How does one describe somebody who is bi-racial?How to describe skin colour, if “white” is not the point of reference?How do I express some one as a black person?What's with all the hate on adjectives and adverbs?How can I learn the name of a colour to use in a description?How to describe a diverse set of characters without falling into purple prose or exoticism?First person POV “mom:” vs. “mother”How to refer to clothes without modern words ? (e.g: t-shirt)How to describe a scene from imagination?How to describe a female character's figure without comedy?Describing body language?How do i properly name a fictional species and describe it?How to describe skin colour, if “white” is not the point of reference?

Virginia employer terminated employee and wants signing bonus returned

Reversed Sudoku

Are babies of evil humanoid species inherently evil?

Can I pump my MTB tire to max (55 psi / 380 kPa) without the tube inside bursting?

Reverse string, can I make it faster?

Accepted offer letter, position changed

Database Backup for data and log files

Error during using callback start_page_number in lualatex

What's the "normal" opposite of flautando?

What Happens when Passenger Refuses to Fly Boeing 737 Max?

When traveling to Europe from North America, do I need to purchase a different power strip?

Latex does not go to next line

Intuition behind counterexample of Euler's sum of powers conjecture

Doesn't allowing a user mode program to access kernel space memory and execute the IN and OUT instructions defeat the purpose of having CPU modes?

When a wind turbine does not produce enough electricity how does the power company compensate for the loss?

In the late 1940’s to early 1950’s what technology was available that could melt a LOT of ice?

Recommendation letter by significant other if you worked with them professionally?

Does this video of collapsing warehouse shelves show a real incident?

Can Mathematica be used to create an Artistic 3D extrusion from a 2D image and wrap a line pattern around it?

Is "history" a male-biased word ("his+story")?

Was Luke Skywalker the leader of the Rebel forces on Hoth?

PTIJ: wiping amalek’s memory?

What does "the touch of the purple" mean?

How do I express some one as a black person?



How does one describe somebody who is bi-racial?


How to describe skin colour, if “white” is not the point of reference?How do I express some one as a black person?What's with all the hate on adjectives and adverbs?How can I learn the name of a colour to use in a description?How to describe a diverse set of characters without falling into purple prose or exoticism?First person POV “mom:” vs. “mother”How to refer to clothes without modern words ? (e.g: t-shirt)How to describe a scene from imagination?How to describe a female character's figure without comedy?Describing body language?How do i properly name a fictional species and describe it?How to describe skin colour, if “white” is not the point of reference?













0















And this question to ask how do you describe somebody who is black and got many great answers. Describing mixed races in this way would be too broad. How do I express some one as a black person?



Similar to how do you call someone black question then how do you describe somebody of two or more races?



Word like mixed and biracial do not depict that person unique features.
Some books that have the main characters on the cover so you have an idea of what the characters look like but some books do not.










share|improve this question
























  • Related: writing.stackexchange.com/q/42125/14704

    – Galastel
    8 hours ago






  • 2





    This question's not clear. Are you looking for the words biracial/biethnic? Something more specific? Or a phrase?

    – Laurel
    7 hours ago






  • 2





    Are you sure that most books have their main character on the cover? Looking over my collection of mostly fantasy books I can find lots of weird symbols and dragons but only very few human-like characters. My mystery and thriller books also rarely show their main characters. Therefore I want to ask what genre you are interested in. It might make a difference whether you are talking about the "southern hill dwarves living under the burning sun" or "Josh, the guy from the other side of the street".

    – Secespitus
    7 hours ago











  • @Secespitus not to mention how often the image on the cover directly contradicts the description of the character within the text...

    – Galastel
    6 hours ago











  • @Laurel those words do not depict the persons features. Especially if they have unique qualities that can only begotten from a unique mix.

    – Muze
    6 hours ago















0















And this question to ask how do you describe somebody who is black and got many great answers. Describing mixed races in this way would be too broad. How do I express some one as a black person?



Similar to how do you call someone black question then how do you describe somebody of two or more races?



Word like mixed and biracial do not depict that person unique features.
Some books that have the main characters on the cover so you have an idea of what the characters look like but some books do not.










share|improve this question
























  • Related: writing.stackexchange.com/q/42125/14704

    – Galastel
    8 hours ago






  • 2





    This question's not clear. Are you looking for the words biracial/biethnic? Something more specific? Or a phrase?

    – Laurel
    7 hours ago






  • 2





    Are you sure that most books have their main character on the cover? Looking over my collection of mostly fantasy books I can find lots of weird symbols and dragons but only very few human-like characters. My mystery and thriller books also rarely show their main characters. Therefore I want to ask what genre you are interested in. It might make a difference whether you are talking about the "southern hill dwarves living under the burning sun" or "Josh, the guy from the other side of the street".

    – Secespitus
    7 hours ago











  • @Secespitus not to mention how often the image on the cover directly contradicts the description of the character within the text...

    – Galastel
    6 hours ago











  • @Laurel those words do not depict the persons features. Especially if they have unique qualities that can only begotten from a unique mix.

    – Muze
    6 hours ago













0












0








0








And this question to ask how do you describe somebody who is black and got many great answers. Describing mixed races in this way would be too broad. How do I express some one as a black person?



Similar to how do you call someone black question then how do you describe somebody of two or more races?



Word like mixed and biracial do not depict that person unique features.
Some books that have the main characters on the cover so you have an idea of what the characters look like but some books do not.










share|improve this question
















And this question to ask how do you describe somebody who is black and got many great answers. Describing mixed races in this way would be too broad. How do I express some one as a black person?



Similar to how do you call someone black question then how do you describe somebody of two or more races?



