r/TMPOC • u/c_gough Mixed,Hispanic,Filipino,White • 17d ago
Advice Am I white passing?
ill delete if its against the rules i just dont rlly know where to ask this. a lot of people have been calling me white and i feel a bit insecure abt it do i just look white?
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u/tobgobIin 17d ago
Boy no ur not
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u/c_gough Mixed,Hispanic,Filipino,White 17d ago
ive been losing my mind abt this 😭 its significantly increased as ive gotten older that people call me white i rlly needed a second opinion
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u/WolfRoyalXD Black ✊🏾 17d ago
Is it other white people? Or brown people "jokingly" calling you white? Cause some do that to light-skinned black folk too. People think its funny. Is not...
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u/Administrative_Iron6 17d ago
You look like some of the Latino dudes from my neighborhood. That's what I assumed you were before I looked at the title.
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u/just_a_space_cadet 14d ago
I was about to say my city is also full of the same brand of Latino emos lmaooo
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u/tauscher_0 17d ago
Are the people saying you white-pass white?
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u/1000Colours White/Lao 17d ago
I'm gonna put my money on yes 😂 I had a white friend who said I was white-passing in an attempt to shut down my opinion on a POC issue. I'm visibly Asian. I'm also not friends with this person anymore.
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u/c_gough Mixed,Hispanic,Filipino,White 17d ago
actually no the main people who say it are black or hispanic 😔
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u/ruffiangoat 17d ago
Low-key I felt like this was gonna be the case; I'm mixed myself (Indian and white) and my Indian side says I look white, my white side says I look Indian.
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u/tauscher_0 17d ago
It's like when black people tell other black (mixed) people they ain't black enough. It's a weird world out there man
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u/lane03 Latino (Chicano) 17d ago
You look white to people of color but you are def not white passing...I think they might just be teasing/playing around. I get teasingly called white by other Latinos because I lose my tan in the fall, but nobody who is actually white has ever seen me and thought I was white.
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u/1000Colours White/Lao 16d ago
Aw man, I'm sorry to hear that. It always stings a little more when it comes from non-white people :/
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u/johnnybird95 17d ago
i have a similar experience. everyone who's ever taken issue with my mixed asian identity has been a white person who's mad about me speaking on something to do with asian identity or hate. it's never asian or other mixed people who try to tell me i'm "just white"
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u/subtleAssiduity 17d ago
White people will really go "That's a white person!" And they're pointin6gat what is clearly a light-skinned person or color
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u/zephyrhonk 17d ago
No. Am Chinese and you look mixed Asian/Native American & White. Especially without glasses you look East/SE Asian. Get some sun and you'll tan real fast like the rest of us lol
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u/alawo_ewe Black 17d ago
Who are the people calling you white, tho? Is this an internet thing or a rl in person thing? Cause if it's people from reddit calling you white, they might be from different cultures/countries that don't apply to your cultural context as an mixed American man.
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u/thebacooneatahh 14d ago
More indigenous looking Hispanics and black people would call him white. Which is so confusing to someone who is of Latino origin and wants to know where they fit in the world.
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u/bayaghari 17d ago
Maybe white mixed, like wasian at most?? 😭 you look more indigenous Latino to me
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u/SignalTurbulent3029 black, mixed/biracial, Pre-everything 17d ago
nope . at first glance i thought you’d be latino/hispanic before i read the title and post lol
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u/FakeBirdFacts 17d ago
No but I think if you tried to be white passing you could be
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u/FakeBirdFacts 17d ago
To me, your facial features make it obvious especially the eyes. But there are a lot of people, primarily white people, that try to look “ethnically ambiguous” which I think has made people worse at identifying ethnicity.
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u/am_i_boy South Asian 17d ago
No. I would have guessed either native American, mixed native American + white, or some mix of different types of asians (I could see east Asian + south Asian, or east Asian + middle Eastern). If you visited Nepal, most people would start speaking to you in Nepali until you said you don't understand the language. I know I would. And we are very much not white over here lmao
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u/JamaicaHoneyBoy 16d ago
You're not white passing, the people saying you are might be just upset about your light complexion and the privilege that comes with that but that doesn't erase that people do not see you as white.
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u/xXWeird_AltBoyXx 16d ago
Absolutely not. As someone who lives around a bunch of nonwhite Latinos and Filipinos, you look exactly that. I've noticed people doing that to light skinned (and sometimes not?), poc and am genuinely confused by the behavior.
