Mixed children.

alisarosee · February 2015

My baby will be mulatto half white and half African American. But I'm having a hard time coming up with the perfect name with the fear it might sound too "white" or to "black" and I know race isn't the most important thing I just want them to have a fitting name. Also having trouble deciding if I want their grandparents to speak they're language even though I don't know it. Anyone else dealing with things like this?

Miz_Liz · February 2015

I am not personally in this situation; however I think anyone who has the chance for their children to learn two languages or more should absolutely go for it. When children are young it is the easiest time for them to learn new things, and not only is it awesome if they can learn both sides of their background to include language, but it will also give them a leg up in this world - knowing more than one language is a great asset when it comes to jobs, etc. As for names, I think as long as you aren't going with anything extreme, you should be completely fine, go with what you and your SO like!

JellicalParker · February 2015

My child will also be considered a mulatto. Many days my husband is considered "passing" and sometimes he's considered "high yellow" as a half Danish half black man. Our child will probably resemble him, just like my step son does. Our child will be learning ALL of the languages attributed between us: English, Danish, Spanish and ASL. There is no reason to deny a child the opportunity to learn! And we have chosen names that hold meaning to us... I think people will attribute certain expectations based on a name more than they will on the color of your child's skin. If you are that concerned, take a look at older names from the 1950's and before... Many of those names are not in use as much and are wonderful

thebarefootone23 · February 2015

My daughter is 2 and half latina half white. We gave her a Spanish name but we have to use the English version of her name when talking to non-Spanish people because they all mispronounce her name. For this reason, I recommend picking a name easily pronounced in both languages. I also highly recommend raising children bilingually, especially if relatives speak different languages. Our daughter understands and speaks both Spanish and English.

ebeth_msn · February 2015

Mulatto? High yellow? Did I stumble into 1960???? Sweet merciful crap people.

The terms mulatto and high yellow are widely considered to be derogatory and/or highly offensive. Please take the time to acquaint yourself with the history surrounding these terms particularly if you are going to be raising a biracial child.

13itchyBride · February 2015

DH is Mexican and I'm white. We gave our daughters "white" names. He said our last name is already Latino enough. He wanted names that reflect both heritages. DH is Marley Grace and bun in the oven will be Samantha Rose.

cosplaymom · February 2015

My kids are biracial white/Chinese. Naming is different for every race and culture, but most American-born Chinese I know have both a Chinese name and an English/Western name.

My daughter has a Biblical first name, my grandma's middle name (Evelyn), and a Chinese last name. We let my in-laws choose my daughter's Chinese name, which was revealed at her Red Egg and Ginger party (her legal name is her "English" name).

kelseyrayay · February 2015

My husbands brothers kids are Japanese and white and they are named Jennifer and Stephanie. Their moms name is yoshimi. Just pick a name you like

CaliforniaDream87 · February 2015

Why does a name have to be race related? I don't get it. My children are also mixed but I couldn't care less if our names are "too black" or too "Hispanic". Is this a joke?You sound ignorant.

Who says mulatto in 2015? Seriously?

xcitdmomma · February 2015

mommyofX · February 2015

My baby will be Polish on my side and black, Spanish n French on his side. We're just naming him/her a name we both like. That isn't super common. I'm happy to have a mixed baby bc he or she will know their background no matter how diversely.

Good luck...

kjandericka · February 2015

My baby will be biracial. I'm Caucasian and DH is African American. I was hoping that someone would post some sort of "mixed kids" discussion but this is definitely not the type of post I was wanting or expecting. I actually wanted to vent a little about the "race naming" topic. It's ridiculous to me that some of my acquaintances have asked me if we are giving our child a "white" name or "black" name. I normally answer that we are going to give him a human name. Maybe it's the raging hormones but those types of questions annoy me. But, heck, I also get annoyed when people's first reaction is "I wonder what color your baby will be" haha. Umm he will probably be some shade of caramel, between my pasty white skin and his dad's dark chocolate skin. I know most people are just making conversation and mean no harm so I don't normally take any offense. It's just something those of us in interracial relationships get to deal with.

