Genetics - 1/2 breeds

[Maths Dude]

Does anyone have any facts about 1/2 white 1/2 japanese or 1/2black 1/2 japanese look like? I know sometimes they look like a proper mix, others look almost pure white or pure japanese. Are there any factors which determine this ? or is it purely 'random'?

[NeoNecroNomiCron]

Its far from random, but it is extremely complex.

If you just look at eye colour, typicaly white people have hte greatest variaty of eye colour.

Narrow it down to brown vs blue.

There is a rule that 2 blue eyed people cant have a brown eyed child.

This is because a blue gene is passed from the father and a blue passed from the mother. For a child to be blue you need 2 genes. But if there are 2 browns, then the colour is brown. Because brown is dominant, if htere is a brown and a blue, the final colour will be brown.

There are other rules, a brown eyed parent[who has 1 brown and one blue eyed parent] has a 50% chance of having a blue eyed if the partner has blue eyes(2 blue genes)

Because if this, and that almost all Asian and Black people carry 2 brown genes. Its is impossible to produce a blue eyes child. There are exceptions and mutations but they are not true blue, grey genes are present in Japanese people.

I am sure there is somebody who can explain it better than me.

But these kind of factors do come in to the equasion regarding hafusu.

[Maths Dude]

Not that it really matters what color is what. I just hope if I have a kid , everything is where it is supposed to be, if you get my drift. Just it's interesting to see how genetics works. So if I have hazel eyes and she has brown eyes, there is almost no chance of having a kid with hazel eyes ? And why the heck are brown eyes so strong ?

[FG Lurker]

Not that it really matters what color is what. I just hope if I have a kid , everything is where it is supposed to be, if you get my drift. Just it's interesting to see how genetics works. So if I have hazel eyes and she has brown eyes, there is almost no chance of having a kid with hazel eyes ? And why the heck are brown eyes so strong ?

I think that every gene has dominant and recessive versions. Hair is the same -- red and blonde are weakest, brown to black are strongest.

If your wife has a gray eye gene then you could have a child with non-brown eyes -- *if* she passes the grey gene to the child. You do occasionally see Japanese with gray eyes -- the long-time president of Sony (and I think founder?) had gray eyes.

Interesting stuff... Haven't studied it since high school biology though!

[NeoNecroNomiCron]

Not that it really matters what color is what. I just hope if I have a kid , everything is where it is supposed to be, if you get my drift. Just it's interesting to see how genetics works. So if I have hazel eyes and she has brown eyes, there is almost no chance of having a kid with hazel eyes ? And why the heck are brown eyes so strong ?

Cross-fertilisation, at least in plants makes the child stronger taking the best parts from each parent.

I am far from a genetist, but it is widely known that the origional colour was black and all other colours derived from black people. When it comes to eye colour, blue is the mutant. So when a brown and blue dna strand come together, the controls (enzymes)that control the dna coming together see blue as the mutant and iron out the irregularities, the result is brown.

One of the biggest differences you might notice if you have a mixed asian child is that some have blue area of skin on thier back known as a mongol patch. With skin colout the generaly have a 25% chance of one colour over the other and 50% mixed. But generaly people view mix as the darker parents colour. Like stupid American racist propaganda such as the "1 drop rule". So if you are white you only have a 1 in 4 chance of having a white kid. You could have 100% white skin but the child have 100% Japanese features. Most mixes are attractive though, especialy the very extreme ones.

[Samurai_Jerk]

wtf is an extreme mix?

[Mels]

Does anyone have any facts about 1/2 white 1/2 japanese or 1/2black 1/2 japanese look like? I know sometimes they look like a proper mix, others look almost pure white or pure japanese. Are there any factors which determine this ? or is it purely 'random'?

Good question. I am half Japanese and half white (dad is Irish/English/Scottish/etc). Mom is from Tokyo, very light skin and light brown eyes. When I am next to her, people can see her in me. When I am with dad, they see a lot of dad in me. My dad had grey/green/blue eyes with light curly brown hair.

