Bi-racial/mixed models

[Ariez]

Thanks alot for those posts ALimaFan, you can never learn too much and I know how frustrating it can get at times. I'm Amerindian,Indian,black and portuguese and at a recent family reunion most of the white brazilians seemed to be almost shocked that they had dark-skinned family members
Brazil's racial outlook is a such a deep subject(I'm actually wiritng a thesis on it as i'm typing this haha) But really, thanks for clearing that up.

 

[oolie coco]

ALimaFan thanks for all the info. I appreciate and can relate to your passion on the subject

 

[amphrosyne]

Hi Amphrosyne,

I'm not "worked up." Please don't misread my intention. I am passionate about this subject and wanted to share because the details that I posted are rarely (if ever) shared on Adriana Lima fan boards.

And I have read posts where people, black and white alike, downplay her African ancetory. I actually do get worked up over that and like to share what details I have for that reason. Please don't take it the wrong way.

My apologies. I just thought the post sounded agitated and aggressive but I guess I've gotten the wrong vibe It was a good read though so thanks.

 

[ALimaFan]

Juliana Imai
(Brasilian and Japanese)

and Katja Scheckina
(Russian and Somali)





[women]

The top model (Juliana Imai?) looks similar to Adriana Lima. I am not surprised therefore that she's a Brazilian mix also.

 

[oolie coco]

I think the first two pictures are of Katja. The second picture looks remarkably like Adriana.

 

[amphrosyne]

hey do you know Juliana's heritage? Japanese and ?

edit: nvm I did a search. She's Portuguese and Japanese.

 

[luna1576]

I think it's human nature to categorize people based on appearence. I don't doubt that her African heritage has been down played but so have her other heritages. I don't consider her mixed even though I know she has African heritage. It's not so much because I don't see her as African..it's more because she has so many cultures in her back round. It may not be fair but the honest truth is that if someone has multi ethnic backround..not everyone is going to give equal consideration to each one. I consider her Brazilian and I consider Brazilians a mixed people..not an African people, not a white people..just a mixed people. I don't expect everyone to agree but that's how I see it.

 

[amphrosyne]

^ not everyone in Brasil is "mixed" so to speak. She is culturally Brasilian I give you that but racially there is no denial she's mixed. Weird thing is first you say

I don't consider her mixed even though I know she has African heritage

then

I consider her Brazilian and I consider Brazilians a mixed people..not an African people, not a white people..just a mixed people.

I do agree with your first sentence though.

 

[ALimaFan]

I think it's human nature to categorize people based on appearence. I don't doubt that her African heritage has been down played but so have her other heritages. I don't consider her mixed even though I know she has African heritage. It's not so much because I don't see her as African..it's more because she has so many cultures in her back round. It may not be fair but the honest truth is that if someone has multi ethnic backround..not everyone is going to give equal consideration to each one. I consider her Brazilian and I consider Brazilians a mixed people..not an African people, not a white people..just a mixed people. I don't expect everyone to agree but that's how I see it.

Luna,

I respect your point of view. I don't think that her other heritages have been downplayed simply because on most fan sites and bios, those other heritages are accurately listed. Also, prototypically her other heritages are visible (as she usually looks more Eurocentric than not). I guess I am kind of holding up the light to the little forgotten part that's not often discussed or easily digested when mentioned.

 

[luna1576]

^ not everyone in Brasil is "mixed" so to speak. She is culturally Brasilian I give you that but racially there is no denial she's mixed. Weird thing is first you say



then



I do agree with your first sentence though.

haha yeah that was a little contradicting..I know not everyone is mixed in brasil but the culture is so diverse and there is a mix of cultures. I may not be politically correct but I still consider it a mixed country with a beautiful mixture of cultures. What I meant was I consider her culturally mixed more than racially. It's just my opinion and I know she definately has a mixed racial backround but when I think of Adriana Lima ..the first thing that comes to mind isn't 'Racially mixed model' it's Brasilian model. Hopefully I'm not offending anyone, if I am I'm sorry because that wasn't my intention.

 

[amphrosyne]

^ I'm not offended at all and I really dislike being PC. I see where you're coming from now.