marydavis1217 · February 2015

My son is named Malachi he's half black half white, this child is also going to be mixed as well we are naming him Quincy. I don't consuder them either black or white names I just wanted names as unique as they are:)

hsabyan · February 2015

Please don't. Just don't. Whatever you name your kids, please don't refer to them as mulatto. Also, read a book or something.

ckoenig87 · February 2015

I wanted to vent on this too! Our baby is going to be half Caucasian and half Korean (DH). I've gotten the following comments... in this order..."aw your babies are going to look so cute I love half oriental kids!" 'Are you going to give them a Chinese sounding name or a normal name?" WHAT the WHAT!? They are Korean not Chinese ...not every Asian person is Chinese....and you are using the word normal to describe a 'white' name!? Stupid ppl?!!

bashfulbird · February 2015

@ckoenig87 OMG that's horrible, I'm so sorry people are such ignorant slobs.

Huler · February 2015

@ckoenig87‌ I could've written that. When my boys were born, ppl were like "oh, they're gonna look,like the Jon&Kate + 8 kids!" (Obv it was back around 2007

). I'm Caucasian, DH is Hawaiian/Chinese. Not every Asian hybrid kiddo looks alike! Lol. Also I am dying at the term "oriental," my GRANDMA used to refer to Asians as Orientals.

As for names, we gave our boys Hawaiian middle names to honor their heritage, not so they wouldn't have completely "white names." (Although my older, native Hawaiian FIL has mentioned that they have "haole" first names. Oh well!)

catters11 · February 2015

I'm half Korean/Black. DH is Black. SMH at people saying oriental. Oriental refers to things not people.

ittybittybaker09 · February 2015

I'm not going to comment on the biracial side of this. I don't feel we should use names for it. If they are born in America, they are human and american. No other label needs to be added to them. Teach them their culture and their families culture and history. But let them define themselves as they grow.

On the language thing, my husband and his family are from El Salvador. Spanish is their first language. My Hs ignorant ex did not allow him to teach the boys Spanish at all. So at 6 and 8 they know no spanish. Even after spending a majority of their time when infants with his family. This to me is such a shame. Our baby will be bilingual. I am learning Spanish and I want him/her to know both. It is an amazing skill to have. The boys also suffered from speech delays and problems after listening to the accents from his family trying to only speak English to them. Such a shame. Instead of giving them a skill, she took something huge away from them. If you can, give your children that extra language.

visualcircus · February 2015

I am half Chinese half Caucasian, and DH is Caucasian. I am thinking about asking my family to help with the Chinese name for our child (not official, but used within family). Besides that, I am not sure how much Chinese culture/language I will be able to pass down besides the cuisine.

My favorite question I get is, "What's your nationality?" Uhhh.. American

GirlOnTheBeach · February 2015

I don't understand why names have to be decided based on race. I'm white and DH is Puerto Rican. Our boy name choice was a Spanish name (because it was a family name) and our girl name choice was a German name (again, a family name). They weren't picked to "match" our child's race, but because we liked the names and their meanings.

As for languages, please let your child learn as much as possible! It's important for them to be able to communicate with all of their family members. For us, our baby will be at least tri-lingual. I speak English, French, Spanish and am learning Russian. DH speaks English and Spanish and is learning Russian too. We have many Russian friends that we are around regularly so baby will pick up Russian from them and English/Spanish from us. I'll probably teach him basic words in French just for fun but it's not as high of a priority.

archetypeblonde · February 2015

We are having a quarter Korean 3/4 white baby, and SO doesn't speak Korean but his mother wants to teach our child. I'm so excited! I only hope they don't talk crap about me behind my back (jk).

jesselayne8 · February 2015

I had to google the term "high yellow".

xcitdmomma · February 2015

jesselayne8 said:
I had to google the term "high yellow".

Ditto. Also... Awkward!

SissyKate21 · February 2015

Mulatto? High Yellow? This is a joke, right?

And what exactly is a "white" name?

Are we talking about Russian? Danish? Polish? Dutch? Norwegian? Irish? Canadian? Swedish? British?

Must I go on? I think I will.

Is a "white" name some nonsense word that is totally made up so that it can be yooneek and "American"? (Meaning from the United States, which is a classic mistake to ignore the other countries in the "Americas".)

