• ImplyingImplications@lemmy.ca
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    4 months ago

    Because of the concept of “passing”. Identities are more than just who someone’s parents are. They include the life they live and the experiences they have. Someone who looks white, lives white, and is perceived as white can very well have a Cherokee parent, but identifying as Cherokee is more like a technicality than a reality. Especially if they don’t live on reserve, speak the language, or practice the customs.