British | Unknown
I identify as mixed-race and spiritual. My mum grew up in Woodley Berkshire and my dad is from Liverpool, but I believe he has roots in Cyprus. My mother was adopted into a White English family. I realised I was of mixed-race heritage at a young age as my parents were of different races. I spent a large amount of time with my mother’s adopted mother. My grandmother never shied away from speaking about racial identity & differences between us. I feel that she (through her own experiences of adopting my mother) has learned that acknowledging & speaking about differences is as healthy as they are necessary. Through these conversations my grandmother helped me to identify as well as connect to Black culture beyond slavery; this was and continues to be intrinsic to my journey. It was difficult for me at times, I think for me the challenge was & is always trying to balance conflicting and sometimes warring races as well as recognise myself as my own race with its own unique lens/experience. Social environment definitely effects your choices majorly, but I also feel how you identify with yourself & how you see yourself play a huge part too. I have always liked the idea of being able to communicate with people beyond an aesthetic level as well as beyond speaking English. I love all the different languages and how they sound. I think this can also help a person feel included in something that is bigger than themselves. On an ancestral level. I believe being able to speak your 'mother tongue' enables you to feel more connected to a place / peoples / society. The stereotypes that exist for us within the Black community can sometimes cause misunderstanding and judgemental opinions. To White people we will always be Black and not recognised as a part of the White community. Mixed White/Black families often don’t speak about experiences of being mixed. I think there is still a long way to go, mixed-race people are still uncomfortable with claiming and standing up for being mixed-race. I think we have a lot of stigma attached to us. If I could be born again I would come back as energy or an element (water, earth, fire, air).
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