British | Caribbean
I identify as heterosexual, mixed-race British/Caribbean. My mum comes from Roseau, the capital of Dominica in the West Indies. My father is British. My dad is from quite a posh British family. In Dominica where my mum was brought up they were big on British culture.They were also brought up to be very British (or at least what they gathered to be British). She once told me that when she first came to the UK she was really surprised that everyone here didn’t have afternoon tea every day and speak perfect Queens English. Having grown up in the South Wales an almost completely White town I always just wanted to fit in and be just like everyone else. I wanted to be looked at as someone who is just like everyone else. I guess it was all a bit confusing. Although, having said that, I had hardly any comments from people in our small town. Small towns are funny places, there is a lot of casual racism thrown around without people realising it is offensive. The most challenging thing is deciphering it all, I find the subject very confusing. One negative experience for me personally is feeling like you don’t really fit in on either side. I’m not Black and I’m not White, I’m kind of in the middle, I can tend to feel like I have a mixed-up identity and can find the whole subject very confusing. On the other hand, it is good to feel like you can have a connection to both cultures. I think being mixed-race in today’s society is a good place to be. On a personal level I think this also depends on where you grew up and your surroundings. I think I found it quite difficult because I had not met many others like me around. Also, my parents didn’t really get on that well, so I think that intensified my insecurities about my identity/looks etc. If I had the opportunity to be reborn I would want to be born the same. I am who I am and wouldn’t change that because I like where I have come from in terms of race and where I grew up. The only thing I would change is that I would like to have had a better connection with my mum’s side of the family, learned more and integrated more with my Dominican side.
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