I have my picture up, but in real life, I do look a bit different.
I have naturally curly brown hair. My eyes are hazel and are green most of time. I have a bridge on my nose and the shapes of my eyes are almond, not asian. My skin color has a yellow undertone, but it is closer to my dads. Funny thing was, as a kid, most of the half kids I knew had asian eyes....I use to wish I had asian eyes because I looked so different from them

Most people think I am Italian, Latin American, etc. They are shocked when I tell them I am half Japanese. The curly hair and hazel eyes throw them off. I was born with blue eyes...I know that must have freaked my mom at first...she was intrigued...but then my eyes turned green and then some brown was mixed in.

I have other friends in these types of categories:
1. Red hair, green eyes with Japanese looking face
2. Straight black hair, brown eyes, but non Japanese look
3. More Japanese look with a touch of white
4. Black, with maybe a little Japanese look
5. many more I wont list

You never know what a child will look like when they are half. I would say, on the average, many of my half freinds are very attractive. I do think most kids do get the best from both parents.

As for what Neo said about a bluish patch..I have heard that before. I dont have it and I dont know anyone that does, but I know there are people out there with it.

Yes, black and brown are typically dominant. But then you get someone like me...a FG freak?

[Sir Zephyr]

wtf is an extreme mix?

An albino Nigerian dwarf and a black Norwegian with red hair.

[Mels]

wtf is an extreme mix?

I would describe it as this:
One of my friends, half white and half japanese....she has much of the white features such as light colored hair, tall....if you saw her from behind, you would think she was a white chick, but her face is totally Japanese looking.....when I first met her, I was intrigued because I never met a ainoko quite like her. She married a white guy and their kids face does not have a drop of Japanese in it..go figure

[Mels]

wtf is an extreme mix?

An albino Nigerian dwarf and a black Norwegian with red hair.

bahahahahaha

[Ketou]

wtf is an extreme mix?

An albino Nigerian dwarf and a black Norwegian with red hair.

hahaha
Well done Zephyr, I needed a laugh!

[kurohinge1]

[Adhesive]

My wife (Japanese) is 9 weeks pregnant, so I've been thinking about this lately, even though I've always told myself that it didn't matter. The health is what's important...yada yada yada.

Anyway, what was said before is all correct...another interesting thing is that the wavy hair gene is stronger than straight. And, if both parents are half white, with one recessive blue gene, then the child can have pure blue eyes and still be only half white, half Japanese. The odds are only 1 in 4 though.

I know a guy who's father is half japanese and he doesn't look asian at all. He looks like a typical, tall, goofy white guy.

[AssKissinger]

I like that song by Cher: Half Breed

CHER LYRICS

"Half Breed"

My father married a pure Cherokee
My mother's people were ashamed of me
The indians said I was white by law
The White Man always called me "Indian Squaw"

[CHORUS:]
Half-breed, that's all I ever heard
Half-breed, how I learned to hate the word
Half-breed, she's no good they warned
Both sides were against me since the day I was born

We never settled, went from town to town
When you're not welcome you don't hang around
The other children always laughed at me "Give her a feather, she's a Cherokee"

[Repeat Chorus]

We weren't accepted and I felt ashamed
Nineteen I left them, tell me who's to blame
My life since then has been from man to man
But I can't run away from what I am

[Mels]

I should have said kids, not people regarding the blue spot.

AK I use to listen to that song, being a 1/2 breed myself Couldnt relate to the entire song of course, but just focused on the 1/2 breed portion.

I was thinking about this, although this is a thread that pretains to the possible look of a 1/2 breed child, i was also thinking the following may help regarding raising such wonderful, beautiful kids like me.

Here are a few things they may go through as they grow up...

1. there may be a point in time they look for a book about being half Japanese and half white/black etc. I never did find a book. Was thinking about writing one years ago, but didnt. There may be one out there now

2. new words people call us: amerasian, eursian, double (for double culture). I grew up with Ainoku (looooovvveee child ) and just plain 'half' which I use today.

3. in the US, people always ask if I am Japanese America..LOL ignorant...so I have to explain- J americans are full blooded Japanese, but were born and raised in the US and are americans or came over to become a citizen...etc. They do not have any other race mixed within their blood.

