KIMORA TALKS ABOUT HER “MIXED-RACE” FAMILY
-Pictured: Kimora's growing family-
Baby Phat Ceo Kimora Lee Simmons recently sat down with Working Mother to talk about her growing blended family. Among topics of her kids and her husband Djimon Hounsou, Kimora touched on the subject of racism. Here are a few highlights from the article written by Kimora:
Kimora on growing up as a mixed-race child:
“My friends are surprised to learn that, outgoing as I am today, I was a loner growing up. I was a mixed-race girl with a Korean-Japanese mother and an African-American father, and none of the other kids at my school were like me. I was nearly six feet tall by the time I was 11 years old. And I was an only child being raised by a single mother.”
Kimora on having a difficult childhood:
“At school in the St. Louis suburb of Florissant, MO, everything about me seemed to be a source of ridicule to other kids: my face, my height, the texture of my hair, my body shape. I was a real fish out of water. And because I had so many growth spurts, it took time for me to grow into my body. The popular kids were into sports, but I was awkward and gawky. I was super clumsy—I still am. Kids can be cruel. They called me “chinky giraffe.” I cried all the time. But my mother wanted me to turn my tears into something else, something positive.”
Kimora on teaching her kids to respect others:
“As my mom did for me, I’m helping my own girls, Ming Lee, 9, and Aoki Lee, 7, learn about tolerance—to respect differences in culture, religion and even the way we look. I also try to set boundaries, let them know what’s expected and give them room to develop and grow. I will do the same with my infant son, Kenzo Lee Hounsou. I recently married his father, Djimon Hounsou. He’s an actor and a model, and he speaks five languages. We learn a lot from him.”
Kimora on involving her kids in her work:
“I involve my kids in my work, so they can see that even though the balancing act isn’t easy, it’s possible. They also see that fashion can be a creative way to express yourself. Ming and Aoki love to sew and make their own clothes. They have a real fashion sense and inspire me creatively. I listen to their ideas and often consult them, especially for Baby Phat Girlz, one of our children’s fashion lines. Sometimes they appear with me on the runway. They love to go into my closet and pick out my clothes. Our kids help us stay youthful.”
Read the entire article @Working mother
Photo:Ok!magazine
61 Comments to “KIMORA TALKS ABOUT HER “MIXED-RACE” FAMILY”
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U GO KIMORA WITH UR BEAUTIFUL FAMILY. INTELLIGENT HUBBY, SMART GIRLS, HEALTHY BEAUTIFUL SON, WHO COULD ASK FOR ANY MORE.
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chinky giraffe is still funny to me lol but kimora got the last laugh didn’t she…
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And it always tickles me when she makes them remember it. She appears to be such an involved and fun mommie. I love the way she and Russ always treat those girls like princesses; the way all little girls should be treated. And when they climb up on Russ his face just melts with love. It’s wonderful to see that even though they are no longer a couple; they are a couple as far as those girls are concerned. That’s a really hard thing to do. I know that the baby is going to be prince charming, because Kimora and the girls will make him feel that way. With their involvement in her work and all the traveling and now a step-father who speaks 6 languages, they will be so far ahead with the experiences of just living. Again, I just love her with her children.
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Has anyone else heard about this movement by biracial people to declare themselves not-black? I just came across this madness about them being upset that Obama is being called the first black president and not the first biracial president. Anyway. I think Kimora has a beautiful mixed family that happens to be black.
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That has been going on for years now. They want a separate check box on all forms so that they can be separate. You are going to be judged by your looks and it’s just something that will lessen the census for Black folk. It is certainly not going to give them anymore leverage.
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I don’t understand why it is such an issue if a multiracial person wants to be acknowledged as such. It is not fair or acceptable to have to choose one piece of your identity and ignore the rest of who you are.
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But they don’t chose. The way you look allows society to assign you. I’m certain from Tiger Woods statement, he didn’t chose to be called Black because he gave out some long multicultural association. That’s tough because when he is stopped by the cops or in the way of a racist without his golf clubs and someone who knows him, he will be treated by the color of his skin. Remember, we don’t make the rules. I dare say the great majority of us are multi-racial (cultural) By creating a subclass all you do is weaken the census for each group which gets you less than you would ordinarily get when it comes to appropriation of governmental assignments. We simply reduce ourselves to the old South African system of Blacks, Whites, Colored and Asian. This thing is systemic. There is a book written by Jane Lazarre, who herself is a Jewish mother married to a Black man. Learning from her sons, she has written a very indept study on this very subjectand how she had to come with terms on why her sons consider themselves Black Americans. When right wing talk shows have discuss why our President considers himself African-American, and disses his white mother and grandparents; I know that he didn’t make the choice, it was forced upon him because of the color of his skin. Surely this man, who really had no close ties to his African father nor any of those relative on his father’s side until much later in life, but solely reared by his mother and his maternal grandparents had much more reason to associate himself with them than the other side but he learned from the way he was treated as you will read in his book, DREAMS FROM MY FATHER; it wasn’t his choice. That’s just how this works. I’ve been this long winded, as I usually am, because I am hoping that you understand where I’m coming from. This segregation will only benefit politicians, using them as pawns, when they need to deny or grant something, not as a gain for Black nor Multiculturals.
