I’ve had a beer with Gabe Soria. I’ve looked the man in the eye. I must say, I had no idea he was half-Mexican.
I would’ve remembered that because, as readers of DadWagon might know, my wife is also half-Mexican. And she has the same issue Gabe wrote about yesterday: her kids are just way whiter than she, especially her daughter. Of course, they look a lot like her, but it is beyond the imagination of most people to see common eyes, nose or ears, when the skin color is that different.
And it’s Julia’s particular pinch to be half-Japanese as well, which makes her look quite Filipina, which in our neighborhood means that when she’s out walking or playing with this little white-looking girl, she gets her fair share of people thinking she’s the hired help. But that’s not really a problem: as DadinNJ and JessieVT commented on Gabe’s post, it’s all about keeping a sense of humor. And anytime Vermonters and Jerseyans agree on something, it must be true.
Rather, what I find noteworthy about all this is the finding (despite the very small statistical sample of two) that the Mexican gene obviously just vanishes in interracial children. I’m hoping that bit of science news brings comfort to the Lou Dobbs and everyone else worried about the reconquista. Intermarriage may well be the, ahem, final solution to your coming demographic nightmare (et tu, Yakima?).
How can I say that? Because I am the product of that other (actually other other) final solution: the intermarriage of Jews and non-Jews. And the comparison to the Holocaust is not my own. Rather it belongs to Chabad.org, where truth is what you make it. A quote from their superhelpful Key Jewish FAQs:
Intermarriage is, in a sense, an act of treason to our people for, instead of bringing new Jews into the world by marrying a Jewish wife, one would be contributing to the decimation of our people and the “Final Solution” that Hitler and his followers began and nearly accomplished. The horrific rates of intermarriage today constitute a silent annihilation of our people.
OK, so Chabad is loony. And so is Dobbs. But I’m telling you, the fact that they have any pulpit at all makes me want to urge everyone of every color: Find someone who looks different than you and fuck like bunnies.
While about 2 inches of my son’s head was visible during labor and a couple of blondish hairs were visible, our labor and delivery doctor actually asked us (both brown hair) “where does the blond hair come from”? When medical professionals don’t even seem to know that many blond babies turn into brown haired adults, the hope that an average person would understand that a dark skinned parent could produce a light skinned child is hopeless. My heart goes out to all of you!
Strangely enough the only thing that I’ve been noticing about Julia and Dalia is how much Dalia looks like Julia. I guess I must’ve missed the slight difference in they skin tones… Happens to the best of us, right? ;))
I, too, am half-Mexican and half Russian Jewish, and I came out white and dark-haired. My mother, who is Mexican, was constantly asked if she was my babysitter. My daughter, who would be 1/4 Mexican and other “stuff,” is a redhead (!). My mom loves telling people that she is her abuela. I understand the complexities and explaining to inquiring minds. And who knows – any future children we may (or my daughter may have) – could look completely different.