Bi-racial/mixed models

[Ariez]

I always wondred what Katja was mixed with, thanks for clearing it up YBF I like this thread since i'm a 'mutt' too hehe. makes me proud

 

[oolie coco]

As a 'mutt' myself (we are the only ones that can use that word no one else!) I've always looked up to and admired mixed celebrities and models. I love people who are proud of their heritage.

 

[funkalicious]

Please do post what is their mix too! Will make this thread much more interesting.

 

[luna1576]

haha I don't think anybody really knows what exactly Katja is. I remember someone mentioned on bellazon that they met her and that she said her father was of somali decent and her mother was russian but there's really no way to know if it's true unless she said it in an article or something. I'm definately a big fan of biracial and mixed models because they are unique and you don't really see many of them nowadays (especially biracial). I think everyone has a little "mutt" in them haha and it's great to embrace it!! <3

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ You're right ... genetic studies have proved (see The Seven Daughters of Eve) that the mother of all of us was African. Out of one mother, races developed, and now we're melting them back in many ways, which I find to be a good thing.

My point is (and my family appears to be purely from the British Isles going back centuries as far as I know--booooooring), anyone who thinks they're puro is probably kidding themselves.

I also think that many of the most beautiful people are the product of melting pot relationships. Unusual combinations of genes often lead to such beautiful features, including unusual eye colors, bone structure, etc. ...

But everyone is beautiful, even those of us whose ancestors have made the most boring choices possible for generation upon generation

 

[oolie coco]

But everyone is beautiful, even those of us whose ancestors have made the most boring choices possible for generation upon generation

Oh yes, definitely. Us "mixed" people are no more beautiful than anyone else, it's just a silly idea people have gotten from all the excitement of the new popularity of mixed people in the media...... Everyone must remember we are all different from one another as well, and we can be just as ugly as everyone else!!! Some of us may look 'unusual' of course, which I think is the attraction for some people.

 

[fashionista-ta]

^ I've seen a handful who didn't exactly win the genetic lottery But it seems to be a pretty good bet overall

 

[Ariez]

About Adriana, I knew that I saw somewhere that she has swiss in her too and sure enough I found this post in her thread.

http://www.thefashionspot.com/forums/795910-post468.html

 

[amphrosyne]

Thanks Ariez, I always thought she was Native, Afro Brasilian, and French + Portuguese. Myabe the Swiss and French are the same?

 

[luna1576]

it's funny because even though Adriana has a mixed backround (no question) a lot of people who aren't really familiar with her would automatically consider her white. Like my friend and I were in VS one time and I mentioned that Adriana was infact mixed..well I still don't think she believes me. People still have the type of minds that clump people into one race. If you look like an exotic white person you are white, if you look like a light skinned dark person you are black. I hate being categorized so I try not to do that with other people.

 

[amphrosyne]

^ I think someone earlier here said Adriana isnt biracial and mixed or something along those lines. Although categorizing can be annoying but its more or less a subconscious thing that most people do. Besides Adriana has predominantly Caucasian features (in my opinion).

 

[electricladyland]

Chrystelle is not mixed. Both of her parents are Black.

just because both your parents are black doesn't mean you're not mixed. Race is a social construct anyway so this whole "biracial" thing is a farce anyway. i find the thread interesting, but it's just that many "white" "black" or any other "race" model (or human being) is probably also actually quite "mixed."

 

[oolie coco]

Being biracial is an extremely important part of my identity - I am of two races - so not everyone will agree that it's just a 'farce'. Yes, it's a social construct, but many social constructs affect us in our everyday lives in extremely important ways.

Sorry if you take issue with the word 'mixed' or 'biracial', but these our words that many of us use to identify ourselves... thanks for listening

 

[electricladyland]

i'm technically "biracial" too. i just don't want people confusing being mixed with buying into the idea that these racial categories are fixed, stable, and unchanging. that is the farce. I respect the many ways that we all identify ourselves. i often refer to myself as black even though my mother is japanese and even though i know that the category black is socially constructed.

 

[ALimaFan]

^ I think someone earlier here said Adriana isnt biracial and mixed or something along those lines. Although categorizing can be annoying but its more or less a subconscious thing that most people do. Besides Adriana has predominantly Caucasian features (in my opinion).

I am so happy that someone started this thread and that Adriana Lima's name was brought up. Adriana Lima is, as she states, from Bahia and is "African, Indian and Swiss."

4 mins. into the video below:
Adriana Lima on Fashion TV

In some of her photos, she looks more Caucasion, in others African and in others Amerindian. It makes sense because she IS all three.

As a black woman myself, I automatically identified Adriana as a black mix. I can see it in her lips, nose and Bahian cheekbone structure. Plus, like many black women, her naturally wavy and courser textured hair is straightened. She got her eyes from her grandparents, as she also states in the video above.

I get kinda tired of people (not you) downplaying Adriana's African ancestory based on her skin shade, eye color or hair texture -- which is rarely seen in its natural form. She likely has more than a drop of black as some would have us believe.

I will continue this in a new post.

