Passing

Passing refers to the act of deception in which individuals use their inherent appearance and/or learned ability in the pretense of infiltrating a socioeconomic or an ethnic population to which they do not belong but of which they are assumed to be part. Historically, the connotation is usually in reference to fair-skinned African American individuals who purposely misrepresent themselves to the public as White. Although rare, there are cases where this definition does apply to other social and ethnic groups who also conceal or abandon their true identity to assume another.

The infiltrator's purpose usually is to achieve personal and material advantages or escape being persecuted because of racial discrimination. Many passers engaged in this practice as a means of gaining employment or advancing their careers. Others did so to gain access to racially exclusive retail and eating establishments. Some individuals passed to experience the euphoria of interacting with Whites. Passing is the means by which individuals who are classified internally or externally as part of a discriminated group are able to penetrate socioeconomic barriers and interact with a more privileged social circle.

In some cases, the passers, only partially African American (genetically speaking), are victims of their parents’ deception, causing the individuals to believe themselves to be White. Before learning the truth of their ethnic heritage, these persons were living under a mistaken identity of sorts. Those who were aware of their mixed heritage but consciously continued the deception either through direct actions or the omission of their racial heritage were considered to be passing. This is the working definition for the purposes of this entry.

This entry first presents some personal accounts of and details legal proceedings related to passing. Next, the opinions of African Americans and supporters of racial equality with regard to passing are discussed. Last, literary representations of passing are described and whether the practice continues today is examined.