The Word Mulatto
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Yes I am mixed: black and white. Because of the way that I look there is not a week that goes by where someone does not ask what am I. They are asking about my nationality because I have a look that people of different nationalities can relate to. Even though I am mixed I have never really had an identity problem. I understand that some mixed children go through life not knowing where they fit in or what category they belong to. That was never really me. I have been accused of being too black, too white, not white enough and not black enough at different instances of my life which has always made me sit back and laugh. I do not feel defined by my races, never have, I am simply me a combination and culmination of my parents; plain and simple. I have been called a lot of things in my life Oreo, nun, newspaper, zebra grey girl. Basically anything that represents a combination of black and white I have been called. And there are many names that children of interracial relationships can be called by; mixed, bi-racial, multi-racial and the list goes on and on.
Being called all sorts of names makes it really easy for me to understand the concept that a word is just a word and I try not to give words any negative power. Sometimes that is not easy to do and it has taken a long time to feel this way. However, there is still one word that gives me problems to this day. This word just rubs me the wrong way every time I hear it. The word is Mulatto. The word Mulatto just hits a nerve every time I hear it and I have never liked the word from the first time I heard it. I still hear this word today and with children of interracial relationships such as Tiger Woods and President Barack Obama the word Mulatto has had somewhat of a resurgence. When I first heard the word Mulatto I had no idea what the word meant just the sound of it alone was ugly to me. Then when I finally was old enough to look up the meaning it just made me dislike that word even more. Mulatto is a derivative of the word Mule which is a hybrid/product of a donkey and a horse. When I was a little girl in the 1970s the dictionary definition actually included the word mule. Since then the dictionaries have been updated to say the product or offspring of one black/African American and one white/Caucasian parent. This definition is more to my liking although I still cannot get the word mule out of my head.
I do not believe that Mulatto was meant to be a hateful word but the very definition is something that I would not want to identify myself with. I understand that it is just a word and if I don’t give it the power it can’t hurt me. But the word has always sounded ugly to me even before I knew what it truly meant. Since the word is making a comeback I am trying to turn the image in my head around from negative to positive so that I do not shutter at the sound of the word every time I hear Mulatto.
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Comments
As the know-nothing white parent of two black children, I remember the first time race really hurt me. My daughter was out playing at a little playground out side our house with several other children of the immediate neighborhood. She came in to ask her mother to wash her. My wife took her to the sink and held her up so she could get her little hands wet and she said "No. Wash me so I am not dark anymore. Make me look like you." It seems that the other black children playing with my daughter wouldn't play with her or let her play because she was too dark. My son is not as dark as my daughter. My daughter is so pretty to me I can't describe it. What I said to her was to point out that no one matches in color and that is how God wants it to be. She was the color she was supposed to be and she was so beautiful the other kids were jealous. Then I showed her that her mother was lighter than I am and if she looked at anyone they would not be the same color. She seemed to accept that but she would not go back out to play. Tripletmom thank you for writing this because these things are so hurtful. Bless you hon. Love nobody
G-Ma - Thank you so much. I am ok with it all you really have to stay positive and move forward. Its not always easy but it will make you crazy if you don't. Yes I still want to meet. My schedule just took a turn down incredibly busy lane so I need to figure it all out first.
Nobody - Thank you very much. I enjoyed your story. Sometimes you have to refocus the negative comments to find the alternatives.
I hope it is not making a comeback. There are too many hurtful words that need to go away. A very thoughtful Hub.
Well I have been hearing it a lot more lately. Most people who use it do not use it to be hurtful. Its just another way of saying mixed or bi-racial.
TM, I don't like the word either. I didn't know that it was associated with mule. Wow! My grandmother was of mixed heritage, black & white and she also hated the word mulato. She would say "I'm God's child" when she was asked about her ethnicity.
You go girl, forget those haters...