Word like mixed and biracial do not depict that person unique features.
Some books that have the main characters on the cover so you have an idea of what the characters look like but some books do not.







dialogue description book scriptwriting






share|improve this question















share|improve this question













share|improve this question




share|improve this question








edited 6 hours ago









Galastel

35.2k6103188




35.2k6103188










asked 8 hours ago









MuzeMuze

1144




1144












  • Related: writing.stackexchange.com/q/42125/14704

    – Galastel
    8 hours ago






  • 2





    This question's not clear. Are you looking for the words biracial/biethnic? Something more specific? Or a phrase?

    – Laurel
    7 hours ago






  • 2





    Are you sure that most books have their main character on the cover? Looking over my collection of mostly fantasy books I can find lots of weird symbols and dragons but only very few human-like characters. My mystery and thriller books also rarely show their main characters. Therefore I want to ask what genre you are interested in. It might make a difference whether you are talking about the "southern hill dwarves living under the burning sun" or "Josh, the guy from the other side of the street".

    – Secespitus
    7 hours ago











  • @Secespitus not to mention how often the image on the cover directly contradicts the description of the character within the text...

    – Galastel
    6 hours ago











  • @Laurel those words do not depict the persons features. Especially if they have unique qualities that can only begotten from a unique mix.

    – Muze
    6 hours ago

















  • Related: writing.stackexchange.com/q/42125/14704

    – Galastel
    8 hours ago






  • 2





    This question's not clear. Are you looking for the words biracial/biethnic? Something more specific? Or a phrase?

    – Laurel
    7 hours ago






  • 2





    Are you sure that most books have their main character on the cover? Looking over my collection of mostly fantasy books I can find lots of weird symbols and dragons but only very few human-like characters. My mystery and thriller books also rarely show their main characters. Therefore I want to ask what genre you are interested in. It might make a difference whether you are talking about the "southern hill dwarves living under the burning sun" or "Josh, the guy from the other side of the street".

    – Secespitus
    7 hours ago











  • @Secespitus not to mention how often the image on the cover directly contradicts the description of the character within the text...

    – Galastel
    6 hours ago











  • @Laurel those words do not depict the persons features. Especially if they have unique qualities that can only begotten from a unique mix.

    – Muze
    6 hours ago
















Related: writing.stackexchange.com/q/42125/14704

– Galastel
8 hours ago





Related: writing.stackexchange.com/q/42125/14704

– Galastel
8 hours ago




2




2





This question's not clear. Are you looking for the words biracial/biethnic? Something more specific? Or a phrase?

– Laurel
7 hours ago





This question's not clear. Are you looking for the words biracial/biethnic? Something more specific? Or a phrase?

– Laurel
7 hours ago




2




2





Are you sure that most books have their main character on the cover? Looking over my collection of mostly fantasy books I can find lots of weird symbols and dragons but only very few human-like characters. My mystery and thriller books also rarely show their main characters. Therefore I want to ask what genre you are interested in. It might make a difference whether you are talking about the "southern hill dwarves living under the burning sun" or "Josh, the guy from the other side of the street".

– Secespitus
7 hours ago





Are you sure that most books have their main character on the cover? Looking over my collection of mostly fantasy books I can find lots of weird symbols and dragons but only very few human-like characters. My mystery and thriller books also rarely show their main characters. Therefore I want to ask what genre you are interested in. It might make a difference whether you are talking about the "southern hill dwarves living under the burning sun" or "Josh, the guy from the other side of the street".

– Secespitus
7 hours ago













@Secespitus not to mention how often the image on the cover directly contradicts the description of the character within the text...

– Galastel
6 hours ago





@Secespitus not to mention how often the image on the cover directly contradicts the description of the character within the text...

– Galastel
6 hours ago













@Laurel those words do not depict the persons features. Especially if they have unique qualities that can only begotten from a unique mix.

– Muze
6 hours ago





@Laurel those words do not depict the persons features. Especially if they have unique qualities that can only begotten from a unique mix.

– Muze
6 hours ago










4 Answers
4






active

oldest

votes


















7














Where I live, belonging to two-three ethnic groups is the norm. Children in school boast about being a quarter Iraqi, a quarter Moroccan, a quarter Polac and a quarter old Jerusalemi.



How does one describe people when that's the situation? One forgets ethnicities (since by this point, they affect the kitchen more than anything), and describes what people actually look like. One mentions hair colour, and whether it's curly or straight. Skin colour: it can be pale, sunburnt, tanned, all kinds of brown. See also my question How to describe skin colour, if “white” is not the point of reference? There are facial features: eyes, lips, nose, cheeks. There's body shape - slim, curvy, whatever. There's the clothes. It's not about hanging "race" tags on a person (whatever "race" means anyway) - it's about describing the individual in front of you, and what that specific individual looks like.






