--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: My father identified as a black man. No…" description: "\"My father identified as a black man. No one asked him because he was clearly black. But people always ask me. If we were together, people would look at..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c37/mariah-carey-1687_ask-me_my-father-identified-as-a-black-man-no-o_2419689.jpg" --- # My father identified as a black man. No one asked him… ![“My father identified as a black man. No one asked him because he was clearly black. But people always ask me. If we were together, people would look at us in a really strange way. It sucked. As a little girl I had blond hair and they'd look at me, look at him, and be disgusted.” quote by Mariah Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c37/mariah-carey-1687_ask-me_my-father-identified-as-a-black-man-no-o_2419689.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c37/mariah-carey-1687_ask-me_my-father-identified-as-a-black-man-no-o_2419689.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c37/mariah-carey-1687_ask-me_my-father-identified-as-a-black-man-no-o_2419689.jpg) > “My father identified as a black man. No one asked him because he was clearly black. But people always ask me. If we were together, people would look at us in a really strange way. It sucked. As a little girl I had blond hair and they'd look at me, look at him, and be disgusted.” [Mariah Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariah-carey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker describes experiencing racial misidentification and the discomfort of being perceived as a mixed-race pair, highlighting societal bias and personal embarrassment. **In simple terms:** People judged them based on appearance, causing pain. Key Takeaway Recognize and challenge assumptions about race. Themes identity racism perception family social bias Mood hurt conflicted reflective Type personal social critical When to use this quote - school - family gatherings - public spaces - media representation Key Concepts racial identity social stigma intersectionality Questions to Reflect On - How do you confront others' assumptions about race? - What can you do to educate people on mixed heritage? A Different Perspective Assumptions can be deeply ingrained, making change slow and difficult. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Black people](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/black-people/) [Father](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/father/) [Girl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/girl/) [Hair](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hair/) [Little girl](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/little-girl/) [Men](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/men/) [Parenting](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/parenting/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) ## Related quotes > [Look at me--a big old black man under all of this makeup, and if I can look beautiful, so can you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rupaul/look-at-me-a-big-old-black-man-under-all-of-this-makeup-and-if-i-can/) [RuPaul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rupaul/) > [Here look at me. I'm Charlie, the son you wrote off the books? Not that I blame you for it, but here I am,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-keyes/here-look-at-me-i-m-charlie-the-son-you-wrote-off-the-books-not-that/) [Daniel Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-keyes/) > [You look at me and see the girl,who lives inside the golden world,but don't believe, that's all there is to see,you'll never know the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariah-carey/you-look-at-me-and-see-the-girl-who-lives-inside-the-golden-world-but/) [Mariah Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariah-carey/) > [If you write for God you will reach many men and bring them joy. If you write for men--you may make some money and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/if-you-write-for-god-you-will-reach-many-men-and-bring-them-joy-if/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [I am profoundly in the D's - discouraged, depressed, disheartened, disgusted.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-dunbar-nelson/i-am-profoundly-in-the-d-s-discouraged-depressed-disheartened/) [Alice Dunbar Nelson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-dunbar-nelson/) > [Like so many Kentuckians, I have been disgusted by the bullying and self-enrichment from Matt Bevin.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andy-beshear/like-so-many-kentuckians-i-have-been-disgusted-by-the-bullying-and/) [Andy Beshear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andy-beshear/) > [The public is increasingly disgusted with a steady diet of defamation, and prepared to reward those who refrain from it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-daniels/the-public-is-increasingly-disgusted-with-a-steady-diet-of-defamation/) [Mitch Daniels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-daniels/) > [“I don't like animals. It's a strange thing, I don't like men and I don't like animals. As for God, he is beginning to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-beckett/i-don-t-like-animals-it-s-a-strange-thing-i-don-t-like-men-and-i-don/) [Samuel Beckett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-beckett/) > [“Dom looks disgusted. “It’s not like you to be mean.” “Mean?” I throw my hands up. “Everyone else is mean, okay? Not me. I’m…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kathleen-hale/dom-looks-disgusted-it-s-not-like-you-to-be-mean-mean-i-throw-my/) [Kathleen Hale](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kathleen-hale/) > [After I left the convent, for 15 years I was worn out with religion, I wanted nothing whatever to do with it. I felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karen-armstrong/after-i-left-the-convent-for-15-years-i-was-worn-out-with-religion-i/) [Karen Armstrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karen-armstrong/) > [Paul Taylor's 'Offenbach Overtures' has lots of zip and charm, and its pair of dueling soldiers in red, who end up starry-eyed about each…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-gottlieb/paul-taylor-s-offenbach-overtures-has-lots-of-zip-and-charm-and-its/) [Robert Gottlieb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-gottlieb/) > [If some people think, "Why am I eating a dead bird soaked in poop?" I think if some people get disgusted by that, it's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-barnard/if-some-people-think-why-am-i-eating-a-dead-bird-soaked-in-poop-i/) [Neal Barnard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-barnard/) > [As someone who has been playing 'Final Fantasy' since before I could walk on two legs, I was particularly disgusted by 'Final Fantasy XIII-2's…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-schreier/as-someone-who-has-been-playing-final-fantasy-since-before-i-could/) [Jason Schreier](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-schreier/) > [I am disgusted and worn out with the system that seems to prevail.