Anatole Broyard,a literary critic and writer for the New York Times,lived a double life.He had a mixed racial heritage,and while African American friends knew him as African American,white friends and professional acquaintances thought he was white.After his death,Broyard's daughter tried to write his life story and,as part of the process,organized a family reunion.This was made more difficult by the fact that Broyard's extended family included many who thought of themselves as white,others as black.What does this demonstrate about passing?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The fact that Broyard's racial identity was unknown to some people in his life shows that passing happens through interaction with others, and that people may choose to pass or not based on these interactions. Additionally, the fact that Broyard's family reunion was complicated by differing ideas of racial identity among extended family members demonstrates that passing is not limited to certain parts of the country or to people with a particular skin color.

Anatole Broyard,a Literary Critic and Writer for the New York