share|improve this answer






























    3














    Usually, I can't tell if a person is bi-racial or multi-racial just by appearance. Also, some people may not see themselves multi-ethnic. The Hui people in China, for example, may be genetically similar to the Han people in China, but ethnicity is not based on genetics. It is based on culture and way of life. What makes the Hui people different from the Han people is that they use Arabic as a liturgical language and behave like Muslims. Being Han and being Hui is mutually exclusive. Also, as far as the Chinese government is concerned, a Chinese national is either one ethnicity or the other, and can't be both at the same time. This video is about "ethnic Russians" in China. From a Western POV, they would be considered bi-racial. From a Chinese POV, they would be considered mono-racial/mono-ethnic. They are classified as 俄罗斯民族 (Russian ethnic group), and because they are part of 中华民族 (Han people + all recognized ethnic minorities), they are considered "Chinese". Another example is this girl (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=if-n2AdVpUI). The video uploader adds the title: "Native Chinese white girl(native white race in China)", contrary to the evidence. First of all, the news reporter and the girl never mention that she is "white". She speaks her own ethnic language, and that she is an ethnic minority in China, specifically Tatar. She does mention that when she moves to Chongqing to study, she receives attention from the other students and locals, because her outer appearance looks like a foreigner. The Tatar people have varied appearances. A Westerner would probably look at the appearance and, if one person "looks Caucasian" and the other person "looks Asian", then the child would be bi-racial. However, I don't think that works for the Tatar people, because the child would still be regarded as mono-racial: Tatar. The parents' physical appearances make no difference. Then, there is this girl (https://www.youtube.com/user/DrVanharanta). She considers herself "half Finnish and half Hongkonese". I think, if you live in the West or have a very Western mindset because of one European parent, then you are more likely to identify yourself based on physical appearance. So, in the West, people do identify themselves as "bi-racial" or "multi-racial", and part of that self-identification has to do with physical appearance. Basically, China is "multi-ethnic" as a nation, but individually, every single "Chinese" person is mono-ethnic/mono-racial regardless of physical appearance, unless the Chinese person marries a foreigner. I remember in a YouTube video, a guy identifies himself as half-Chinese and half-Japanese, seeing himself as mixed-race. That would make sense, because Japanese people are not Chinese, hence foreigner. Westerners, on the other hand, would probably see him as "monoracially Asian".



    So, no, I can't tell if a person is bi-racial or multi-racial just by appearance.



    However, I will say this. Writing fiction is about the narrator's POV, not about political correctness. The only time when political correctness matters is when your audience is the social justice warrior type of person. A SJW reader is the type of reader that wants to see people of different races and sexualities mentioned explicitly. In their minds, they think they are being "inclusive", even though they are just assuming a Western viewpoint. Some people just don't see themselves as "bi-racial"; some people do see themselves as "bi-racial". In terms of sexuality and gender, Westerners will emphasize one's personal feelings and individualism. How one identifies oneself on the gender spectrum is more important than how society sees the person. A person may in fact identify as male, simply because society (relatives and friends) identifies him as male, and he looks like one on the outside.



    If you know someone who is bi-racial or bi-sexual, then you can just write about your own personal experience with that person. The narrator is you. The bi-racial or bi-sexual person may be a friend or some kind of acquaintance. There you go, that's how you describe a bi-racial/bi-sexual person.






    share|improve this answer






























      1














      I know one couple - delightful folks with lovely kids; he is an American from Kentucky who was a chemical physicist. He sold cars in my town and I asked him why the career change. He told me he met the love of his life and chose to sell cars rather than travel. His in-laws ran the best Korean restaurant in the area - absolutely fabulous. Not that it is important, but he is black and she is of Korean descent. Their kids are energetic beautiful kids.



      I took a friend to talk to him about a car - learned how racist this guy is when he turned to me later and said “Why didn’t you tell me he was dark?”. Didn’t matter - he was the best person to talk to about buying a vehicle - period.



      Unless it is important to the plot, don’t mention it. You could have a later scene where someone envies your character’s tan. A fiancee of my brother’s had that comment made to her occasionally. She wasn’t biracial (just very light)both of her parents were black. They were a delight and so was her brother, but this girl was a bullet my brother dodged. Her idea of his contribution to decision making in their family was whether to have jam or marmalade on their toast in the morning. We hated her, but not for the colour of her skin - for her character.



      Make race a minor consideration. It is a story you are telling - not propaganda. Just write and let the characters speak for themselves. Readers can imagine them as they wish if you leave latitude.






      share|improve this answer






























        0














        Personally, speaking as a person with a diverse heritage, I think "biracial," "multiracial" and "multi-ethnic" are all reasonable, non-offensive descriptors. "Indeterminate ethnicity" is a acceptable visual descriptor for someone whose ethnicity can't be readily determined.






        share|improve this answer


















        • 1





          Yes but it does not describe the features of the person ethnic groups.

          – Muze
          6 hours ago










        Your Answer








        StackExchange.ready(function()
        var channelOptions =
        tags: "".split(" "),
        id: "166"
        ;
        initTagRenderer("".split(" "), "".split(" "), channelOptions);

        StackExchange.using("externalEditor", function()
        // Have to fire editor after snippets, if snippets enabled
        if (StackExchange.settings.snippets.snippetsEnabled)
        StackExchange.using("snippets", function()
        createEditor();
        );

        else
        createEditor();

        );

        function createEditor()
        StackExchange.prepareEditor(
        heartbeatType: 'answer',
        autoActivateHeartbeat: false,
        convertImagesToLinks: false,
        noModals: true,
        showLowRepImageUploadWarning: true,
        reputationToPostImages: null,
        bindNavPrevention: true,
        postfix: "",
        imageUploader:
        brandingHtml: "Powered by u003ca class="icon-imgur-white" href="https://imgur.com/"u003eu003c/au003e",
        contentPolicyHtml: "User contributions licensed under u003ca href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/"u003ecc by-sa 3.0 with attribution requiredu003c/au003e u003ca href="https://stackoverflow.com/legal/content-policy"u003e(content policy)u003c/au003e",
        allowUrls: true
        ,
        noCode: true, onDemand: true,
        discardSelector: ".discard-answer"
        ,immediatelyShowMarkdownHelp:true
        );



        );













        draft saved

        draft discarded


















        StackExchange.ready(
        function ()
        StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fwriting.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f43337%2fhow-does-one-describe-somebody-who-is-bi-racial%23new-answer', 'question_page');

        );

        Post as a guest















        Required, but never shown

























        4 Answers
        4






        active

        oldest

        votes








        4 Answers
        4






        active

        oldest

        votes









        active

        oldest

        votes






        active

        oldest

        votes









        7














        Where I live, belonging to two-three ethnic groups is the norm. Children in school boast about being a quarter Iraqi, a quarter Moroccan, a quarter Polac and a quarter old Jerusalemi.



