Denise,

I agree wholeheartedly with your distinctions! I personally find there is a big difference between "passing" in the workplace to provide for your family - especially in the pre-Civil Rights era and "passing" out of your family and heritage into the greater society as, what I would view as, a sad lost person. But that's just my personal opinion.

HOWEVER, I believe strongly in letting each individual make his own choices and sow his own oats. It is not for us to decide whether they should come back into the "fold" and frankly if they prefer it out there, I'd rather they stay that way. I have ancestors who "passed" on the job for ecomonic purposes and I have ancestors who passed for white completely - one marrying into a very very prominent Kentucky family. I would never, ever "out" that family by disclosing who they are or who the African American link was - I leave that to their descendants to go digging for the truth. If one ever shows up on my doorstep though, I would sing praises for days! lol

Susan