 

[ALimaFan]

haha yeah that was a little contradicting..I know not everyone is mixed in brasil but the culture is so diverse and there is a mix of cultures. I may not be politically correct but I still consider it a mixed country with a beautiful mixture of cultures. What I meant was I consider her culturally mixed more than racially. It's just my opinion and I know she definately has a mixed racial backround but when I think of Adriana Lima ..the first thing that comes to mind isn't 'Racially mixed model' it's Brasilian model. Hopefully I'm not offending anyone, if I am I'm sorry because that wasn't my intention.

I'm certainly not offended, Luna

We all see differently through varied cultural lenses. Race and culture are often interchangable, and race is merely a social construct. But culture is sometimes used to mask race, esp. those with stigmas. That's why I am adamant about praising Adriana for acknowledging her ancestory: racial and cultural.

 

[sadejack]

Thanks alot for those posts ALimaFan, you can never learn too much and I know how frustrating it can get at times. I'm Amerindian,Indian,black and portuguese and at a recent family reunion most of the white brazilians seemed to be almost shocked that they had dark-skinned family members
Brazil's racial outlook is a such a deep subject(I'm actually wiritng a thesis on it as i'm typing this haha) But really, thanks for clearing that up.

That is so scary. I'm Indian(East Indian), Native American, Portuguese, and mostly black. I went to a family get together recently and I was one of the darkest ones there. I thought I was at the wrong place.

 

[Modelgirlie]

Aren't Naomi and Tyson Beckford both mixed with Asian and Jamaican

 

[fashionista-ta]

just because both your parents are black doesn't mean you're not mixed. Race is a social construct anyway so this whole "biracial" thing is a farce anyway. i find the thread interesting, but it's just that many "white" "black" or any other "race" model (or human being) is probably also actually quite "mixed."

Not sure what you mean by social construct? But my understanding is that it's more. If anthropologists can dig up a skeleton and determine its gender and race, isn't race just as much of a physical reality as gender? Just (many times) less obvious visually?

 

[oolie coco]

No, there's very very very very little genetic difference (if at all) between a black person and a white person, for example. I forget the exact percentage it is (if any)

Race isn't exactly a physical reality in that scientific/genetic sense.

However, for most people, it certainly affects us socially on a daily basis! Even though I'm half-white I understand that white people see me as completely Asian because of my looks. And even though my mother is Asian, most Asian people wouldn't probably consider me "Fully Asian". So for me, I relate to being biracial way more than I relate to being white or Asian. Most biracial people in this world are going to accept me no matter what!!!! lol

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ There can be more of a genetic difference between two Caucasians than between a Caucasian and a Black person, depending on which ones you select, I know that. Just making the point that race is real. Then there are people's mental maps of race, which ... aren't Reminds me of my grandmother She's very prejudiced, but also very confused. We went to a store one time, and the clerk was a light-skinned black woman with gorgeous cafe au lait skin, platinum blonde hair (courtesy Lady Clairol), and a very flat nose. When we left my grandmother started talking about "the Mexican lady." Me: What Mexican lady, there was no Mexican lady. Grandma: The one who checked us out. Me: She was black. Grandma: No she wasn't.

Trust me, she was

 

[luna1576]

Old people are the worst. My mom works in a nursing home and a lot of the people she works with have bi racial children. These people can't even remember their own children but they still have something to say about all these white woman with "black children." It's sad. I also hate being stereotyped as having identity issues. People like Mariah Carry made us all look bad by blaming her issues on her race.

 

[luna1576]

Old people are the worst. My mom works in a nursing home and a lot of the people she works with have bi racial children. These people can't even remember their own children but they still have something to say about all these white woman with "black children." It's sad. I also hate being stereotyped as having identity issues. People like Mariah Carry made us all look bad by blaming her issues on her race.

 

[ALimaFan]

Aren't Naomi and Tyson Beckford both mixed with Asian and Jamaican

To my knowledge, Tyson Beckford's grandmother is Asian (I don't know which: Korean, Japanese, Chinese, etc.).

Jamaican doesn't denote race to my knowledge. Naomi is a black woman racially.