4. For me, english was my first language. However, some of the words I pronounced had to be corrected because I pronounced them like my mom....ie Mayo- mayonezu, pillow- pilo, bedroom- beTroom....etc. But those can be easily corrected. I learned Japanese when I was 10.

and a lot more.

[Mels]

I forgot to mention...

If you as parents are not half yourself, there may be a time you just dont get us. Since my mom is full blooded Japanese and dad was white....there were times they really did not understand me when I was going through my growth and realization of who I was.

How could they, they are not half. It is hard to explain, although there are not any major challenges, it was important for me to know other half kids that could relate to me...there are some unique situations..such as our sense of humor may be more on the Japanese side then american/euro, or our mannerisms more Japanese. As kids, we grow up thinking everyone is like us, and really, only those that have grown up in a double culture family understand us.



nd for us half people, I think we want to take the best of both cultures and parents.

[dimwit]

I forgot to mention...

If you as parents are not half yourself, there may be a time you just dont get us. Since my mom is full blooded Japanese and dad was white....there were times they really did not understand me when I was going through my growth and realization of who I was.

How could they, they are not half. It is hard to explain, although there are not any major challenges, it was important for me to know other half kids that could relate to me...there are some unique situations..such as our sense of humor may be more on the Japanese side then american/euro, or our mannerisms more Japanese. As kids, we grow up thinking everyone is like us, and really, only those that have grown up in a double culture family understand us.



nd for us half people, I think we want to take the best of both cultures and parents.

Interesting comments. I wonder how you might of turned out had you spent your formative years here rather than in the states? I'm curious because my son is 6 and he'll be start elementary school here in April and I am anxious as to what problems he might encounter.

[NeoNecroNomiCron]

[
Interesting comments. I wonder how you might of turned out had you spent your formative years here rather than in the states? I'm curious because my son is 6 and he'll be start elementary school here in April and I am anxious as to what problems he might encounter.

Is 6 normal age for elementary school in Japan? Back home its 4 or 5 (I went a 4 because I was already able to read(Funny considering I am technicaly dyslexic))

[dimwit]

Is 6 normal age for elementary school in Japan? Back home its 4 or 5 (I went a 4 because I was already able to read(Funny considering I am technicaly dyslexic))

Kindergarten and Elementary School are separated here, so that you start grade 1 at the age of 6.

[Mels]

Interesting comments. I wonder how you might of turned out had you spent your formative years here rather than in the states? I'm curious because my son is 6 and he'll be start elementary school here in April and I am anxious as to what problems he might encounter.

Well, I had to think about whether or not I write anymore about this, only because there are times that people who are not half wonder why I mention certain things and why I would share it in the way I do. My half friends understand because they also share in the way I do.
So, some of this may make sense and other things may not.

Most of my childhood was in Japan. Although I was born in Montana, I left the US when I was six months old for Japan. Most of my time was on a base, but I lived one year with my mom off base near my aunts and uncles in Japan with no contact to americans. I was ten at the time. My dad was in Thailand on an unaccompanied tour. My mom did not want to be in the US while my dad was on duty.
I have spent roughly 18 to 19 years in Japan. From six month to 18years old and then later on when I was working for J company.

I went through some confusing times because I was very use to the Japanese way. I always wondered how I would have turned out if I had lived my life in the US. In Japan they dont think I know what it is like to be Japanese even though I was raised with my relatives and mom. Japaenese people are totally shocked when I do understand because I live it every day. That has always intrigued me.
In the US, there are times they dont understand why I do the things I do, my humor or why I may think the way I do. Now that is different from someone who isnt half but lived most of their lives in Japan. I do not know why that is, but it is different. If you could sit with my half friends and I discuss our experiences, you may be surprised.

So I believe I can share some experiences with you here. But it can be hard to articulate...if you were half, you would click right in to say 'yep, I went through the same thing'

Even during my years in Japan, there were many 1/2 kids, so it wasnt so unique, however it is not like it is today.