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-buford/i-am-disgusted-and-worn-out-with-the-system-that-seems-to-prevail/) [John Buford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-buford/) > [“But young men have not only this frivolous ambition of being thought masters of execution, inciting them on the one hand, but also their…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/but-young-men-have-not-only-this-frivolous-ambition-of-being-thought/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Mariah Carey > [I don't know why, but everybody thinks that I'm short. When they see me for the first time, women are always surprised to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariah-carey/i-don-t-know-why-but-everybody-thinks-that-i-m-short-when-they-see-me/) [Mariah Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariah-carey/) > [The best part of making music, for me, is collaborating and working with new people and fresh sounds and all those things that get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariah-carey/the-best-part-of-making-music-for-me-is-collaborating-and-working/) [Mariah Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariah-carey/) > [I know I can be diva-ish sometimes, but I have to be in control. The nature of my life, the nature of what I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariah-carey/i-know-i-can-be-diva-ish-sometimes-but-i-have-to-be-in-control-the/) [Mariah Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariah-carey/) > [Nothing that's ever happened has taken away the optimist in me. It's always, "Whatever-let's go to Disneyland." Yes, I have my bleak, tortured-artist moments,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariah-carey/nothing-that-s-ever-happened-has-taken-away-the-optimist-in-me-it-s/) [Mariah Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariah-carey/) > [There is a light at the end of the tunnel...hopefully it's not a freight train.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariah-carey/there-is-a-light-at-the-end-of-the-tunnel-hopefully-it-s-not-a/) [Mariah Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariah-carey/) > [The fans never send me crazy things. They send me things that they put so much time and effort into making, and they are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariah-carey/the-fans-never-send-me-crazy-things-they-send-me-things-that-they-put/) [Mariah Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariah-carey/) > [But I think I'm a nice friend and a good person, and I try to do my work as best I can.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariah-carey/but-i-think-i-m-a-nice-friend-and-a-good-person-and-i-try-to-do-my/) [Mariah Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariah-carey/) > [Whenever I watch TV and see those poor starving kids all over the world, I can't help but cry. I mean I'd love to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariah-carey/whenever-i-watch-tv-and-see-those-poor-starving-kids-all-over-the/) [Mariah Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariah-carey/) > [I'm proud of what I am and who I am, and I'm just going to be myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariah-carey/i-m-proud-of-what-i-am-and-who-i-am-and-i-m-just-going-to-be-myself/) [Mariah Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariah-carey/) > [I am thinking of you in my sleepless solitude tonight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariah-carey/i-am-thinking-of-you-in-my-sleepless-solitude-tonight/) [Mariah Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariah-carey/) > [I think I have to remain eternally oblivious to age. Honestly, when you put a number on it yourself, it's just like, Why? Why…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariah-carey/i-think-i-have-to-remain-eternally-oblivious-to-age-honestly-when-you/) [Mariah Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariah-carey/) > [Sometimes it's tough because I've got to sleep 15 hours to sing the way I want to. It's not easy because my vocal chords…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariah-carey/sometimes-it-s-tough-because-i-ve-got-to-sleep-15-hours-to-sing-the/) [Mariah Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariah-carey/) > [Honestly, everybody gets talked about. Some people control their press a little more than others. Some people feed the press and move it the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariah-carey/honestly-everybody-gets-talked-about-some-people-control-their-press/) [Mariah Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariah-carey/) > [I work myself into the ground.