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What race do you consider Alicia Keys belongs?

If you had to pick a race for this beauty?

  • Black

    Votes: 18 30.0%

  • Mixed Black/White

    Votes: 32 53.3%

  • White

    Votes: 2 3.3%

  • Hispanic

    Votes: 2 3.3%

  • Other

    Votes: 6 10.0%
  • Total voters
    60
Several years ago one of the President Bushes was about to visit Ottawa, the Canadian capital. As part of the security preparations the advance team wanted to screen the Ottawa press corps. One of the questions on the form they had to fill out to get their security pass asked what race they were. Oh boy, did the brown stuff hit the fan.

First of all, Canadian and American history is very different, so the choices offered didn't make much sense here. Second of all, since most had mixed backgrounds - how relevant was the question when nearly all could have chosen "white". Third of all, it was actually illegal in Canada to demand an answer to this question, to act on the answer, or to act on someone not answering the question. And finally (though I can't confirm this - but heard it from an Ottawa friend), the question was withdrawn when the advance team realized that the entire Ottawa press corps was divided between "Democrat" or "Iraqi".
 
iOrlando said:
you people need to take a chill pill.
Click to expand...

Agreed. The OP is asking a fair question.

It's a common question, too. When you get a driver's licence, fill out your national census form, apply for a job, take a survey, etc., etc....you are guaranteed to be asked what race you identify with (though, answering that question is always optional).

We might all be part of the human race but we can also be differentiated into further subcategories. Kind of like there are dogs (canines)...but you can further subdivide them into Great Danes, Golden Labs, Chihuahuas, Terriers, Pit Bulls, etc.. You can always drill down further into more specific classifications.

As for Ms Keyes, the Wikipedia entry clearly answers the question. Regardless, she definitely looks mixed race.
 
Antares said:
Agreed. The OP is asking a fair question.

It's a common question, too. When Americans get a driver's licence, fill out your national census form, apply for a job, take a survey, etc., etc....you are guaranteed to be asked what race you identify with (though, answering that question is always optional).

...
Click to expand...

Fixed that for you....

Although, to be accurate - census forms in other countries do ask all sorts of questions that are not asked in other contexts. But census answers are also a) confidential b) not tied to an individual, and c) used to tailor all sorts of public policy initiatives.
 
Don't panic said:
why was "hispanic" even included in the mix? why not "chinese" then? or some other completely irrelevant (to her) ethnic group?
Click to expand...

Out of my ambivalence of her perceived race I limited my poll to the most obvious choices.

By the way Chinese is not a race--I believe Oriental is.
 
I think people are trying to partake in the fame that waloshin created for himself by asking oddball questions.

Here's a thought OP. Have an opinion and start a discussion. Don't hide your head in the sand because you're too scared to state what your own opinion is.
 
Jaro65 said:
in terms of the nationality.
Click to expand...

So if you saw someone Chinese, would you consider the race of that person to be Chinese, or Asian? If you'd say Chinese, then you just said their race was also their country of origin, which is a pretty fair way to define race, IMO. If you would have said "Asian", then you just said that person's race is their continent of origin. Both ways are fine, and I'm sure there are even more ways.

I'm more likely to say that a Chinese person's race is "Chinese" rather than simply "Asian" because I don't see how Chinese, Indian, and Armenians are all similar just because they're from Asia, or Sri Lankans and Trinidadians are the same race just because their skin colour is the same or extremely similar.

In the same way, I don't think saying an American's race is "American" is inaccurate. They're much different than Swedes, who are much different from the French.

But yes, I know what you're trying to say. ;)
 
Abstract said:
In the same way, I don't think saying an American's race is "American" is inaccurate. They're much different than Swedes, who are much different from the French.
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Actually that's very easy to counterexample. If somebody from Sweden immigrates into USA and gets a US citizenship would you say their race is Swedish or American?

US is country built almost entirely on immigrants. Pretty much all of us here have ancestors that came from somewhere other than US itself (unless you're Native American of course). So imho there is no such race as an American, only a nationality.
 
