Jamaican | Dominican
I prefer to call myself ‘Dual Heritage’ rather than mixed-race. My Mother was born here in the UK, but to Jamaican parents who came over to England during the Windrush era. My Father is half-White and half-Black, he was born in Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic. My father’s mother was a White Hispanic and his Father was a Black Hispanic. I did not live with my Father growing up, so the main influence was that of my Mother, who has a strong Black identity. She would always tell me ‘you are Black’ although I did not ever fully feel that way because I was always told I look so different to my Mother and rest of the family in the UK. My Father has always been passionate about the arts and so from a very young age, he would teach me about Dominican writers, singers etc. The music too, both my parents are passionate about music in all forms. There is something that lights a fire inside me when I hear merengue, or even reggaeton because it makes me feel proud of my heritage. Food is also very important. I have noticed the increasing trend for ‘Latina women’ in British culture, especially music. I notice songs, lyrics, that refer to Latina’s where you never would before. There is a lot of influence from America, with TV shows that always feature a ‘Latina’ or mixed-race woman. I do feel that we are viewed a little bit as a commodity sometimes and have been approached in the past by suitors simply because they wanted ‘a mixed-race or Latina girlfriend’. I certainly have been referred to as ‘exotic’ in the past, which I don’t like. There are so many mixed-race people now, that I think it has become much more accepted. There is still some way to go, in breaking down prejudice, misconceptions, and incorrect terms for mixed-race people such as ‘half-caste’. If I had the opportunity to be reborn I would want to return exactly as I am. Although my journey has been challenging at times, I have learned to love who I am and use my experiences to support others. The only thing I would change, is the confidence I lacked as a child and young woman in being proud of being mixed-race.
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