my question is, is there really a difference between most full AA and BR genetically? Do only AA people who are aware of their multiple ethnicities "acknowledge" it? I don't know...it's a hard question to ask the right way. Basically, yes, there are multiple examples everywhere of AA people that have atypical features like blue eyes. This happens (usually) because both parents have carried the recessive gene from some non African ancestor. So what exactly is the difference?

I only ask because when I relayed the conversation to my BIL regarding another genetic link in his past, he was furious. I certainly don't mean to infuriate anyone, but I find genetics so interesting. BIL by the way, decided that the gene had mutated, because there was no way he has any East Indian ancestors and CERTAINLY not CC....till he married my sister, and his sister married my brother. But I guess that's a story for another time

[oceanica]

Really, I've never heard of that gene mutating... that would be pretty unlikely!
There are areas in India where everyone has blue eyes. It doesn't come from the Indian "dravidian" origin.
I just think all people/races are so intermingled from way way back that very few if anybody is any "pure" anything!

[nickchris]

I use my kids as an example all of the time. Per Dh and myself, we do nto make a big deal of our admixture, its there. In addition we do think this: no there is no differences with Black with admixture vs. biracial in the genetic aspect.. unless you start to count the % of each race, then that is another factor. The % factor would be of interest, with gathering info for the adopted kids, for their information. Since our kids have such so called "biracial features", I plan on swabbing dh and I as a little experiment for the kids on admixture. I will do DDs as well.
It is the reality of many Blacks in the Americas.

[aclee]

Interestingly enough, I heard a comment once on TV that Barack should not call himself an African American, because he was clearly BR. The response (and I can't remember from who) was that Barack had the distinction of being BOTH, because his father was African, he was indeed an African American, but his mother was CC, making him BR. They joked he was a Bi-racial African American. I thought that was interesting.

[bromanchik]

Almost all AA are biracial. There may be a few AA with pure AA heritage, but at some point in their history there is a white relative. Slave holders fathered enormous numbers of children. So even if their children and their children's children all married AA's they would still technically/genetically be considered biracial.

[nickchris]

President Obama is African and White, Michelle Obama is AA. Pres. Obama has said he is a mixture. Yet he is also smart enough to know people will pin him as a Black man. Apparently many (politically) do as they see him as Black since he is viewed as a threat and different. His family is very diverse,and that is a nice picture to see. Maybe one day
Exactly bromanchik, I think people are buying into the biracial is separate from AA in this country entirely too much. Especially among the adoption groups. That's why there is the their hair is different and all that. When many Black mothers has then and now dealt with the different textures all of the time. Lighter eyes pop up we are like oh must be from so and so or speculate as such, and move on. Its just a huge curiosity to me as a Black woman, and sad to see how children are separated based on phenotype.. again.
I was hanging out with 2 "Black" women who had NA and CC ancestry in their admixture. One had a mom, who was I believe 1/2 NA, aware of the NA culture and so on. Yet they are so are fully aware of how the AA is viewed and are proud to say they are Black with so and so. If they come across someone who seems to make much of the "better" hair or skin tone vibes.. it sickens them to a point they do not play into this. Proud of who they are, but are still fully aware of how they are viewed, and raise their children as such.

[manni28]

Alcee:

You need to check-out another thread: "growing-up multi-cultural" . IMO, the fact remains even if your son is BR society will still see him as black, period!

Ok, bmom doesn't know who the father is but your son has dark skin and AA features. Do you think he may not be stopped while driving while black; or not get a job because he's black or treated differently because he's black? It make's no difference if he's BR or "full bloodied" AA he may still face discrimination like your other son, because of his phenotype.

In regards to the president, yes he's bi-racial but he dentifies as black. To me he looks like a light-skinned AA man, the same with Hallie Barry... I wouldn't know she's mixed unless she said it.

Barack had the distinction of being BOTH, because his father was African, he was indeed an African American,

Anyone who was born in the U.S. ,and is of African descent, is an African American. Just like you being an American of Irish desent, makes you an "Irish American."

-Manni