Frisco said:
Out of my ambivalence of her perceived race I limited my poll to the most obvious choices.

By the way Chinese is not a race--I believe Oriental is.
Click to expand...

that's why i said ethnic group. like "hispanic' which is also not a race, but an ethnicity (which is the word you should use in the poll).

but even if it was a 'race', she has exactly zero latino or hispanic ancestry, so it shouldn't be considered an option on her real or perceived 'race', no more than 'chinese' or 'indian'.
 
Synchromesh said:
Actually that's very easy to counterexample. If somebody from Sweden immigrates into USA and gets a US citizenship would you say their race is Swedish or American?
Click to expand...

If that person pretty muh grew up in America, then "American". Otherwise, Swedish. A person's race is related to their semi-recent family background, and culture. I don't think that a 3rd generation American with Korean parents and grandparents, who also lived in America, are Korean. They may be as American as apple pie.
 
Abstract said:
If that person pretty muh grew up in America, then "American". Otherwise, Swedish. A person's race is related to their semi-recent family background, and culture. I don't think that a 3rd generation American with Korean parents and grandparents, who also lived in America, are Korean. They may be as American as apple pie.
Click to expand...

nationality and race/ethnicity are two completely different things.

"American" is not an ethnicity and most definitively not a 'race'
 
Aren't the majority of Black people in the U.S. between 1/4 and 3/4 Caucasian? What race does that make them? Seems mixed heritage likely applies? :confused:
 
Abstract said:
If that person pretty muh grew up in America, then "American". Otherwise, Swedish. A person's race is related to their semi-recent family background, and culture. I don't think that a 3rd generation American with Korean parents and grandparents, who also lived in America, are Korean. They may be as American as apple pie.
Click to expand...

You are talking about nationality again, not ethnic background. That person may have grown up here and "they may be as American as apple pie" but their ethnic background will still remain Korean. They will still look Korean, won't they? Providing that all of their immediate ancestors were of Korean descent they will not look like anybody from Europe or Africa. So I agree with Don't Panic. Race/ethnicity and nationality are 2 completely different things. And while Alicia Keys' nationality may be American, her ethnic background/race certainly is not (unless there is some Native American blood in her as well).
 
From the Oxford Dictionary ([URL="http://www.askoxford.com:80/concise_oed/race_2?view=uk]Link[/URL])

1. Each of the major divisions of humankind, having distinct physical characteristics.

2 racial origin or distinction: rights based on race.

3 a group of people sharing the same culture, language, etc.; an ethnic group.



I suppose nobody is wrong. One is based on physical attributes, whereas the other divide is based on culture and language. I go by the second bolder definition out of the two explanations that are relevant here.
 
IIRC, she's mixed. But it's hard to say, being born and raised in Hell's Kitchen...

.. but I'd rather get my perception of her from what she's done, not what she's made of. Her looks are just icing on that cake. :)

BL.
 
All you people saying "human" or "it doesn't matter" are ****ed in the head. Race is a race. You can't deny the existence of the anatomical differences between humans of different regions. Pigmentation is obviously a factor that separates us humans from each other.

OP is just trying to ask how people perceive her in terms of her race, since her skin pigmentation is obviously the result of multiple races. No where did he imply any negative or positive traits connected with her race -just her appearance.

Political correctness is a killer.
 
Subkultured said:
All you people saying "human" or "it doesn't matter" are ****ed in the head. Race is a race. You can't deny the existence of the anatomical differences between humans of different regions. Pigmentation is obviously a factor that separates us humans from each other.
...
Political correctness is a killer.
Click to expand...

And yet, modern DNA analysis has shown that there can be as much, or even more, genetic differences within a racial group as between different racial groups.

Skin pigmentation is such a minor inconsequential genetic marker that trying to categorize humans based on it is pointless. Always has been.

Differentiating humans based on skin colour has never lead to good things.
 
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