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i agree with you multiracial…i know alot of bi racial women who say that theyre black and its not that they have or had a bad experience from their white side, and im sorry but i beg to differ if both your parents are black then you are black bt if one is white and one is black then you are bi racial, dont cancel out one side of yourself because you want to be “cool” or like your peers because your just denying your culture, my cousin is from a white mother and a black father (my uncle) he cant stand his mum because shes just horrible but he doesnt go around denying his white side.. if your half n half (please excuse the term) but how does one side make you more than the other…?
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NEENEE, you are misunderstanding my discussion. I would never deny the other side of my parentage. I am not talking about the personal side of it. Victoria and I are expressing our veiws on the political aspect of this. Of course, I can’t see anyone denying either parent. But when you try to do that by adding an extra box for political reasons you only weaken the impact as politicians will only count you when they need to and negate you when they don’t. The classification becomes a pawn for politicians. That box will only be considered as political, not a personal reflection of yourself. If you look white and you choose to check white, then by all means do so; but if you don’t look white, you will still be treated in the same way as other Blacks in this country (physically) This is only for political surveys that we are speaking, not in family or personal. I hope that I have explained myself so that you fully understand what I mean. This is not personal and neither is the creation of a special box on forms.
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TJ, yes, you’re not far off when you call it “madness”. Being of mixed family background myself (Black mom, White dad), I used to visit some multiracial oriented websites and forums, and some of the stuff I saw over the years made me ill and would make ya’ toes curl. All sorts of arrogant diatribe over the lightness of their skin and texture of their hair, attacks launched against anyone, particularly any Biracial person who disagreed with them, hate speech against Black folks, and in some cases, I saw even violent rhetoric directed against African-Americans. Of course, given the nature of anonymity of the internet, it could’ve been a bunch of White folks behind a computer keyboard doing the “Willie Lynch” thing, but I did see a fair amount of actual Biracial folks saying awful things as well. I don’t have anything to do with any “mixed movement” and am happy to be a person of Black heritage, but there are some folks out there that are just plain UNHAPPY.
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Victoria, you hit the nail on the head. The most successful movement in America; DIVIDE AND CONQUER!. Only now we are trying to do it to ourselves. As I said above it will only be used by politicians as pawns to get what they want when they want it. Checking a box on a paper is not going to change the way people see you, judging you by the color of your skin. You certainly can’t walk around with a tag on your back saying that you are of mixed ethnics. And people can be of mixed ethnicity and it not be Black and White. I would work harder at just being American and having al the rights that this entails.
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I think sometimes they young people are not familiar enough with the history of all this. And if you do not know your history, you are doomed to relive it. As you stated and as I posted; they are only asking to return to a stage that they will truly regret.
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Neenee, I just wanted to add that I don’t think it is about ‘canceling’ anything out or trying to be ‘cool’. In fact, looking white and identifying as a woman of color is probably considered by some people with unfortunate mindsets as being decidedly “uncool”. However, since coolness has nothing to do with identity and the way one is raised has everything to do with it, that has never been a factor with me.
It’s also not about denying one’s culture because many people of mixed blood identifying with the Black community, love their White parent as fiercely as their Black parent and can tell you the family history of their White side in a minute. Such as, I have knowledge of some of my father’s family history, their immigration past, family names dating back to my paternal great-grandparents, the part of Italy where they immigrated from, etc. I am familiar with aspects of Italian-American culture because of my Dad, and am proud of that heritage along with my Black ancestry. However, politically and personally my identity is as a woman of color, not being a part of a different “Biracial” racial group, and I do not choose to participate in any form of movement that wishes to socially/politically separate people of Black heritage from OTHER people of Black heritage. This’ll be my last reply on the subject, I just wanted to define my opinions.
