Do you as an autistic person have a racial identity?

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Am an American of northwest European descent. Everyone else classes me as White. I classify myself as White.

Autism doesnt have a friggin thing to do with it.

Though back before I had gray hair, folks said that I "could pass for Latin" because of my dark hair. And when I worked as a cashier I would sometimes count change in Spanish (just out of boredom) and a pair of actual Hispanic customer actually thought I was one of them. Got a kick out of that.

But no...i dont see how autism has anything to do how you get racially classified, by either yourself,or others.

Thinking of it, I came to a conclusion that I identify as European. Central European. Polish. Varsavian.
Which isn't the same as "white" because I think a person of other or mixed ancestry, who lives in Europe and identifies with European culture, has exactly the same right to identify as European as I do. We're not bred dogs to be defined by our ancestry and physical features. We're concious beings forming societes and cultures.

Yep. I forgot that I identify as a New Yorker lol

I think it's plausible that ASDers have less of a sense of social identity, and so might be expected not to self-identify with a racial group, or any other group. If only enough people took part in the poll and we had a control group, it might demonstrate whether or not autism has anything to do with it. I'll wager it does, but I don't know that we'll ever find out. Does anybody even know how many people in the general population see themselves as having a racial identity?

Well broadly the majority of my ancestors were white (although not always privileged, Irish history is a whole other thing & I've been mistreated for it myself). So I see myself as white.

I get treated as white. I don't experience prejudice based on physical characteristics being perceived ethnically. I do get patronised because I'm 4"11.

My dad did one of those DNA things. Turns out we have some Asian blood too.

Honestly my mind was blown a little bit by it, not in a racist way just it was a surprise cos I don't see myself as mixed. And I was happy about it, not in a 'claiming another ethnicity' way or a white guilt way - just glad because having some far east Asian ancestry explains why me and my dad are really short for white people of our sexes without it being 'one of your family was inbred' or 'there's a disability in your family tree you don't know about that could kill you'.

My condolences. My wife is a giant at 5'0" and I've seen how people patronize her.

There is a lot of "way of life" connected to living in a particular city.

Please stop your self-doubts. As far as I know are you a totally nice girl who has a lot of problems but is bright and really great.

That makes perfect sense.


I'm a conscious mass of neurons encased by a calcium phosphate/collage shell, which is attached to a mobile energy processing machine. Human although I think this also describes some animals.

"As an aspie" I try to demonstrate that my race does not all subscribe to prejudice.

This is why I accept my racial identity as white. I find it important to understand not only my position in context, but that of others. I think being autistic gives me a little insight in how being in a minority world view can translate in other categories like race and gender or at least it helps me question assumptions. I think admitting to ignorance is a good first step.

Well a racial identity much less any other identity , when you raised with mixed racial group s. If become difficult to separate ethnic groups, as. Separate entities , it got to be , if the person was a nice person or a bad person.
Mean person or friendly ...... occasionally there are those in a grey area , but not ethnically. Always based on personality characteristics . Or. A persons ethics in dealing with the next person.

Commendable and well written .

i don't know.
i think it develops (or any 'identity') in response to reactions from those around a person or what you see and can relate to, over time.

e.g.
there are people who will make you feel at ease more than others, and it must be the familiarity of their upbringing or beliefs or something.

others can be super cold/exclude you-- OR just struggle to have anything in common with you even if they try to be nice, it's just a fail socially (more than it already would be if u have social issues)

i'm majority japanese, minority german and english. but in this day and age, race as a concept, outside of medical phenotype, is IMHO not something we oughta be dwelling upon.

I'm a whiter shade of cracker. Or as we call ourselves, "cracka."

Does it mean anything? Not really. I don't apologize for my color, my lack of hair, my age, my education, or being at a perfect weight. Who I am doesn't hurt anybody.

I do turn invisible around attractive women though, but that's a different color profile.