As a child in Japan, I use to get called 'GAIJIN' and teased. As an only child, I would run to my family... they were really good about it all, however they really could not understand because, simply, they are not half. They could only relate to the teasing in general. They did actually strengthen me through those experiences which built character. I never had experienced the teasing with american kids, only Japanese. So, I took care of that problem by not reacting to their teasing and ended up making a lot of friends. That NOT reacting is so Japanese.....in the US though, they would say turn the other cheek.

Since I grew up with all the Japanese customs, I really did not understand or know that the american customs were so different. Sure, I celebrated Christmas/Thanksgiving/Easter...etc. What I am talking about are mannerisms and certain unique customs that are specific to Japan. For example, I grew up with Nihon no yarikata..such as New Years otoshidama, how I interact with adults, and the biggest, how I THINK.

Japan can be very cold sometimes. I remember being taught that people with handicaps were people you did not want to marry or associate with. WHAT A CROCK OF SHIT. That is when my dad stepped in to teach me otherwise. Also, I learned how Japanese felt about Koreans, Chinese, blacks and Ainus. I had some major arguements with my family about that and I know not all Japanese feel that way.

There was much conflict in those areas as I grew up..but it helped develop me as a person.
I remember being told; Japan is a small island, therefore, we have small hearts. It is very important who you associate with. THEN I BLURTED out..DAD IS AMERICAN what about that?! Anyway, long story short.....the whole family was against their marriage, but as time went on and when I was born, they accepted my father and loved him until he passed away. And of course they spoiled me rotten. They just needed to get out of their mindset..but, then again, they do treat my cousins differently....meaning, who they marry, who they associate with...etc. They have never treated me indifferently.
My US family is from the midwest and are racists. They dont like blacks and any foreigner....that is them and I really dont know them. And not all americans are this way...but even if they arent, they are a bit different when it comes to half people....some of my friends say that there are times they are either TOO nice or they are indifferent..go figure.

My best friend and business partner is a black woman. Her youngest son is my God son. At first my mom was a bit funny about it. She would worry about what people thought if I was toting my godson around...'they may think you are with a black man, yadda yadda yadda.' Who cares. But in Japan, appearances are very important, you see. I dont care and I think I grew up more so that way...I did the opposite. But she got to know my friend and after 15 years, understands... My Godson actually opened her heart...those are her words and she loves him. It does my heart good to see this. Sometimes Japanese are too afraid to try and reach out in this way..they are too afraid of what society will say....the nail that sticks out will be hammered down....conform...

In my japanese experience... pressure to do well was always the pivital piece in my life. (I also think that is family specific because there are many american friends that went through this as well). BUT, the discipline was different. In Japan, they typically dicipline children through embarrassing them....for example, if I did something wrong, my family would, in public, say 'look at you, see how you act and everyone else does not do this or that? NASAKE NAI HITO...BAKA....but that is how it is. It can be s a mental battle at times. And as a girl, I was treated well, but was expected to get married...yadda yadda yadda.

Your child may not go through the same things, but I know if he ever came to me and shared an experience, I could probably relate to most of it. He will go through some thoughts about it...it is so normal.
Understand, although I am sharing this with you, I dont dwell on it...it is just a life story is all. I feel very proud-I have the best of both worlds. One, I am half american- being a super power and I am half Japanese- Japan being a super power as well. And yes, this may be part of my Japanese thinking because Japan always feels..ICHIBAN..and deep down, part of me is happy I am half Japanese opposed to other asian countries. NOW THAT is me being very authentic about my feelings...which I hope does not cause an issue with anyone reading this.

Although I have gone through some things in Japan...when I returned to the US, I was in a culture shock. For about two years, I could not understand why people did what they did...on one hand, I was so happy to be half Japanese...and on the other hand, I wish the US was different. LOLOL Japanese thinking there. The experience in Japan did help me adjust here in the US. I am american and needed to learn the US way...There comes another point...my family now says 'YOU are so american now' LOLOL go figure.

So, in the end, no matter what, half kids will be going through their own unique experiences. This is different from being half black and white american.
I know that my half black half japanese friends have a different experience...much more then I went through. On one hand they are not accepted as black people within the black community and they are not accepted as Japanese. But they are so well adjusted and successful people today...That is primary due to their parents who were strong positive influences on their lifes.