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I haven’t read all the comments but regarding the biracial/mixed race thing I would have to agree with the inclusion of a biracial box to check. My mother is black and my father is white, I’m fairly light and most people think I’m either white or hispanic. I do think a biracial box should be added. Why do we have to choose? So based off of how dark or light you are on some imaginary scale of color I either have to choose black or white? I love my parents and they have been together for over 22 years and shouldn’t have to choose which side. I know some people judge you based off of color but I for one do not say I’m either black or white. I’m biracial – which is true. It’s not like someone who is say 3/4 black and a 1/4 white. I could care less about people who judge you based off of whether you are black or white. People who are racist are of a low IQ. What color you skin is should not matter. I don’t judge people by looking at them.
In regards to Barack Obama I think it’s a shame that he calls himself just black based of his skin being more dark than light. I wonder how his white mother would feel if she were alive and how his white grandparents feel, the ones who mainly raised him and not his African father. He is a another issue for me but I won’t get deep into that on here. In my opinion he does it solely for the fact that he wants to be called “the first black president”. I understand some people like to claim whoever they identify with but I was raised around my black family. My father has no family – most were dead before I was born and I was raised around my mothers family. All black people in black schools and everything but I still don’t feel right identifying myself as just black or white. People can see I am not black based off my coloring and that I’m not white based off my hair and features. So why choose? I am biracial. Then there is no need to clarify anything. People will leave you alone and drop the issue.
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Being mulatto (mutt) is nothing new or exceptional, especially here in the U.S. with a history of races blending due to the system of slavery and White slave owners ( masters and mistresses) raping and otherwise sexually using their slaves for their personal gratification.
And people have been passing for White in this country since slavery days whenever it works to their advantage because we live in a White dominated society.
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Tina, the bottom line in all of this racial rigamarole is that you should live your life the way YOU want, and understand that other people of mixed race will live their life the way THEY want. The President’s racial identity should not bother you in the least; he is not a “weak-minded” person. He’s living his life and identifying himself the way he sees fit. What else is there for anyone to do? With all due respect, you should try to understand and accept that a separate “biracial” identity is certainly not for every person of mixed-race in society. You say that unless someone has “experienced” it, (I suppose you mean, the ‘biracial experience’) they will never know. Well, I “experience” it, I have “experienced” it since I was a child, and I disagree with your perspective. Some mixed-race people may accept it, others will reject it. Many people will disagree with it because regardless of whether you wish to accept this reality or not, a separate biracial category would have a negative political and social impact on the African-American community. It would affect numbers, political strength, cohesiveness as a community, it would split loyalties, DESTROY loyalties, in my opinion, even affect the cohesiveness of families. People have the right to identify as “biracial” and others ALSO have the right to identify as Black if they so choose. If someone wishes to have a Biracial identity respected, they have to give respect in turn.
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Kenzo is a beautiful baby boy….Everyone should try to instill great values into their kids…I didn’t know Kimora and Djimon got married
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What a beautiful article…written by a beautiful woman inside and out.
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cute baby!!
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Beautiful family!!!!!! I didnt know that they got married!!!!! Congrads!!!
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oooh congrats on the wedding… where was i when they showed everyone the pics? lol
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They didn’t offically get married. It was a committment ceremony in his native land. It didn’t involve a church or Jesus Christ.
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Not every1 is a Xtian so church/christ doesnt have 2 be involved.
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What is chinky giraffe?
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The kids were making fun of her Asian look (chinky or chink) and her tall stature (giraffe). You know kids are the most ingenious and cruel at the same time.
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I bet those high schools kids wish they were friends with Kimora now…LOL. She’s laughing all the way to the bank. I luv that she is teaching her kids about race and how to be respectable of other cultures. Kudos Kimora!
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they have a beautiful family.
kimora’s husband looks like mr.brown from madea lol.
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I would suggest you look at that man again, this time use your glasses. Mr Brown will never be that FINE!
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NOOOOOOOO! lol djimon is tooooo nice! lol
mr brown… smh
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FYI, many people get married out of church. It’s a legal union. You choose to make it a religious one if it suits you.
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And as old as I am, I never understand that. They get married in church but they only go to the courts to get divorced never back to the church.
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Krish: What dont u understand? Y do ppl need 2 go 2 church 2 get divorced?
& in actually the church is all ceremony, it dont mean anything. 1 has 2 get the marriage license, sign it in front of a witness, then you’re married. Church is optional/
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That’s exactly what I’m saying. They go to all the ceremony in church and feel that that is so important yet when they divorce they don’t go back to church to undo the ceremony. LOL
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There is only 1 race: HUMAN.
We have different ethnicites.
This article should be called “K talks about her her mixed ethnic family’.