        How does one describe people when that's the situation? One forgets ethnicities (since by this point, they affect the kitchen more than anything), and describes what people actually look like. One mentions hair colour, and whether it's curly or straight. Skin colour: it can be pale, sunburnt, tanned, all kinds of brown. See also my question How to describe skin colour, if “white” is not the point of reference? There are facial features: eyes, lips, nose, cheeks. There's body shape - slim, curvy, whatever. There's the clothes. It's not about hanging "race" tags on a person (whatever "race" means anyway) - it's about describing the individual in front of you, and what that specific individual looks like.






        share|improve this answer



























          7














          Where I live, belonging to two-three ethnic groups is the norm. Children in school boast about being a quarter Iraqi, a quarter Moroccan, a quarter Polac and a quarter old Jerusalemi.



          How does one describe people when that's the situation? One forgets ethnicities (since by this point, they affect the kitchen more than anything), and describes what people actually look like. One mentions hair colour, and whether it's curly or straight. Skin colour: it can be pale, sunburnt, tanned, all kinds of brown. See also my question How to describe skin colour, if “white” is not the point of reference? There are facial features: eyes, lips, nose, cheeks. There's body shape - slim, curvy, whatever. There's the clothes. It's not about hanging "race" tags on a person (whatever "race" means anyway) - it's about describing the individual in front of you, and what that specific individual looks like.






          share|improve this answer

























            7












            7








            7







            Where I live, belonging to two-three ethnic groups is the norm. Children in school boast about being a quarter Iraqi, a quarter Moroccan, a quarter Polac and a quarter old Jerusalemi.



            How does one describe people when that's the situation? One forgets ethnicities (since by this point, they affect the kitchen more than anything), and describes what people actually look like. One mentions hair colour, and whether it's curly or straight. Skin colour: it can be pale, sunburnt, tanned, all kinds of brown. See also my question How to describe skin colour, if “white” is not the point of reference? There are facial features: eyes, lips, nose, cheeks. There's body shape - slim, curvy, whatever. There's the clothes. It's not about hanging "race" tags on a person (whatever "race" means anyway) - it's about describing the individual in front of you, and what that specific individual looks like.






            share|improve this answer













            Where I live, belonging to two-three ethnic groups is the norm. Children in school boast about being a quarter Iraqi, a quarter Moroccan, a quarter Polac and a quarter old Jerusalemi.



            How does one describe people when that's the situation? One forgets ethnicities (since by this point, they affect the kitchen more than anything), and describes what people actually look like. One mentions hair colour, and whether it's curly or straight. Skin colour: it can be pale, sunburnt, tanned, all kinds of brown. See also my question How to describe skin colour, if “white” is not the point of reference? There are facial features: eyes, lips, nose, cheeks. There's body shape - slim, curvy, whatever. There's the clothes. It's not about hanging "race" tags on a person (whatever "race" means anyway) - it's about describing the individual in front of you, and what that specific individual looks like.







            share|improve this answer












            share|improve this answer



            share|improve this answer










            answered 7 hours ago









            GalastelGalastel

            35.2k6103188




            35.2k6103188





















                3














                Usually, I can't tell if a person is bi-racial or multi-racial just by appearance. Also, some people may not see themselves multi-ethnic. The Hui people in China, for example, may be genetically similar to the Han people in China, but ethnicity is not based on genetics. It is based on culture and way of life. What makes the Hui people different from the Han people is that they use Arabic as a liturgical language and behave like Muslims. Being Han and being Hui is mutually exclusive. Also, as far as the Chinese government is concerned, a Chinese national is either one ethnicity or the other, and can't be both at the same time. This video is about "ethnic Russians" in China. From a Western POV, they would be considered bi-racial. From a Chinese POV, they would be considered mono-racial/mono-ethnic. They are classified as 俄罗斯民族 (Russian ethnic group), and because they are part of 中华民族 (Han people + all recognized ethnic minorities), they are considered "Chinese". Another example is this girl (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=if-n2AdVpUI). The video uploader adds the title: "Native Chinese white girl(native white race in China)", contrary to the evidence. First of all, the news reporter and the girl never mention that she is "white". She speaks her own ethnic language, and that she is an ethnic minority in China, specifically Tatar. She does mention that when she moves to Chongqing to study, she receives attention from the other students and locals, because her outer appearance looks like a foreigner. The Tatar people have varied appearances. A Westerner would probably look at the appearance and, if one person "looks Caucasian" and the other person "looks Asian", then the child would be bi-racial. However, I don't think that works for the Tatar people, because the child would still be regarded as mono-racial: Tatar. The parents' physical appearances make no difference. Then, there is this girl (https://www.youtube.com/user/DrVanharanta). She considers herself "half Finnish and half Hongkonese". I think, if you live in the West or have a very Western mindset because of one European parent, then you are more likely to identify yourself based on physical appearance. So, in the West, people do identify themselves as "bi-racial" or "multi-racial", and part of that self-identification has to do with physical appearance. Basically, China is "multi-ethnic" as a nation, but individually, every single "Chinese" person is mono-ethnic/mono-racial regardless of physical appearance, unless the Chinese person marries a foreigner. I remember in a YouTube video, a guy identifies himself as half-Chinese and half-Japanese, seeing himself as mixed-race. That would make sense, because Japanese people are not Chinese, hence foreigner. Westerners, on the other hand, would probably see him as "monoracially Asian".



