Scottish/European | Filipino
I would identify myself as mixed-race, half Filipino and half White/European, bisexual and religion wise I would say I’m spiritual as my views on religion/spirituality are kind of undefined and fluid. My mother is Filipino, but she never grew up in Philippines, she and her family toured around Asia, in Korea, Hong Kong, and Japan, so she’s multilingual and sees herself as nomadic. My dad was born in London, but has Scottish and European roots, and like my mum, travelled and lived all across the world. I think mixed people are still being exoticized and fetishized constantly. We’re seen and taken as these visual beings, we are only considered for our aesthetic qualities and appearance. It’s the first thing people notice, and it’s always ‘I wish I was mixed, mixed people are beautiful’. We are reduced to just this, our ‘beauty’ or the potential to have children that could be that beautiful. I know in the Philippines, culturally, to be mixed is so sought after, and you’re considered more beautiful by default. My mum often says ‘oh but you don’t look like most Filipinos’ as if it’s a compliment, and when I went over there, me and my brother were gawked at on a daily basis. And in the UK, we both receive the tedious racial daily micro-aggressions, which do build up as an avalanche of contempt. One positive would be, having such a diverse family, and being to learn from them and being a part of their traditions. I have a lot of pride on each part of my heritage, so as much as I do struggle with my identity, when it’s all stripped away, I forget all the things people say about me not being Asian or White enough. I feel such a tie to the island I grew up as well as the islands my family are from. I can’t deny my British-isms, or my Pinoy pride, so no matter how much people love to remind me how different I am to them, my connection to where I come from and who I am is stronger still. I hope the future brings more understanding for mixed-race people and their experiences. Our voices matter, and I hope the future holds a way mixed people can just be, and not be questioned for their identity.
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