…aslo I c K is still lying saying her mom is Japanese. But at least now it is “my Korean-Japanese mother”, bc 4 yrs she claimed her mom was Japanese despite records proving her mother was adopted from KOREA.
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What do you mean she lied? Was her mother adopted by Japanese parents but was originally from Korea? Because if that’s the case she wasn’t lying she was just mentioning the ethnicity of the family she knew. I’m not being rude I just really don’t know so I’m asking what you meant.
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I dont know who told u she was lying as she always said that her mother is Korean-Japanese.
Are you a long lost family member???
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I see what you’re saying Khrish, and that IS funny. lol
It reminds me of when celebs get in trouble (a la Chris Brown), they always talk about going into the counsel of their pastor. I always wonder, did you ever talk to the Pastor B4 this tragedy?? Cuz if he has been leading his flock in a biblical way, and you have been a part of his flock, this entire incident would probably be avoided! lol
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Exactly! And if it is so important that you must be married in church ceremony (well in the catholic church) why isn’t it important to go back there for the ceremony of divorce. As far as my church is concerned, I’m still married, but the law says that I am not…..which is why I am a recovering Catholic. LOL When all is said and done marriage is really only a civil union controlled by law.
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mad love for this family
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I really like Kimora
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I really like her to, beautiful family!!!
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beautiful family
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look who’s laughing now! work it kimora!!!
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ALL THE BEST KIMORA….I AM GLAD YOU TOOK THE NEGATIVE AND MADE IT
POSITIVE. I BET ALL THOSE PEOLE WHO USE TO BE SO MEAN ARE WISHIN
THEY HAVE THE SUCCESS THAT YOU HAVE. MY HUSBAND IS CHINESE AND OUR
SON IS ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS. HE MODELS FOR MACY’S, IS AN HONOR
STUDENT, SO POLITE AND TALENTED BUT HIS ASIAN FAMILY REFUSES TO
ACCEPT HIM BECAUSE HE IS 1/2 AFRICAN AMERICAN AND SUBSEQUENTLY IT
ALWAYS BREAKS HIS LITTLE HEART. ASIANS ARE SOME OF THE WORST RACIST
IN THE WORLD. MANY HATE AND LOOK DOWN ON BLACKS AND THE DARKER
RACES. I TOO AM TEACHING HIM TO TAKE THE NEGATIVE AND MAKE IT
POSITIVE TOO. AND I HOPE AND PRAY THAT HE TOO WITH BE HAPPY AND
SUCCESSFULL DESPITE THE JEALOUS HATERS. YOU GO GIRL!
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You’re SO right about Asian racism. It really is a pity.
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Wow, that’s weird. I’m sure it’s true in bigger cities, but in school I always had Asian friends! I identified with them more than the black kids and the white kids. I wasn’t “black enough” for the black kids because I was too “mainstream”, go figure!
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I think this is an overall sterotype. I, like you, have always had pretty good associations with Asian. We are speaking of what is said about them as a whole, not individually. It’s like saying all southern white Americans are racist, not all are, but the overall sterotype is that one is not surprised when you meet those who are.
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All reports say that they are. I know it was always easy to adopt Black/Asian children in the East because no one wanted them.
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Forget them!
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I WISH I KNEW OF A MIXED RACE MALE INSPIRATION (1/2 BLACK AND ASIAN) FOR HIS ROLE MODEL. HE NEEDS THIS. THERE ARE NONE AROUND HERE.
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I don’t know if you are looking for someone you know PERSONALLY, but Will Demps seems like he a really nice, respectable young man. He is an NFL player. His mother is Korean, and his father is black American. He’s a cutie pie, too! You may want to check him out online.
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Korean and Chinese are so different. Don’t you feel his father is a good role model? That should certainly be his main backup. Doesn’t his father have friends? He doesn’t have to have an outside mentor to be taught to feel good about himself. Is there some reason you think he doesn’t like himself?
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Omg will demps is freaking gorgeous!!!!! lol I just had to say that.
I love kimora. She is such a positive and strong role model of mine. She rules the world and conquers in stilettos
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I LOVE Kimora!!!
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Kimora’s family is absolutely beautiful. I am so glad, she did not let the bullies of her past, dictate her future in a negative way. She rocks! I know they wished they had been nice to her now. lol May God continue to Kimora and her family.
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TINA If you bother to read President Obama’s autobiography DREAMS FROM MY FATHER, you would understand much. May I also suggest BEYOND THE WHITENESS OF WHITE, written by a Jewish mother about her bi-cultral sons who also refer to themselves as African American. To suggest President Obama chose to label himself African American because he just wanted to be the first Black president is ignorance beyond my comprehension.