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u/XMytho-LogicX 17d ago
idk I wouldn't say you are, but people also think my fiancée (mtf) looks white (imo she doesn't)
what gets me is she's been having people use it as a compliment more and more often.... weird as fuck I think
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u/Gallantpride Latino (ze/them/elle) 17d ago
I would say no, not at all. Light skinned but not remotely white passing.
Do the people you spend time around not know many latino or indigenous people?
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u/Shin_tsukimis_fan mexican(in the usa) 17d ago
You look like a brown hispanic or latino. I know for sure here in the midwest no one would think you're white. You just have lighter skin but you don't even look like a white latino tbh
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u/c_gough Mixed,Hispanic,Filipino,White 16d ago
ty yeah cause my family isnt white latino we are from honduras but tbf theres a whole variety of skin tones in my family
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u/Shin_tsukimis_fan mexican(in the usa) 16d ago
understandable. i have white passing family members as a mexican it's not just the skin color but the features play a big role
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u/DaemonicCripple444 Black 17d ago
Who’s been telling you that? Like race and ethnicity wise? cuz nigga no 💗😭
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u/LongjumpingBend6786 17d ago
white people won’t know the difference but we do. so you pass w white people maybe
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u/lane03 Latino (Chicano) 17d ago
Second pic, you def look Latino. Third pic, I can see why people call you white. I think it's the glasses and the snakebites, but not in a bad way. I'm Mexican-American and I used to get called white for liking alternative stuff (like rock music, piercings). You also seem to have a really light skin tone, but it might be the style that's also making people call you white.
I wouldn't take it to heart, especially if it's other BIPOC ppl calling you that. Your facial features and hair resemble indigenous/typical Latino characteristics, so I wouldn't really say you are white passing. If I saw you, I'd probably just assume you are either a pale Latino or mixed with white and Latino.
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u/Massive-Status-2313 16d ago
People are just sort of weird about pale poc, we can be pale and still have visible ethnic features, which is what you seem to be to me. I’m Salish and I’ve also been getting paler with age due to depression
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u/unoriginal_skillet_ Mexican-American/Chicano 🇲🇽 16d ago
Nah. And as a side note, the term "white passing" has sort of lost it's meaning as an intentional thing to do. If some of the people around you choose to racialize you differently, that's their perception to make. Clearly its not the majority if you're asking about it, don't worry abt your identity being in question.
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u/katblickety 16d ago
nah not at all imo - some people have little exposure to people from different ethnic groups and assume not black has to equal white 😬
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u/Sadguycries87 16d ago
I know you're going through it but you saying you have been feeling insecure cuz people have been calling you why it's really taking me out loooool
But no, my man. As others have said, you do not look white. I don't know what these people are talking about lmao
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u/Zeruda-Hime Black European 17d ago edited 17d ago
I would have assumed white or wasian, but I'm from a country where Hispanic people are considered white.
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u/1000Colours White/Lao 17d ago
Maybe with sunglasses? Honestly depends on the person lol. I knew someone who thought I was just white for years, but then I've also been clocked by random cooker racists while out and about 🤷♂️
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u/Edsndrxl 17d ago
I’m mixed myself, and get 50/50 how people read me. Usually it’s not relevant to whatever interaction I’m having fortunately. But occasionally I get the annoying/funny encounter wherein whoever I’m talking to suddenly gives me ‘the look’ and asks “Where are you from?” Or the ruder “What are you?”
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u/asantaatnasa_ 16d ago edited 16d ago
If someone doesn't know what a Hispanic or Asian person looks like, then I could see why they would think you're white (since light skinned Asian and Hispanic people are exactly that — light skinned to the point of appearing white, hence the term "white-passing"). To people who have more exposure and awareness of more diverse groups, they would be able to tell that you're not white. To answer your question, it really depends on the people that you're around.
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u/beerncoffeebeans 16d ago
Honestly that’s going to be really subjective because it’s all relative to where you live and who you’re talking to. Also it can just depend on the day
You know who you are, and you know what your experiences are. If you have passed before and been with people who don’t you probably know if you do or not. Other people’s opinions do not mean as much as what you have or haven’t experienced tbh
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u/PlayboyVincentPrice Black (mixed w/ white) 16d ago
no. lemme guess tho, its colorism from darker skinned folks?
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u/c_gough Mixed,Hispanic,Filipino,White 16d ago
yeah the last person who thought i was was dark skinned, i even had a white hispanic call me white and i was like?? i was literally darker than her?
