"Pākehā-Māori"/Creole/Mestizo

Those American metaphors are helpful in this instance. I'm no expert in race relations, but I think it's one of those things where it made sense to present the white-passing kids as 'white' back in the old days to maximise their opportunities. While, nowadays, that knowledge is returning via people like me. That's resulting in a whole new reckoning with the racism that the Māori cultural renaissance has wrought. There aren't easy answers. Skin colour does determine a lot regarding opportunities, even in the 2020's, yet my whakapapa is still real. - Yes, racism isn't exclusively white. I say that a lot. Though it was in reaction to Pākehā racism, 'brown is beautiful' is somewhat racist, given that nobody gets to determine which genes are dominant or recessive. That's essentially an Aryan blood purity statement, even if dressed up in Māoritanga.