And if we are talking about names found mostly in the USA - are "white" names traditionally used in the southern states or northern states? East or West coasts?

Seriously...this thread.

gingerygirl · February 2015

I'm the palest white of whites and my husband is the darkest black of blacks. I'm naming my kid whatever the hell I want. I really don't think that race should have anything to do with a name. If we like the name, we'll use it.

generalfuzzypants · February 2015

I agree with others here. Choose a name you both like.

DH is from Iran and we are not going to use any Persian names. We've chosen a few we like. There may be pronunciation issues in his family, but all names we have chosen have some sort of shortened version that is easy to pronounce.

One of the most offensive things I was asked when we got engaged was, "Does his family force you to wear a hijab?" Ummm. What? I asked them if they were making a joke. His family isn't even religious!

Bottom line, people are going to make stupid remarks when it comes to interracial relationships and children. Choose a name you both like.

xjessip86x · February 2015

i cant believe im reading this lol. i refuse to google "high yellow"

xsunshinelady15 · February 2015

I have never met a white woman named LaKeisha or a little white boy named Jamal.. LOL. Playing devils advocate here, but names can be ethnic..IJS

CaliforniaDream87 · February 2015

xsunshinelady15 said:
I have never met a white woman named LaKeisha or a little white boy named Jamal.. LOL. Playing devils advocate here, but names can be ethnic..IJS

@xsunshinelady15 Well now.....you sound just as ignorant as the OP. So what are you saying? "LaKeisha" is a black only name? No, you're not playing "devils advocate" at all. You're continuing the disgusting stereotypes people attach to names.

princesslockness · February 2015

xsunshinelady15 said:
I have never met a white woman named LaKeisha or a little white boy named Jamal.. LOL. Playing devils advocate here, but names can be ethnic..IJS

My little neighbor boy is full blooded Irish and named Jemal.

bj1987 · February 2015

Our baby to be will be a mix of half the dad (full Lao) and half me a mixture of sorts "white" per say lol and as far as name goes I am choosing one name and the second is daddy's choice as for language we are teaching our son and will also teach this baby how to speak Laos it's awesome to be culturally diverse

xsunshinelady15 · February 2015

CaliforniaDream87 said:

xsunshinelady15 said:
I have never met a white woman named LaKeisha or a little white boy named Jamal.. LOL. Playing devils advocate here, but names can be ethnic..IJS
@xsunshinelady15 Well now.....you sound just as ignorant as the OP. So what are you saying? "LaKeisha" is a black only name? No, you're not playing "devils advocate" at all. You're continuing the disgusting stereotypes people attach to names.

@CaliforniaDream87 I wouldn't be ignorant even if I had your brain. Show me a white girl named Lakeisha or a white boy named Jamal. It is rare and hard to do. A fact is a fact. Those names are typically given to black children. I didn't make the shit up. So ignorant I am not.

WDDCH · February 2015

Okay I'm going to just address the second half of the OP's dilemma. Yes I would let my kids learn another language, especially as it is part of their heritage. You don't need to speak it to respect that. I would welcome the grandparents to speak their native language.

One of my old friends (American-Italian) married a Brazilian woman and brought her to the U.S. Their children know English and Portuguese. It's awesome! Their mother's heritage is important to her and important for her to share with their kids. Why should she forget all that because she moved to America? Why shouldn't she speak her native language and cook her native foods? They do the same with his Italian heritage even though his family has been in America since before he was born.

Kids who learn more than one language have been shown to excel in many areas academically. Being exposed to and experiencing different cultures makes for a more well-rounded individual. Even more wonderful is when that culture is part of the child's family history and genetic makeup.

CaliforniaDream87 · February 2015

xsunshinelady15 said:

CaliforniaDream87 said:

xsunshinelady15 said:
I have never met a white woman named LaKeisha or a little white boy named Jamal.. LOL. Playing devils advocate here, but names can be ethnic..IJS
@xsunshinelady15 Well now.....you sound just as ignorant as the OP. So what are you saying? "LaKeisha" is a black only name? No, you're not playing "devils advocate" at all. You're continuing the disgusting stereotypes people attach to names.
@CaliforniaDream87 I wouldn't be ignorant even if I had your brain. Show me a white girl named Lakeisha or a white boy named Jamal. It is rare and hard to do. A fact is a fact. Those names are typically given to black children. I didn't make the shit up. So ignorant I am not.