                So, no, I can't tell if a person is bi-racial or multi-racial just by appearance.



                However, I will say this. Writing fiction is about the narrator's POV, not about political correctness. The only time when political correctness matters is when your audience is the social justice warrior type of person. A SJW reader is the type of reader that wants to see people of different races and sexualities mentioned explicitly. In their minds, they think they are being "inclusive", even though they are just assuming a Western viewpoint. Some people just don't see themselves as "bi-racial"; some people do see themselves as "bi-racial". In terms of sexuality and gender, Westerners will emphasize one's personal feelings and individualism. How one identifies oneself on the gender spectrum is more important than how society sees the person. A person may in fact identify as male, simply because society (relatives and friends) identifies him as male, and he looks like one on the outside.



                If you know someone who is bi-racial or bi-sexual, then you can just write about your own personal experience with that person. The narrator is you. The bi-racial or bi-sexual person may be a friend or some kind of acquaintance. There you go, that's how you describe a bi-racial/bi-sexual person.






                share|improve this answer



























                  3














                  Usually, I can't tell if a person is bi-racial or multi-racial just by appearance. Also, some people may not see themselves multi-ethnic. The Hui people in China, for example, may be genetically similar to the Han people in China, but ethnicity is not based on genetics. It is based on culture and way of life. What makes the Hui people different from the Han people is that they use Arabic as a liturgical language and behave like Muslims. Being Han and being Hui is mutually exclusive. Also, as far as the Chinese government is concerned, a Chinese national is either one ethnicity or the other, and can't be both at the same time. This video is about "ethnic Russians" in China. From a Western POV, they would be considered bi-racial. From a Chinese POV, they would be considered mono-racial/mono-ethnic. They are classified as 俄罗斯民族 (Russian ethnic group), and because they are part of 中华民族 (Han people + all recognized ethnic minorities), they are considered "Chinese". Another example is this girl (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=if-n2AdVpUI). The video uploader adds the title: "Native Chinese white girl(native white race in China)", contrary to the evidence. First of all, the news reporter and the girl never mention that she is "white". She speaks her own ethnic language, and that she is an ethnic minority in China, specifically Tatar. She does mention that when she moves to Chongqing to study, she receives attention from the other students and locals, because her outer appearance looks like a foreigner. The Tatar people have varied appearances. A Westerner would probably look at the appearance and, if one person "looks Caucasian" and the other person "looks Asian", then the child would be bi-racial. However, I don't think that works for the Tatar people, because the child would still be regarded as mono-racial: Tatar. The parents' physical appearances make no difference. Then, there is this girl (https://www.youtube.com/user/DrVanharanta). She considers herself "half Finnish and half Hongkonese". I think, if you live in the West or have a very Western mindset because of one European parent, then you are more likely to identify yourself based on physical appearance. So, in the West, people do identify themselves as "bi-racial" or "multi-racial", and part of that self-identification has to do with physical appearance. Basically, China is "multi-ethnic" as a nation, but individually, every single "Chinese" person is mono-ethnic/mono-racial regardless of physical appearance, unless the Chinese person marries a foreigner. I remember in a YouTube video, a guy identifies himself as half-Chinese and half-Japanese, seeing himself as mixed-race. That would make sense, because Japanese people are not Chinese, hence foreigner. Westerners, on the other hand, would probably see him as "monoracially Asian".



                  So, no, I can't tell if a person is bi-racial or multi-racial just by appearance.



                  However, I will say this. Writing fiction is about the narrator's POV, not about political correctness. The only time when political correctness matters is when your audience is the social justice warrior type of person. A SJW reader is the type of reader that wants to see people of different races and sexualities mentioned explicitly. In their minds, they think they are being "inclusive", even though they are just assuming a Western viewpoint. Some people just don't see themselves as "bi-racial"; some people do see themselves as "bi-racial". In terms of sexuality and gender, Westerners will emphasize one's personal feelings and individualism. How one identifies oneself on the gender spectrum is more important than how society sees the person. A person may in fact identify as male, simply because society (relatives and friends) identifies him as male, and he looks like one on the outside.



                  If you know someone who is bi-racial or bi-sexual, then you can just write about your own personal experience with that person. The narrator is you. The bi-racial or bi-sexual person may be a friend or some kind of acquaintance. There you go, that's how you describe a bi-racial/bi-sexual person.






