I’m tri-racial which in my experience is very difficult for people to comprehend.
My mom is white (English/Scottish) and my dad is Jamaican/Indian so my family is very mixed but sometimes it’s hard to feel like I belong as white people see I’m brown and call me black, but black and Asian people often tell me ‘I’m not really black’ or ‘I’m not really Asian’.
They probably don’t realise this can be quite hurtful.
My sister and I have experienced racism and colourism from a young age. Often, I get asked who I’m with, when I’m with my mom because people find it hard to see the connection as she is white with straight, blonde hair and green eyes and I’m brown-skinned with dark, curly hair and brown eyes.
It is not uncommon that my sister and I get mistaken as foreign exchange students when we’re with our mom and people ask us what country we’re from!
It’s crazy that in the 2021 people’s first thought is that I’m a foreign exchange student and not that my mom and is married to a coloured man.
Regardless of the remarks, I love being mixed heritage because I get to experience and appreciate different cultures!
Do you have a story of your mixed heritage to share? Let us know your story here
Mixed Heritage Day 