"What astounds me is that if a bi-racial person has a black parent and a white or asian one, he is considered black and the other parent disappears."

It Louisiana, where there was a long history of mixed heritage between the Spanish and Africans long before the Territory of Louisiana became any part of the United States, a person that was 1/4 African heritage was considered black. They were called Quadroons. A person of 1/8 African heritage were called Octoroons. Mulatto is the term for Fredrick Douglas' heritage.

This was not uncommon in southern culture for example the 3rd President of the United States Thomas Jefferson was Brother-in-Law to a half sister of his wife Martha Wayles Skelton named Sally Hemming. One of 6 mulatto siblings fathered by Martha Wayles' father John and an african slave owned by John's wife Martha Eppes.

The name Hemmings came from the Ship Captain who had brought the slave to america and who tryed to buy that slave back once he found out that he had sired a child by her during the journey across. John Wayles refused to sell the slave and her child named Betty and later called Hemmings, back to the Captain.

www.firstladies.org/biographies/firstladies.aspx?biography=3