                  share|improve this answer

























                    3












                    3








                    3







                    Usually, I can't tell if a person is bi-racial or multi-racial just by appearance. Also, some people may not see themselves multi-ethnic. The Hui people in China, for example, may be genetically similar to the Han people in China, but ethnicity is not based on genetics. It is based on culture and way of life. What makes the Hui people different from the Han people is that they use Arabic as a liturgical language and behave like Muslims. Being Han and being Hui is mutually exclusive. Also, as far as the Chinese government is concerned, a Chinese national is either one ethnicity or the other, and can't be both at the same time. This video is about "ethnic Russians" in China. From a Western POV, they would be considered bi-racial. From a Chinese POV, they would be considered mono-racial/mono-ethnic. They are classified as 俄罗斯民族 (Russian ethnic group), and because they are part of 中华民族 (Han people + all recognized ethnic minorities), they are considered "Chinese". Another example is this girl (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=if-n2AdVpUI). The video uploader adds the title: "Native Chinese white girl(native white race in China)", contrary to the evidence. First of all, the news reporter and the girl never mention that she is "white". She speaks her own ethnic language, and that she is an ethnic minority in China, specifically Tatar. She does mention that when she moves to Chongqing to study, she receives attention from the other students and locals, because her outer appearance looks like a foreigner. The Tatar people have varied appearances. A Westerner would probably look at the appearance and, if one person "looks Caucasian" and the other person "looks Asian", then the child would be bi-racial. However, I don't think that works for the Tatar people, because the child would still be regarded as mono-racial: Tatar. The parents' physical appearances make no difference. Then, there is this girl (https://www.youtube.com/user/DrVanharanta). She considers herself "half Finnish and half Hongkonese". I think, if you live in the West or have a very Western mindset because of one European parent, then you are more likely to identify yourself based on physical appearance. So, in the West, people do identify themselves as "bi-racial" or "multi-racial", and part of that self-identification has to do with physical appearance. Basically, China is "multi-ethnic" as a nation, but individually, every single "Chinese" person is mono-ethnic/mono-racial regardless of physical appearance, unless the Chinese person marries a foreigner. I remember in a YouTube video, a guy identifies himself as half-Chinese and half-Japanese, seeing himself as mixed-race. That would make sense, because Japanese people are not Chinese, hence foreigner. Westerners, on the other hand, would probably see him as "monoracially Asian".



                    So, no, I can't tell if a person is bi-racial or multi-racial just by appearance.



                    However, I will say this. Writing fiction is about the narrator's POV, not about political correctness. The only time when political correctness matters is when your audience is the social justice warrior type of person. A SJW reader is the type of reader that wants to see people of different races and sexualities mentioned explicitly. In their minds, they think they are being "inclusive", even though they are just assuming a Western viewpoint. Some people just don't see themselves as "bi-racial"; some people do see themselves as "bi-racial". In terms of sexuality and gender, Westerners will emphasize one's personal feelings and individualism. How one identifies oneself on the gender spectrum is more important than how society sees the person. A person may in fact identify as male, simply because society (relatives and friends) identifies him as male, and he looks like one on the outside.



                    If you know someone who is bi-racial or bi-sexual, then you can just write about your own personal experience with that person. The narrator is you. The bi-racial or bi-sexual person may be a friend or some kind of acquaintance. There you go, that's how you describe a bi-racial/bi-sexual person.






                    share|improve this answer













                    Usually, I can't tell if a person is bi-racial or multi-racial just by appearance. Also, some people may not see themselves multi-ethnic. The Hui people in China, for example, may be genetically similar to the Han people in China, but ethnicity is not based on genetics. It is based on culture and way of life. What makes the Hui people different from the Han people is that they use Arabic as a liturgical language and behave like Muslims. Being Han and being Hui is mutually exclusive. Also, as far as the Chinese government is concerned, a Chinese national is either one ethnicity or the other, and can't be both at the same time. This video is about "ethnic Russians" in China. From a Western POV, they would be considered bi-racial. From a Chinese POV, they would be considered mono-racial/mono-ethnic. They are classified as 俄罗斯民族 (Russian ethnic group), and because they are part of 中华民族 (Han people + all recognized ethnic minorities), they are considered "Chinese". Another example is this girl (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=if-n2AdVpUI). The video uploader adds the title: "Native Chinese white girl(native white race in China)", contrary to the evidence. First of all, the news reporter and the girl never mention that she is "white". She speaks her own ethnic language, and that she is an ethnic minority in China, specifically Tatar. She does mention that when she moves to Chongqing to study, she receives attention from the other students and locals, because her outer appearance looks like a foreigner. The Tatar people have varied appearances. A Westerner would probably look at the appearance and, if one person "looks Caucasian" and the other person "looks Asian", then the child would be bi-racial. However, I don't think that works for the Tatar people, because the child would still be regarded as mono-racial: Tatar. The parents' physical appearances make no difference. Then, there is this girl (https://www.youtube.com/user/DrVanharanta). She considers herself "half Finnish and half Hongkonese". I think, if you live in the West or have a very Western mindset because of one European parent, then you are more likely to identify yourself based on physical appearance. So, in the West, people do identify themselves as "bi-racial" or "multi-racial", and part of that self-identification has to do with physical appearance. Basically, China is "multi-ethnic" as a nation, but individually, every single "Chinese" person is mono-ethnic/mono-racial regardless of physical appearance, unless the Chinese person marries a foreigner. I remember in a YouTube video, a guy identifies himself as half-Chinese and half-Japanese, seeing himself as mixed-race. That would make sense, because Japanese people are not Chinese, hence foreigner. Westerners, on the other hand, would probably see him as "monoracially Asian".



                    So, no, I can't tell if a person is bi-racial or multi-racial just by appearance.



                    However, I will say this. Writing fiction is about the narrator's POV, not about political correctness. The only time when political correctness matters is when your audience is the social justice warrior type of person. A SJW reader is the type of reader that wants to see people of different races and sexualities mentioned explicitly. In their minds, they think they are being "inclusive", even though they are just assuming a Western viewpoint. Some people just don't see themselves as "bi-racial"; some people do see themselves as "bi-racial". In terms of sexuality and gender, Westerners will emphasize one's personal feelings and individualism. How one identifies oneself on the gender spectrum is more important than how society sees the person. A person may in fact identify as male, simply because society (relatives and friends) identifies him as male, and he looks like one on the outside.