[Spidey]

I could sum up my opinion on this topic with one word, "gene pool." Sorry, that's two.

Basically, IMHO, it falls down to how diverse or lack thereof each respective parents genetic history is. For example, in Japan, Japanese have been marrying Japanese and only Japanese 99% of the time pretty much since they settled down on these islands. Therefore, their genetic line is very strong and tends to be dominant when faced with the more diversified and more easily dominated North American variety. Find a culture or race that has basically stayed and procreated within themselves and you'll find a dominant gene.

Did anyone understand my attempt at an explanation because I'm not sure I did?

S

[amdg]

[Spidey]

[Maths Dude]

I am white, but a mix of the 'white' races. I am part irish, scottish, english and god knows what else. Perhaps a mix of asian/black/white is just a more of an extreme. I am 6'3" and my woman is pretty small. So I hope it isnt the case of the german shepard and the chiwowa, where the chiwowa almost dies coz the pups were too big

[Neo-Rio]

I thought the biological reason behind genetics and evolution was so that a species would mate with members of the gene pool which possessed special qualities which would help the whole species adapt to the constantly changing environment - and for matters of prolonged survival.

As I am aware, back in the stone age men who could make a fire were very popular with their female counterparts. These days, fire has been replaced with money, although money itself is not always the defining measure of survival (and can be rather misleading).

If the people of one race mate between each other, there is nothing to be gained genetically because the gene pool is not diverse enough - it would be more like inbreeding and that's usually bad genetically. Although one may ask that when the environment doesn't change, then it doesn't warrant seeking out different genes.

Well, I could be talking out of my rear end for all I know. Then again (on the off-chance) it might explain the gaijin male vs Japanese female thing, and how Japan is changing. :P

[GomiGirl]

Mels - You Rock!! You summed up my opinions on the subject.

All kids will have something that makes them stand out and they need to be taught to embrace this. This will set them up much better for their future than taught to be part of a "group".

But then i could just be speaking out of my butt as I have no children of my own.. i am just going on how my wonderful parents brought me up. I have very little fear and I really do think the world is MY oyster..

[amdg]

[hakuman]

Mels: that was a good read. Being married to a Japanese girl, I wonder what sort of things our child will go through when we have one. That was some good stuff to think about.

[Watcher]

Excellent story Mels... refreshing to read. I have a whole group of friends who are half American/Japanese. They are brothers and Sisters (5 of them). The most interestig aspect, I think, is that they kind of play outside the societal rules for each culture. Neither American nor Japanese yet interacting as each when the system dictates. Almost like they have been given a "Get out of Culture Jail Free" card. I can see how that may be hard at first... not being purely of one background but then I also know how most of us FGs are looking for the same thing in Japan; to be the rogue operator.

[Mels]

[quote="Watcher"]Excellent story Mels... refreshing to read. I have a whole group of friends who are half American/Japanese. They are brothers and Sisters (5 of them). The most interestig aspect, I think, is that they kind of play outside the societal rules for each culture. Neither American nor Japanese yet interacting as each when the system dictates. Almost like they have been given a "Get out of Culture Jail Free" card. I can see how that may be hard at first... not being purely of one background but then I also know how most of us FGs are looking for the same thing in Japan]


Aww, yes. I also react depending on the circumstand....Great point here. And when I goof up, I simply say, oops.. that is the Japanese or american side of me. Always works.

Actually, having both culture has been a great advantage for me..in Japan as well as the US...maybe more in the US.

All my experience, great or challenging, have helped me in so many ways.

There is one thing I did notice though....I have some freinds who were very popular in Japan.....but when they returned to the US, they realized they were no longer treated as though they were unique or special....those people really had a hard time adjusting here and still do.

Also, some ended up choosing to be Japanese because they could not fit here in the US.

I was raised with a great balance...sure the Japanese influence was strong, but coming back to the US was a great thing for me...I learned to be more assertive and aggressive, etc. Attending University here also was a great learning experience. It is being flexible, open minded, accepting...and bottomline...enjoying all the experiences.