English/Welsh/Israeli | Jamaican/Chinese/Cuban
I identify as a dual Heritage, heterosexual male raised in a Christian system of faith and culture. My mum is from Jamaican/Chinese and Cuban descent and my dad is of English/ Welsh and Israeli Heritage. I feel extremely blessed and fortunate that my parents both had a strong sense of identity, understanding and pride in their own and each other’s cultures. My mother a proud and educated Black women taught me about west-Indian food, values and politics. Equally my father taught me and my mother about Welsh poets and writers and music from genres of rock and indie. My positive and negative experiences of being mixed-race have most definitely shaped my career and interest, developing self-awareness, reflective thinking and the ability to articulate my perspective around identity and culture has projected me into a career within psychological therapies, and inclusion and diversity programs within corporate organizations. It has been a blessing to work with young mixed-race males and help them work through the challenges of understanding their own dual heritage. I believe my experiences as a mixed-race individual to have directly facilitated the development of character and skills to champion these roles. I have learnt to connect with each part of my culture differently. There is no hierarchy or value on one more than the other. The West Indian, Cuban and Jamaican/ Chinese side has heavily influenced my values, attitude politics and musical interest due to the passion expressed for these areas by my mother and grandparents. The appreciation from my dad for English and Welsh classical literature, poetry and art has also impacted me massively, leading to my larger friendship group and hobbies being in the arts. If I was to be born again, I would want to come back with the exact same biological makeup, parents and experiences. I feel extremely privileged and blessed to have the mix of heritage I have. To have had the opportunity to be involved with so many cultures mixed into one has been a fantastic and has shaped me and molded me into someone I can say I’m proud to be.
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