                    If you know someone who is bi-racial or bi-sexual, then you can just write about your own personal experience with that person. The narrator is you. The bi-racial or bi-sexual person may be a friend or some kind of acquaintance. There you go, that's how you describe a bi-racial/bi-sexual person.







                    share|improve this answer












                    share|improve this answer



                    share|improve this answer










                    answered 2 hours ago









                    Double UDouble U

                    1,691822




                    1,691822





















                        1














                        I know one couple - delightful folks with lovely kids; he is an American from Kentucky who was a chemical physicist. He sold cars in my town and I asked him why the career change. He told me he met the love of his life and chose to sell cars rather than travel. His in-laws ran the best Korean restaurant in the area - absolutely fabulous. Not that it is important, but he is black and she is of Korean descent. Their kids are energetic beautiful kids.



                        I took a friend to talk to him about a car - learned how racist this guy is when he turned to me later and said “Why didn’t you tell me he was dark?”. Didn’t matter - he was the best person to talk to about buying a vehicle - period.



                        Unless it is important to the plot, don’t mention it. You could have a later scene where someone envies your character’s tan. A fiancee of my brother’s had that comment made to her occasionally. She wasn’t biracial (just very light)both of her parents were black. They were a delight and so was her brother, but this girl was a bullet my brother dodged. Her idea of his contribution to decision making in their family was whether to have jam or marmalade on their toast in the morning. We hated her, but not for the colour of her skin - for her character.



                        Make race a minor consideration. It is a story you are telling - not propaganda. Just write and let the characters speak for themselves. Readers can imagine them as they wish if you leave latitude.






                        share|improve this answer



























                          1














                          I know one couple - delightful folks with lovely kids; he is an American from Kentucky who was a chemical physicist. He sold cars in my town and I asked him why the career change. He told me he met the love of his life and chose to sell cars rather than travel. His in-laws ran the best Korean restaurant in the area - absolutely fabulous. Not that it is important, but he is black and she is of Korean descent. Their kids are energetic beautiful kids.



                          I took a friend to talk to him about a car - learned how racist this guy is when he turned to me later and said “Why didn’t you tell me he was dark?”. Didn’t matter - he was the best person to talk to about buying a vehicle - period.



                          Unless it is important to the plot, don’t mention it. You could have a later scene where someone envies your character’s tan. A fiancee of my brother’s had that comment made to her occasionally. She wasn’t biracial (just very light)both of her parents were black. They were a delight and so was her brother, but this girl was a bullet my brother dodged. Her idea of his contribution to decision making in their family was whether to have jam or marmalade on their toast in the morning. We hated her, but not for the colour of her skin - for her character.



                          Make race a minor consideration. It is a story you are telling - not propaganda. Just write and let the characters speak for themselves. Readers can imagine them as they wish if you leave latitude.






                          share|improve this answer

























                            1












                            1








                            1







                            I know one couple - delightful folks with lovely kids; he is an American from Kentucky who was a chemical physicist. He sold cars in my town and I asked him why the career change. He told me he met the love of his life and chose to sell cars rather than travel. His in-laws ran the best Korean restaurant in the area - absolutely fabulous. Not that it is important, but he is black and she is of Korean descent. Their kids are energetic beautiful kids.



                            I took a friend to talk to him about a car - learned how racist this guy is when he turned to me later and said “Why didn’t you tell me he was dark?”. Didn’t matter - he was the best person to talk to about buying a vehicle - period.



                            Unless it is important to the plot, don’t mention it. You could have a later scene where someone envies your character’s tan. A fiancee of my brother’s had that comment made to her occasionally. She wasn’t biracial (just very light)both of her parents were black. They were a delight and so was her brother, but this girl was a bullet my brother dodged. Her idea of his contribution to decision making in their family was whether to have jam or marmalade on their toast in the morning. We hated her, but not for the colour of her skin - for her character.



                            Make race a minor consideration. It is a story you are telling - not propaganda. Just write and let the characters speak for themselves. Readers can imagine them as they wish if you leave latitude.






                            share|improve this answer













                            I know one couple - delightful folks with lovely kids; he is an American from Kentucky who was a chemical physicist. He sold cars in my town and I asked him why the career change. He told me he met the love of his life and chose to sell cars rather than travel. His in-laws ran the best Korean restaurant in the area - absolutely fabulous. Not that it is important, but he is black and she is of Korean descent. Their kids are energetic beautiful kids.



                            I took a friend to talk to him about a car - learned how racist this guy is when he turned to me later and said “Why didn’t you tell me he was dark?”. Didn’t matter - he was the best person to talk to about buying a vehicle - period.



                            Unless it is important to the plot, don’t mention it. You could have a later scene where someone envies your character’s tan. A fiancee of my brother’s had that comment made to her occasionally. She wasn’t biracial (just very light)both of her parents were black. They were a delight and so was her brother, but this girl was a bullet my brother dodged. Her idea of his contribution to decision making in their family was whether to have jam or marmalade on their toast in the morning. We hated her, but not for the colour of her skin - for her character.



                            Make race a minor consideration. It is a story you are telling - not propaganda. Just write and let the characters speak for themselves. Readers can imagine them as they wish if you leave latitude.







                            share|improve this answer












                            share|improve this answer



                            share|improve this answer










                            answered 2 hours ago









                            RasdashanRasdashan

                            6,8531043




                            6,8531043





















                                0














                                Personally, speaking as a person with a diverse heritage, I think "biracial," "multiracial" and "multi-ethnic" are all reasonable, non-offensive descriptors. "Indeterminate ethnicity" is a acceptable visual descriptor for someone whose ethnicity can't be readily determined.






                                share|improve this answer


















                                • 1





                                  Yes but it does not describe the features of the person ethnic groups.