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TINA, As you said in your first post, you didn’t bother to read all the posts and that becomes evident from your response. May we first agree that Black/White is not the only instance of Bi-cultural? There are many other combinations of mixed marriages or relationships that produce children other than Black/white. Since we both are intelligent, albeit popular belief or inherent ignorance, we both are well aware that all people are of the HUMAN RACE, right? So this is not a race issue.
You don’t care about politics, you say, but you seem to dismiss the fact that a box placed on forms to check IS POLITICAL. Can you think of any other reason or any other occasion/place that you would need to check a box as per your cultural/race (for you)? I’ll Wait? ……Any personal or family situation or relationship? Hence, if you feel this box on the forms is a necessity…..you must care about politics as that’s solely the purpose of this box/category as they already have many boxes that have been added to forms that try to cover all culturals or nation of birth.
I submit to you that an additional box for bi-cultural (racial),your term, will be entered as data into a computer for use by politicians as a pawn for the census to give and take as they deem necessary just the same as the ones are now; but you will be judged and treated in this country, by the way you look. The only choice you will have in this issue is to check that box/form If you have been fortunate enough to escape that experience, of being treated differently because of how you look, congratulations. No doubt if you work hard enough politically, you’ll get your box/form. Divide and Conquer has always proven to be a successful tactic.
Your statement that President Obama decided to call himself Black instead of bi-cultural is because he wanted to be known as the First Black President…….To which I responded, that reasoning,for me, was ignorantly incomprehensible. Number one, this man has stated on numerous occasions that he is of a white mother from Kansas and an African father from Kenya. He has talked about and shown off his maternal grandmother. And there are pictures everywhere of his grandparents, his mother, his uncles and his sister. So I really don’t understand your comments on his identity. After all those pictures of family and all that talk of family….even after breaking down on stage after the death of his grandmother, who was white. How much more would you have this man do to let this nation know that he is bi-cultural? How can you accuse this man of not being proud of his heritage, both sides of it? The Nation sees this man as Black, they don’t care that he is of a white mother reared by white mother and grandparents. They don’t care that he only saw his African father one time when he was around 6 years old, they don’t care that he did not meet his African family until he was ready to go to Law School. This nation cares that Mr. Obama is a Black man because he looks Black in their eyes he is Black, and millions of them don’t like it. It’s driving many in this country crazy . They want him to die, they want the country to fail, they want anything that will get him out of office……..THEY WANT THEIR COUNTRY BACK. They see a BLACK MAN, whether he ever told them that or not. Unfortunatly that’s the face of America and a lot of the World. That’s why I could not understand your statement and holding the president responsible for saying he is African American. And he is truly African American. One parent African and one American. (No slave ties there) Contrary to your beliefs and feeling about racists, In America and most of the world, you are judged by the color of your skin.
Please do not get upset with me, because I am the least of your problems. I chose to respond to your post because I had been a part of the above dialogue. With healthcare and the economy at stake, I usually come her to enjoy the conversation. Try reading Victoria’s post above. Perhaps you can glean more from hers than mine. Best wishes.
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TINA neglected to answer your other question to me. I don’t know about Rashida. She has the same heritage as the president and you just a reversed situation. We could ask about the actress Victoria Rowell she is of mixed heritage and brown and she has two children; One a daughter whose father is white, the daughter is very fair; maybe from her father or maybe from the parent of Victoria or Victoria; then a son with Wynton Marsalis whose brown like his father or maybe one of Rowell’s parents. Instead of trying to add more descriptive boxes that do no more than further divide citizens, we should be working at just becoming Americans, the lot of us. That’s the only way I know to answer your question. I mean this is a subject that I simply tire of, color of skin and texture of hair because at a certain point I just feel ignorant and stupid wasting time talking about things that keep the cycle that was wrought during slavery alive. there are so many other important subjects to explore and so many problems to be solved in this world that this just seems such a waste of time and energy. I joined the posts because we were talking about the political results of this action and I allowed myself to be drawn into this madness. I am what I am and I am secure in me just being me. Maybe that’s the answer; secure and confident in being you and being the best. I have always been like this. I guess I just love myself. Anyway!
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Their a beautiful fammily Kimora is very inspirational
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i think kimora is a god mother
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If biracial people want to be classified separate what’s wrong with that? Technically they are a separate race. If by wanting to have their own cleary define racial catergory means they are denying their blackness than they are denying their whiteness as well. I think its about acknowledging all their races. Why should they have to pick one just because we (society) say they should.
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