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariah-carey/i-work-myself-into-the-ground/) [Mariah Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariah-carey/) > [It's not easy that everything you do, everybody has to come in and critique it and give their opinion. Sometimes it does help me…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariah-carey/it-s-not-easy-that-everything-you-do-everybody-has-to-come-in-and/) [Mariah Carey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariah-carey/) [Explore all 215 Mariah Carey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariah-carey/) ## More Ask me quotes > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! People who…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lang/young-men-especially-in-america-write-to-me-and-ask-me-to-recommend-a/) [Andrew Lang](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lang/) > [I'd always have grease in at least two places, in case the umpires would ask me to wipe one off. I never wanted to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaylord-perry/i-d-always-have-grease-in-at-least-two-places-in-case-the-umpires/) [Gaylord Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaylord-perry/) > [I don't wear a watch because I want my arms to weigh the same. So if somebody asks me what time it is, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-hedberg/i-don-t-wear-a-watch-because-i-want-my-arms-to-weigh-the-same-so-if/) [Mitch Hedberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-hedberg/) > [I am a practicing Catholic, but my lineage is Jewish, so if someone asks me if I'm Jewish, I say yes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neve-campbell/i-am-a-practicing-catholic-but-my-lineage-is-jewish-so-if-someone/) [Neve Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neve-campbell/) > [Why did Erich von Stronheim leave Germany? Why did Hitchcock leave England? If you were a director you'd like to work in Hollywood too.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roman-polanski/why-did-erich-von-stronheim-leave-germany-why-did-hitchcock-leave/) [Roman Polanski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roman-polanski/) > [I am a conservative type of person, so sometimes when I'm chilling with myself, people always come ask me, 'What's wrong with you? What…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-wonder/i-am-a-conservative-type-of-person-so-sometimes-when-i-m-chilling/) [Wayne Wonder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-wonder/) > [I have no hesitation in saying that although the American woman never leaves her domestic sphere and is in some respects very dependent within…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexis-de-tocqueville/i-have-no-hesitation-in-saying-that-although-the-american-woman-never/) [Alexis de Tocqueville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexis-de-tocqueville/) > [My identity shifted when I got into # recovery . That's who I am now, and it actually gives me greater pleasure to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eric-clapton/my-identity-shifted-when-i-got-into-recovery-that-s-who-i-am-now-and/) [Eric Clapton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-clapton/) > [If you ask me to tell you anything about the nature of what lies beyond the phaneron… my answer is “How should I know?”……](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-gardner/if-you-ask-me-to-tell-you-anything-about-the-nature-of-what-lies/) [Martin Gardner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-gardner/) > [When a young artist asks me a question, I want to do what I can to give them an answer if I have it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-tait/when-a-young-artist-asks-me-a-question-i-want-to-do-what-i-can-to/) [Michael Tait](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-tait/) > [I've never asked a girl out in my life, they have to ask me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-jackson/i-ve-never-asked-a-girl-out-in-my-life-they-have-to-ask-me/) [Michael Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-jackson/) > [I would do almost anything Tina Fey asks me to do.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nancy-pelosi/i-would-do-almost-anything-tina-fey-asks-me-to-do/) [Nancy Pelosi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nancy-pelosi/) > [Space Jam is my favorite movie. Don't ask me why, it just is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thom-yorke/space-jam-is-my-favorite-movie-don-t-ask-me-why-it-just-is/) [Thom Yorke](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thom-yorke/) > [If I had lost a leg, I would tell them, instead of a boy, no one would ever ask me if I was 'over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-edwards/if-i-had-lost-a-leg-i-would-tell-them-instead-of-a-boy-no-one-would/) [Elizabeth Edwards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-edwards/) > [It is very hard to tell when I started to be a spiritual teacher. There was a time when occasionally somebody would come and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/it-is-very-hard-to-tell-when-i-started-to-be-a-spiritual-teacher/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) Browse all 1,282 Ask me quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "My father identified as a black man. No one asked him because he was clearly black. But people always ask me. If we were together, people would look at us in a really strange way. It sucked. As a little girl I had blond hair and they'd look at me, look at him, and be disgusted.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mariah Carey" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariah-carey/my-father-identified-as-a-black-man-no-one-asked-him-because-he-was/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ask me" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariah-carey/my-father-identified-as-a-black-man-no-one-asked-him-because-he-was/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c37/mariah-carey-1687_ask-me_my-father-identified-as-a-black-man-no-o_2419689.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c37/mariah-carey-1687_ask-me_my-father-identified-as-a-black-man-no-o_2419689.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c37/mariah-carey-1687_ask-me_my-father-identified-as-a-black-man-no-o_2419689.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“My father identified as a black man. No one asked him because he was clearly black. But people always ask…” — Mariah Carey", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Mariah Carey", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mariah-carey/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "My father identified as a black...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariah-carey/my-father-identified-as-a-black-man-no-one-asked-him-because-he-was/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mariah-carey/my-father-identified-as-a-black-man-no-one-asked-him-because-he-was/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```