                                  – Muze
                                  6 hours ago















                                0














                                Personally, speaking as a person with a diverse heritage, I think "biracial," "multiracial" and "multi-ethnic" are all reasonable, non-offensive descriptors. "Indeterminate ethnicity" is a acceptable visual descriptor for someone whose ethnicity can't be readily determined.






                                share|improve this answer


















                                • 1





                                  Yes but it does not describe the features of the person ethnic groups.

                                  – Muze
                                  6 hours ago













                                0












                                0








                                0







                                Personally, speaking as a person with a diverse heritage, I think "biracial," "multiracial" and "multi-ethnic" are all reasonable, non-offensive descriptors. "Indeterminate ethnicity" is a acceptable visual descriptor for someone whose ethnicity can't be readily determined.






                                share|improve this answer













                                Personally, speaking as a person with a diverse heritage, I think "biracial," "multiracial" and "multi-ethnic" are all reasonable, non-offensive descriptors. "Indeterminate ethnicity" is a acceptable visual descriptor for someone whose ethnicity can't be readily determined.







                                share|improve this answer












                                share|improve this answer



                                share|improve this answer










                                answered 6 hours ago









                                Chris SunamiChris Sunami

                                31.9k340116




                                31.9k340116







                                • 1





                                  Yes but it does not describe the features of the person ethnic groups.

                                  – Muze
                                  6 hours ago












                                • 1





                                  Yes but it does not describe the features of the person ethnic groups.

                                  – Muze
                                  6 hours ago







                                1




                                1





                                Yes but it does not describe the features of the person ethnic groups.

                                – Muze
                                6 hours ago





                                Yes but it does not describe the features of the person ethnic groups.

                                – Muze
                                6 hours ago

















                                draft saved

                                draft discarded
















































                                Thanks for contributing an answer to Writing Stack Exchange!


                                • Please be sure to answer the question. Provide details and share your research!

                                But avoid


                                • Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers.

                                • Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience.

                                To learn more, see our tips on writing great answers.




                                draft saved


                                draft discarded














                                StackExchange.ready(
                                function ()
                                StackExchange.openid.initPostLogin('.new-post-login', 'https%3a%2f%2fwriting.stackexchange.com%2fquestions%2f43337%2fhow-does-one-describe-somebody-who-is-bi-racial%23new-answer', 'question_page');

                                );

                                Post as a guest















                                Required, but never shown





















































                                Required, but never shown














                                Required, but never shown












                                Required, but never shown







                                Required, but never shown

































                                Required, but never shown














                                Required, but never shown












                                Required, but never shown







                                Required, but never shown







                                -book, description, dialogue, scriptwriting

                                Popular posts from this blog

                                Mobil Contents History Mobil brands Former Mobil brands Lukoil transaction Mobil UK Mobil Australia Mobil New Zealand Mobil Greece Mobil in Japan Mobil in Canada Mobil Egypt See also References External links Navigation menuwww.mobil.com"Mobil Corporation"the original"Our Houston campus""Business & Finance: Socony-Vacuum Corp.""Popular Mechanics""Lubrite Technologies""Exxon Mobil campus 'clearly happening'""Toledo Blade - Google News Archive Search""The Lion and the Moose - How 2 Executives Pulled off the Biggest Merger Ever""ExxonMobil Press Release""Lubricants""Archived copy"the original"Mobil 1™ and Mobil Super™ motor oil and synthetic motor oil - Mobil™ Motor Oils""Mobil Delvac""Mobil Industrial website""The State of Competition in Gasoline Marketing: The Effects of Refiner Operations at Retail""Mobil Travel Guide to become Forbes Travel Guide""Hotel Rankings: Forbes Merges with Mobil"the original"Jamieson oil industry history""Mobil news""Caltex pumps for control""Watchdog blocks Caltex bid""Exxon Mobil sells service station network""Mobil Oil New Zealand Limited is New Zealand's oldest oil company, with predecessor companies having first established a presence in the country in 1896""ExxonMobil subsidiaries have a business history in New Zealand stretching back more than 120 years. We are involved in petroleum refining and distribution and the marketing of fuels, lubricants and chemical products""Archived copy"the original"Exxon Mobil to Sell Its Japanese Arm for $3.9 Billion""Gas station merger will end Esso and Mobil's long run in Japan""Esso moves to affiliate itself with PC Optimum, no longer Aeroplan, in loyalty point switch""Mobil brand of gas stations to launch in Canada after deal for 213 Loblaws-owned locations""Mobil Nears Completion of Rebranding 200 Loblaw Gas Stations""Learn about ExxonMobil's operations in Egypt""Petrol and Diesel Service Stations in Egypt - Mobil"Official websiteExxon Mobil corporate websiteMobil Industrial official websiteeeeeeeeDA04275022275790-40000 0001 0860 5061n82045453134887257134887257

                                Frič See also Navigation menuinternal link

                                Identify plant with long narrow paired leaves and reddish stems Planned maintenance scheduled April 17/18, 2019 at 00:00UTC (8:00pm US/Eastern) Announcing the arrival of Valued Associate #679: Cesar Manara Unicorn Meta Zoo #1: Why another podcast?What is this plant with long sharp leaves? Is it a weed?What is this 3ft high, stalky plant, with mid sized narrow leaves?What is this young shrub with opposite ovate, crenate leaves and reddish stems?What is this plant with large broad serrated leaves?Identify this upright branching weed with long leaves and reddish stemsPlease help me identify this bulbous plant with long, broad leaves and white flowersWhat is this small annual with narrow gray/green leaves and rust colored daisy-type flowers?What is this chilli plant?Does anyone know what type of chilli plant this is?Help identify this plant