[ APPLAUSE ]
>>> WELCOME BACK, EVERYONE.
WE'RE HERE WITH GAIL LUKASIK,
WHO HAS RECENTLY DISCOVERED SHE
HAS A WHOLE NEW FAMILY AFTER
UNCOVERING HER MOTHER'S SECRET.
HER MOTHER WAS LIVING AS A WHITE
WOMAN BUT WAS MIXED RACE.
JOINING US NOW, GAIL'S
HALF-UNCLE, AZEMAR FREDRIC AND
STEPHANIE FREDRIC.
AT THE CRUX OF THE INVESTIGATION
WAS A SEARCH FOR HER MOM'S DAD,
AZEMAR.
YOUR MOM'S MOM WAS IN YOUR LIFE.
AND SHE LOOKED WHITE.
BUT YOUR MOM'S DAD WAS NOT IN
YOU DIDN'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT HIM.
BUT YOU ARE THAT MAN'S SON.
YOUR GRANDAD WAS AZEMAR.
HE HAD A SECOND FAMILY AFTER THE
FAMILY HE STARTED WITH GAIL'S
MOM.
AND THERE WERE FIVE KIDS.
YOU'RE ONE OF THEM.
AND, STEPHANIE, YOU'RE AZEMAR'S
DAUGHTER.
>> CORRECT.
THAT'S VERY GOOD.
>> THAT TOOK A LOT OF HOMEWORK.
AZEMAR, WHAT DID YOU BELIEVE IN
TERMS OF YOUR DAD'S RACE AND
YOUR RACE?
>> WE LIVED IN THE MOSTLY
ITALIAN NEIGHBORHOOD.
THERE WAS ONE ASIAN MAN AND IT
WAS OUR FAMILY.
WE DIDN'T KNOW THE DIFFERENCE.
>> WAS YOUR DAD, DID YOU THINK
HE WAS BLACK?
HOW DID HE APPEAR TO YOU?
>> I KNEW HIM AS DAD.
>> SO, RACE WASN'T EVEN AN
ISSUE.
ONE OF THE MOST BIZARRE THINGS
OF THIS WHOLE STORY, AS GAIL IS
WRITING THIS BOOK, STEPHANIE IS
WORKING ON A DOCUMENTARY
CALLED --
>> "LIGHT GIRLS."
>> HOW LIGHT SKIN.
>> HOW IN AMERICA, LIGHT SKIN
WAS PREFERRED OVER DARK SKIN.
AND I KNEW I HAD RACIAL PASSING
IN MY FAMILY.
MY DAD'S FAMILY, LOVE THEM.
BUT THEY HELD A LOT OF SECRETS.
WE DIDN'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE
ASK YOU ALL THE TIME.
WHAT ARE YOU GUYS?
>> YEAH.
>> YOU LOOK AT THE FAMILY.
YOU SEE THE PICTURE, WE DIDN'T
KNOW.
QUITE FRANKLY, WE'RE YOUNG, WE
DIDN'T CARE.
THIS IS DAD.
YOU KNOW?
LOVE HIM.
>> FORTUNATE THING ABOUT OUR
SOCIETY, IT MAKES YOU KNOW,
RIGHT?
>> EXACTLY.
>> THAT'S WHY YOUR MOM MADE THE
CHOICE SHE DID.
AND ONE OF THE TAKEAWAYS OF THIS
BOOK, IS THAT RACE IS A SOCIAL
CONSTRUCT.
>> THAT WAS MY TAKEAWAY.
>> EXPLAIN THAT.
>> HERE'S THE BEST WAY FOR ME TO
EXPLAIN IT.
I GIVE A LOT OF PRESENTATIONS
AND PEOPLE SAY, HOW DO YOU
IDENTIFY NOW THAT YOU KNOW OF
YOUR BACKGROUND?
I SAY, I IDENTIFY, I'M A WHITE
WOMAN AS A MIXED RACE HERITAGE.
I WAS SOCIALIZED AS A WHITE
WOMAN.
I GREW UP IN A WHITE
NEIGHBORHOOD AND THAT'S WHAT I
KNOW.
THAT'S MY UPBRINGING.
THAT'S A SOCIAL CONSTRUCT IN MY
MIND.
>> WHEN A FRIEND OF YOURS SAW
GAIL ON "GENEALOGY ROAD SHOW."
DID THEY KNOW SHE MIGHT HAVE A
CONNECTION TO YOU?
HOW DID YOU SAY I'M GOING TO
SEND GAIL AN E-MAIL?
>> OUR "LIGHT GIRLS" DOCUMENTARY
HAD JUST AIRED ON OWN.
MY FRIEND CALLS.
AND I THOUGHT SHE WAS CALLING TO
SAY, HEY, STEPH, GREAT DOC.
SHE CAREFULLY LEADS ME DOWN THE
ROAD, TALKING ABOUT HER FAMILY
AND WANTING TO KNOW HER FAMILY
HISTORY.
BY THE WAY, THERE WAS THIS WOMAN
ON TELEVISION LAST NIGHT.
I WAS JUST FLIPPING THROUGH
CHANNELS.
AND SHE MENTIONED YOUR FATHER'S
NAME.
SHE IS LOOKING FOR HER FAMILY IN
NEW ORLEANS.
AND SHE SAID, STEPHANIE, SHE'S A
WHITE WOMAN.
AND I SAID, WELL, YOU KNOW,
THAT'S POSSIBLE.
AND I THOUGHT, WHAT THE HECK HAS
DAD DONE?
I SAID, I AM GOING TO HAVE TO,
YOU KNOW, BUFFER THIS FOR MY
MOTHER WHO WAS SICK AT THE TIME.
I SAID, LET ME GET IN FRONT OF
THIS.
AND I HURRIEDLY TRIED TO FIND
THE DOCUMENTARY AND WATCH IT.
I WATCHED IT AND SAID, YEAH,
SHE'S FAMILY.
I SAW THE PICTURE OF HER MOTHER.
AND I SAID, SHE LOOKS JUST LIKE
MY FATHER'S FAMILY.
OF COURSE.
WE SHARE THE SAME GRANDFATHER.
>> AND GAIL HAD REVELATIONS IN
HER OWN LIFE, TOO, WHERE HER
DAUGHTER LOOKS MORE LIKE YOU.
BUT YOUR SON WAS MORE OLIVE
COMPLEXI
COMPLEXION.
>> YES.
>> AND YOUR HUSBAND IS VERY
FAIR, TOO.
YOU HAD AHA MOMENTS, TOO.
>> MY SON FAVORS MY MOTHER.
AND SHE USED TO SAY, HE'S MY
FAVORITE BECAUSE HE LOOKS LIKE
ME.
AND NOBODY ELSE LOOKS LIKE ME.
SO, YEAH.
ABSOLUTELY.
>> THE BOOK IS FASCINATING.
AND IT'S A COMMENT NOT JUST ON
GAIL'S FAMILY AND THE
SECRET-KEEPING BUT ON OUR
SOCIETY AND ITS HISTORY WHEN IT
COMES TO RACE.
THANK YOU FOR TELLING THE STORY.
ALL OF YOU.
>> THANK YOU.
>> AGAIN, THE BOOK IS CALLED