Racial Identity

Racial and Ethnic Identity is a socially constructed system of classifying individuals according to phonotypical characteristics that are genetically determined but not always consistent As a young women growing up in Virginia I faced many challenges . However, one challenge always stood out the most. Somehow I was always labeled different than the other black children. My name growing up was " The Stuck Up Rich Girl Who Acted White, and "The Oreo" Anyone who really knows me, know that I am far from stuck up, and as far as how I act. Well, I just act like me. Why is it that if An African American talks proper grammar and listens to white artists one has to be classified as "acting white?" Why is it that if a Caucasian uses slang, and listens to music sung and rapped by black artist he or she is classified as " acting white?"\find that very offensive because there is NO such thing as acting white nor acting black. I'll admit, maybe I'm not your average black girl who always listens to black artist , and who can sing every word from " Lil Boosies album, however that doesn't make me less black. Yes, when speaking I use proper grammar its called ‘speaking fluently. I do not quite understand how and why we’ve gotten to a place where as a culture—as a race—if you sound as though you have more than a fifth-grade education, it’s a bad thing.” If one is going to give me a racial identity why is it that I can't be An educated, young, black women who speaks fluently. Society as a whole has labeled so much as " acting white'" and " acting black" that they've even labeled food. I don't eat macaroni and cheese and I'm not a huge fan of fried chicken; Due to this, I am labeled as white. Racial Identity shouldn't be determine by the way one carries themselves, how they talk or even what they eat.