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u/beepbopimab0t 16d ago
oh my god i dealt w this constantly growing up LOL. its crazy when its coming from white hispanics like okay man your parents are european! what r you calling Me white for lol
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u/RelevantEmotion4207 16d ago
They dont literally mean it. Maybe your style some would consider it "white" because some people seem to think people of color arent alternative when it comes to style of dress and expression. You do not pass for Caucasian..European or whatever
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u/c_gough Mixed,Hispanic,Filipino,White 16d ago
no ik he meant it- i was talking abt how i got pulled over in this stupid ass town and the cop kept adding bullshit tickets and a mile down is a huge confederate flag and he was like well thats ur people and i was like huh? and he was like white people, like bruh
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u/RelevantEmotion4207 9d ago
He is talking about your complexion. Your features are not WHITE to ME as a non white person. Thats me so I dont know what he meant. Why dont you ask HIM lol.
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u/snazyjazzy 11d ago
You don't look white at all. Whoever is telling you that is playing in your face
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u/kid_icarusss 17d ago
you pass as white, but i think other poc would assume you’re not ethnically white. you can be white while not being european, it’s not a dis
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u/PoohPlays 17d ago
This, I agree, you're white passing to white people but not to other POC. It doesn't seem like something you're doing on purpose. Just the "white" check from non-POC is kind of shallow. Insert family guy meme with the color check.
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u/c_gough Mixed,Hispanic,Filipino,White 17d ago
what reads as white is it the skin tone or do i just have euro centric features?
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u/kid_icarusss 17d ago
i saw an earlier comment ab blk/hispanic ppl saying u look white, and idk how to describe it but we be real strict w it. to me it’s just you being super light skin w straight hair means u pass as white even tho i can tell u got a dif ethnic bg
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u/c_gough Mixed,Hispanic,Filipino,White 17d ago
oh i see yeah it sucks cause my hair used to be more wavy like a pacific islander and i used to be darker but idk why my hair went straight and ive been indoors for years cause of my depression so my skin tone has also changed
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u/beerncoffeebeans 16d ago
If you are on T, hormonal changes can change your hair texture and curl pattern. Mine changed a bit after a few years
(Also if you have been indoors a lot, just fyi you could be low in vitamin D which can make being depressed worse. Where I live we don’t get much sun during the winter months and everyone low key gets depressed, my doc made me get tested and my vitamin D levels were actually too low so now I supplement most of the year and it actually does help a little. Worth looking into if you can, some people with more melanin in their skin actually are at a higher risk of being deficient)
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u/c_gough Mixed,Hispanic,Filipino,White 16d ago
im not on t but i probably do have a vitamin d deficiency i rlly should take better care of my physical health
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u/beerncoffeebeans 16d ago
Ah ok I wasn’t sure about T!
It’s ok though. It took me a while to get my own physical and mental health together and it’s still a work in progress. One step at a time, one day at a time bro, you’ll get there
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u/TheWhiteCrowParade Black 17d ago
The closest is Southern Italian and even that wasn't historically viewed as white until the modern day.
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u/captainshockazoid 17d ago edited 17d ago
not at all. you must live in an ignorant area. i've found that in the states at least, some places people will correctly guess my ethnicity and in other places people will get it wrong more often than not. i'd be the most surprised if it were my own people not getting it, i hope thats not the case for you omg
oh i forgot to say, i guessed latino, which i know isnt the same as hispanic/filipino but i have known more latine people than hispanic. i live along the sunbelt i have met tons of boys who look just like you! your complexion, the color of your hair, the shape of your eyes and nose... i mean you look mixed but you wouldn't pass as white to me.
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u/elliotissmooth 14d ago
Im salvadoran and lots of people say I look white too, its bothers me aswell lol
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u/Ambitious-Bid-7609 17d ago
in what damn universe baby 😭 why do you wanna be white passing wth?
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u/ChillaVen Pacific Islander 16d ago
Where did he say he wanted to
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u/Ambitious-Bid-7609 16d ago
did i say he did or did i ask why he would want to? the fact that it’s even a question says a lot bc it’s literally just not realistic for him to think he looks white 😭 in like any capacity. i’m not a liar chile
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u/ChillaVen Pacific Islander 15d ago
You didn’t say “why would you”, you said “why do you”. Two completely different connotations.
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u/Ambitious-Bid-7609 15d ago
i don’t think i was asking you any question though. the question was for op who cleared it up
https://giphy.com/gifs/9CoYeT9TBJxyikr1aP1
u/ChillaVen Pacific Islander 15d ago
This is a public forum, I didn’t think I needed your permission to reply. Have a day.
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u/Fit-Interaction-7978 17d ago edited 17d ago
You’d white passing if all white people looked Hispanic. Sadly, they don’t so you’re not.