Studhunter,
I would like to throw a little history into the mix here. The concept of race as it has been seen in the new world has been clearly tied to the time when slavery was practiced in North, Central and South America as well as the Carribean. To add a bit more confusion, depending upon whether it was a Spanish ,French or English area it determined the way in which slavery and racial classification were carried out. In the US, along the East coast Upper South, slavery was practiced under English rule. African slaves and White indentured servants as well as privileged white males mixed and created the first mulattos early in the colonies developments. Early on they may have had certain privileges, but with the increase of colonists from England flooding the shores who did not like the idea of bein g on equal footing with freed Mulattos, laws regarding who could be called "white" sprung up. It was more a term related to power rather than actual genetics. With the ratio of white to colored very close at that time there was a need to make distinctions and the predecessor of the "one drop rule" came into being. Being that no matter how much white blood flowed through the veins and regardless of features any degree of mixture would be classified as non white.
If the mother was white in states like Virginia, the children would be born free and called "free issue" since the status of the mother determined the status of the child. This was convenient since most of the intermixing came from white men and African women.
In the Gulf coast, primarily Louisianna, slavery was practiced under Latin rule. There were specific "Black laws" developed to govern the treatment of slaves and to determine conduct. However, with the emigres from Haiti after the revolution there were Free people of color with money and privilege who also owned slaves and Among there women the practice of placage abounded because of the laws against intermarriage between white and non white. Plantations for rice and sugar were much larger than those for tobacco and so the ratio of black to white was much more pronounced. Africans who were brought over for those plantations were in many cases overseen by others of African descent and because of their infrquent contact with whites their culture stayed more intact. Even though femmes des couleurs libres (free women of color) up until the mid 19th century often stepped into the accepted role of demi monde entering into contracted arrangements with White males of the priviged class, producing ever wealthier, educated and whiter offspring, they were still required to wear the "tignon" the head wrap which signaled them as a woman of color not to be confused with free white women. As more anglos entered these formerly French and Spanish territories after the Louisianna Purchase, more stringent laws grew up to further restrict the rights of the gens des couleur libres. Many people do not realize it now but up until Reconstruction there were three distinct groups , White, Black and Colored. But after Reconstruction with more stringent laws governing the newly freed slave as well as free colored people, they were made one. It was these free people of color who became the first leaders among Blacks as they moved into the 20th century.
As we know the institution of slavery and its descendant,segregation dogged the steps of people of color up until the last half of the 20th century.One of the last taboos to fall were the laws governing marriage between black and white. So it isnt a wonder that it has only been two generations of parents and grandparents who acknowledge their black offspring, but in most cases with the relatively new designation of "bi-racial" a term which too is a misnomer.
Now, it is time for me to get off my soap box.