British/Jamaican | Jamaican
Mixedracefaces have collaborated with UK Parliament to profile some of their staff members and MP’s , helping raise diversity awareness and to highlight that there is a place for everyone in their workplace.
Both my parents were born in Jamaica (like me) and met there. My paternal Great Grandfather was Chinese, and my maternal Grandmother was from Bognor Regis on the south coast of the UK. Thinking back, I would credit my Grandmothers as being the preservers of my non-Jamaican culture. My paternal Grandmother has done this mainly through food – Chinese food is a staple in her home as much as Jamaican food is! My maternal Grandmother lived in Jamaica for over 50 years but never lost her English accent – and I was always corrected if I spoke in patois in her presence. She had been a nurse during World War Two and so was disciplined and strict but didn’t let anything stop her from doing what she wanted. My parents had very different upbringings, but both were centred around family, respect and values. My outlook on my mixed identity certainly has changed through the years. That’s in large part to the fact that I’ve moved country, and the way I’m framed by others and by myself has changed. I definitely think that mixed-race as an identity is evolving in the way its defined now and that will impact the way I view myself in the future. Talking to my parents about their experiences for this was interesting – I’m a lot more conscious about my identity than they are and have had the space and the opportunity to think more critically about it than they ever have. I think that the UK Parliament is at a key moment – there are a number of people working to make our spaces more inclusive in terms of culture, gender and sexuality, particularly the Workplace Equality Networks. ParliGender and ParliReach have all been at the forefront of these conversations in the last year or so. Since I started in 2015, I’ve seen a marked improvement and there are so many initiatives happening behind the scenes that I think will continue to push Parliament to be more inclusive. I’m really excited to see where Parliament will be in a year, 5 years and 10 years. If I had the opportunity to be reborn I wouldn’t change anything!
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