 

[ALimaFan]

Adriana Lima's race pt. 2

Where Adriana Lima is from:

• Salvador (Bahia) is called the AFRICAN soul of Brazil
• Nearly 1/2 the population is BLACK
• Descendants of 3.5 million AFRICAN slaves
• 40% of slaves shipped to the New world were sent to BRAZIL

Comments about Adriana's race from other boards:
--------------------------

"Although she hails from Salvador, Bahia in Brazil (born in 1981), her beauty is shaped by Black, White and Native Indian genes. Her diverse heritage comprises a racial and ethnic mix of Portuguese, French, Amerindian, and Afro-Brazilian."
--------------------------

"Adriana is from Salvador, Bahia, Brasil. 80% of the population is of African descent and if you have ever visited the place most of them LOOK black. If you caught Adriana after she has been under the Brazilian sun for a few months and she stops straightening her hair she would definitely look like a sister. I visited Salvador many times and seldom do you find a black person who is lightskinned. A few look like Creoles but most persons, even whites have very dark skin and a lot of the females look like Adriana. She would be considered a "morena clara" in Brazil which is a lightskinned person of African descent. A model of Adriana's complexion would never get a modeling job in Brazil because they are totally into blonde white models despite the fact that sisters in Brazil are among the most beautiful in the world.

Adriana's facial features are very Ghanian especially her eyes which are definitely African. A good number of Africans have naturally blue/green eyes which they have passed on to their Afro-Brazilian descendants in Brazil. Bahia is the "most African" state in Brazil, a must -visit place for African Americans. There you will find many sisters and brothers who look like Adriana but definitely are black folks."
------------------------

 

[ALimaFan]

Adriana's Race pt. 3

From an angry poster responding to someone who claims Adriana does not have african ancerstory, but Shakira does (so she claimed. This man responds angrily, but has some valid points:

"Adriana Lima is from Salvador f*cking Bahia. Do you even know the racial makeup of that tiny little part of Brazil man. Let me indulge you, it's filled with blacks.. The percentage of blacks in Salvador is way over 60%. And the people who are mixed in Salvador all have black in blood in them..

Now even if Adriana looks more white (which a lot of mixed people tend to look like) given what I just told you about Salvador, how can you not call her Mulatta man.. The definition of Mulatta is still someone mixed with both European and African blood... The definition of Mestizo is some one mixed with both European and Native blood..

Now, I want you to take a look at Adriana's pics and notice her full lipps, her hair texture (in one picture she almost had an afro her hair was so kinky). That's the definition of a Mulatta, not Morena... Sure, because of Brazil's mass mixing, you get women with all three races in them (White, Black, Native) for which Adriana does have all in her, but she's stilll from Salvador, which means, she definitely has more black than Native blood.

But Marina called her Morena!! What's the definition of Morena? Well in Brazil there's no concrete definition of Morena, because it's been thrown around to describe this person and that person that it has no real definitive meaning in the real world. Morena is a term of endearment, it's a dark skin white girl and it's a light skin black girl. In other words, Morena is anything other than a blond and preta.

Most pardos can be Morenas, all Mestizos are morenas, all jet black haired Italian looking women (Marina) are called Morenas, and most very light skinned Mulattas (Adriana Lima) are called Morenas. Adriana Lima is a very light skin Mulatta man, take my word for it.

To prove my point even further, Marina denies that she has black blood and calls herself Morena, but will called Adrina Lima (from black-*** Salvador and who has admitted that she has African blood), a morena as well. So I want you to follow my logic here..

Marina (doesn' t have black blood)= Morena.
Adriana (has black blood)= Morena.

So it appears to me that the determining factor in both cases is the fact that they both have dark hair, and light skin... So you see Spin I was not all wrong by assuming that Marina (a Brazilian) had black blood. Because as you say my man " the proof is in the pudding." Marina calls both herself and Adriana (who has African blood) Morenas.."

 

[amphrosyne]

Good read but if you didnt know it was already established on the first page that Adriana is tri-racial Dont get all worked up because someone made an assumption/mistake.

 

[ALimaFan]

About Adriana, I knew that I saw somewhere that she has swiss in her too and sure enough I found this post in her thread.

http://www.thefashionspot.com/forums/795910-post468.html

Hi Ariez,

I am so happy to see this thread. I actually missed meeting Adriana because she was at my job but I was so busy that I forgot. I could bang my head against the wall for that, LOL. Anyway, as someone pointed out, she's always in NY, so there's hope.

That said, thanks for referring to my post. I am adamant about people acknowledging Adriana's ancestory because she herself acknowledges it. I think her multiracial mixture is beautiful. What's even more beautiful is that she was voted the most beautiful at Bastardly.com.

For so many people to be in awe of a woman of multiracial mix seems like nothing to some. But socially it says something about race relation progression to me. Like look, when we get along and mingle, we can produce something beautiful

There was a time in history when if a woman passed and it was discovered that she had African ancestory to ANY degree ("one drop rule"), she was automatically discriminated against. Adriana Lima's following represents a change and I find that beautiful. Men and women of all races adore Adriana. That's why I adamantly do research and share info I gather about her race everytime someone inquires. I am also open to correction and learning.

http://www.bastardly.com/archives/2006/05/12/adriana-lima-bastardly-sexiest-women-2006-1/

 

[ALimaFan]

Good read but if you didnt know it was already established on the first page that Adriana is tri-racial Dont get all worked up because someone made an assumption/mistake.

Hi Amphrosyne,

I'm not "worked up." Please don't misread my intention. I am passionate about this subject and wanted to share because the details that I posted are rarely (if ever) shared on Adriana Lima fan boards.

And I have read posts where people, black and white alike, downplay her African ancetory. I actually do get worked up over that and like to share what details I have for that reason. Please don't take it the wrong way.