Thanks for sharing your story. I've never liked that word either, didn't realize it made reference to a mixing of "animals", hmmm. I can remember when researching our ancestry and looking at the 1910 Census, my grandparents were referred to as Mulattos, and 10 years later they were Negroes. Other words that rub me the wrong way are "ethnic" when used to clump all minority groups together, and "exotic" usually making reference to a nonwhite who is pleasing to the eye. Again, thank you for your writings, I learn something new every time. Peace and blessings, always
Dynamics - Your grandmother had a wonderful response! Sometimes people focus way too much on categories or labels when we are simply people.
jetta - Thank you so much! I think you hit the nail on the head its not the word so much as how it is used. Because words can take on so many different meanings. How interesting that the same people could be called so many different things from Mulatto to Negro in 10 years. Wow.
I've vaguely heard the word but I don't think we've ever really used it in the UK. "Mixed-race" is what you hear here.
P & O - Its really interesting to hear what words are used around the world. Thanks for sharing. We use Mixed-race too but there are so many other words that are used as well.
Hey girl - i remember someone asking us if we were hispanic sisters. I remember thinking that except for having brown skin and being on the shorter side (esp. me!) we didn't look much alike. Maybe it was when i had that awful spiral perm?? ha ha. (i'm always mistaken for a latina - i don't mind.) My son, especially looks mixed race. His skin is browner than mine. I tell them they are earthlings. they think i'm crazy. :) I say they're Californians. ---- all sorts of stuff. For the last decade, i've put decline to state on the race box for things. I've felt if i check any box, presumptions are made about who i am and what i "should" be like. i just don't check it anymore. :)
Jules - I remember that time completely I thought it was strange too. With my kids being various hues on the spectrum there are many speculations made about them too. Yes there are way too many presumptions made on race alone which is completely unfair and usually untrue as well.
I really cannot express the impact the first two paragraphs of this hub had upon me or the emotion it aroused. No, I am neither black or the product of an interracial marriage - but I am just so darn delighted to see (or in this case read) someone who refuses to be defined by what they are, and is just comfortable with being who they are. You are truly inspirational!
Nemingha - Thank you so much for your comments. That really makes me feel so good. I can honestly say that it is not easy to do when others want to use words to define who you are. Thank you again.
I have two close friends who are bi-racial. One experienced no problems in school but the other experienced several negative experiences during her school years. I didn't know what the word mulatto came from. I learned something new today.
QG1Moore - It amazing the experiences people have. I suppose its got a lot to do with the environment a person is in or exposed to. Thank you for your comments.
great hub!!
my late husband was mixed, his dad a black soldier, mom a german girl, they met and married in 1950. He had many many stories to tell about being a little brown boy with blonde hair in a small German town...
and of course, he was an incredibly handsome man
take care and keep writing!
Elisabeth - I bet his stories were wonderful. I would love to have heard some of them. Thanks for sharing.
im sure there are a million and one stories just like yours.
My mother is part Chinese and Native American. My father could be Sidney Portier's twin.
Although I never considered myself MIXED, I knew I was different. We weren't raised mixed. My mother always thought of herself as a woman of color. And so I have taken on the same role. We can only be who we are. nothing more.
I have an 11 yr old daughter who is as chocolate as they come. but I have taught her to love the skin she is in. God made us different for a reason.
Haute Coco - Wonderful sentiment and oh so true. My children range in hues even though they are triplets. But their personalities have nothing to do with their skin tone. I am glad that we are different. Being the same would be boring.
Triplet Mom, thank you so much for this wonderful and inspirational hub. You have truly spoken to me this day because I have experienced being called pretty much all of the words you've listed above. My parents are both mixed ( no one in my family is just one race)my mother is french-west indian, asian, and french european, and my father is native-american indian, african american, and irish. So my two siblings and I all came out different ( to the point where we don't even look related). It gets difficult at times when people see us together and they mistake my brother for being my boyfriend, because us being related doesn't even cross their minds. So thanks again for this very inspirational hub.
Floeticpoet - Thanks for sharing your experience. It is always interesting what others go through.
![Bad grammar makes me [sic]](http://z.hubpages.com/u/595850_50.jpg "Bad grammar makes me [sic]")
G-Ma Johnson says:
4 months ago
Good for you! ! !...it is so sad when these things can effect us for a long time..but you seem ok with it all...You are a real sweetie, and sooo??? will you make it next time me and Candie meet? Please ?? :O) Hugs G-Ma