Ha! You're making my point even more clear. Whatever bubble you live in feel free to stay there. Your "facts" are nothing more than stereotypes, period. It's quite disgusting but.....when you grow up surrounded by ignorance you're used to it. Keep spewing that garbage.

I'll stick with my ignorant comment.

CrouchingTiger · February 2015

I haven't chimed in on any posts in awhile but this one can't leave my mind...

Giving your child an opportunity to learn another language especially at a young age is something you shouldn't pass up on. It may make it easier to learn other languages and thinking into the future that may help them reach success in what every career path they may choose. Also, learning the language from family gives another opportunity for all family members to bond...you could learn too!

As for the "too white" or "too black" issue regarding names. Being bi-racial myself I just can't even handle people who think like that so I cannot help. Good luck with choosing a name!

princesslockness · February 2015

xsunshinelady15 said:

CaliforniaDream87 said:

xsunshinelady15 said:
I have never met a white woman named LaKeisha or a little white boy named Jamal.. LOL. Playing devils advocate here, but names can be ethnic..IJS
@xsunshinelady15 Well now.....you sound just as ignorant as the OP. So what are you saying? "LaKeisha" is a black only name? No, you're not playing "devils advocate" at all. You're continuing the disgusting stereotypes people attach to names.
@CaliforniaDream87 I wouldn't be ignorant even if I had your brain. Show me a white girl named Lakeisha or a white boy named Jamal. It is rare and hard to do. A fact is a fact. Those names are typically given to black children. I didn't make the shit up. So ignorant I am not.

I gave you an example. one of my students is half hispanic and half Irish. Her name is Laquisha. Please educate yourself.

shiannenoella · February 2015

I'm black, white and native American and my name is Shianne (pronounced Cheyenne), my sisters name is Jade and my brothers is Chaz! Those are all unique but with mixed children you can name them anything you want....don't go crazy with latisha or something but any name will work. You have an endless amount of names to choose from!

aliciaspinnet · February 2015

Lurking from June board

. My husband is Indian and I'm Irish. We're still deciding on names, but we're leaning more towards Indian names because they just seem to sound better with DHs surname. Although my favourite name so far is Rohan which actually works for both cultures.

DHs first language is English, and his Hindi isn't great so I don't think it's possible to raise our child as bilingual but if DH wants to teach our son some Hindi then great - I think it's a good way to teach him about his heritage. My Irish is even worse than DHs Hindi (and it's very rarely used as an everyday language except in a few small areas in Ireland) so I won't be pushing our son to learn that other than maybe a couple of words here and there.

And yes, I do get comments about what colour our child will be. They're usually meant in a nice way (as in "your children will be so pretty") so DH and I take them in the spirit with which they're meant.

2ndtimemomy · February 2015

When you call yourself an Indian or a Muslim or a Christian or a European, or anything else, you are being violent. Do you see why it is violent? Because you are separating yourself from the rest of mankind. When you separate yourself by belief, by nationality, by tradition, it breeds violence. So a man who is seeking to understand violence does not belong to any country, to any religion, to any political party or partial system; he is concerned with the total understanding of mankind

aliciaspinnet · February 2015

2ndtimemomy said:
When you call yourself an Indian or a Muslim or a Christian or a European, or anything else, you are being violent. Do you see why it is violent? Because you are separating yourself from the rest of mankind. When you separate yourself by belief, by nationality, by tradition, it breeds violence. So a man who is seeking to understand violence does not belong to any country, to any religion, to any political party or partial system; he is concerned with the total understanding of mankind

Not sure if you were responding to my comment, but since you used Indian as your first example I'm guessing you might have been (at least partially). I didn't call my DH an Indian, I said he was Indian. He is not defined by being from India, but the culture and heritage of the country is certainly something that has influenced who he is. Personally I don't care where someone is from as I don't feel that it is the defining thing about them, but I don't think that acknowledging your background is a bad thing either.

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