I think he would be confused regardless. The fact that she’s biracial compounds it. People love to categorize others into boxes they understand. It often results in racism, but it usually results in a kind of obstinate ignorance. There are many people who fundamentally cannot seem to understand that Indians are Asian, even if they’re pretty brown. They also don’t understand that a Jamaican who’s a descendant of slaves is African-American. That someone can be both of these impossible (in their mind) things is just outlandish.

I know a guy who’s black and British, and I have heard him explain how he isn’t African-American so many times. Whatever white person receives the explanation never really believes it and always treats it like it’s a trick. I know someone else who has a seeing eye dog that’s a mutt, and not some movie-groomed golden retriever. Confusion abounds.