Angolan | Mozambican
When I was younger and unaware I may have hidden the fact that I was actually of African heritage. Growing up in an era where being African wasn't 'cool' or 'popular' and just me being so uneducated of where I was from due to age, it became a thing of me just saying I was Portuguese and it was easier to say. However now I am older I have slowly let that go and have become a lot more confident and proud to be of African heritage.
There would be times in school where people would separate into different regions or cultures and I wouldn't have a specific one to relate to. Even if there was one I'd be questioned for picking it, I’d then have to explain, which didn't feel great. It was confusing a lot of the time because I didn't know what 'group' I belonged to. What helped was actually my close friends who saw me as just me and understood that I have different parts that make me who I am. In school that meant I knew I was of African heritage and just because I have a different complexion doesn't make me not African. My friends helped others see that and would then explain with me in some situations.
Just stripping it to its core and really posing the question of who am I? I have so many mixes within mixes that it becomes a question I ask and then there's only so far back you can go. A personal ongoing challenge is job interviews or casting (as am an actor) to describe where you're from on the form. But then the explanation of that is a slight challenge as you don't want to go into full detail about generations but you also want them to know where you're from so that can be a challenge. It is just questioning where I'm from and then having other people question it, but explaining it as well in professional environments.
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