British | Mauritian
My Mam is British and my Dad is Mauritian. I always knew that our family was different to everyone else’s. I grew up in a town with mostly White people. We were the only mixed-race family I knew. I thought we were unique. I didn’t realise there were other mixed-race families until I was at University and I watched East is East and I realised that there were other people like me. That was the first time I’d seen myself represented anywhere and the feeling of elation that I got from that, the realisation that we weren’t the only ones was incredible. I was walking around in a daze for ages. Can you imagine being 19 and only just realising that there are other mixed-race people around? That thought to me now is ridiculous. I’m glad the world is changing. As far as my Dad was concerned his children were British. I remember when I was younger I tried to get my Dad to teach me Creole, but he wouldn’t. He just said that I was British and we spoke English. My identity is very much British, the colour of my skin is the only thing that gives away my duel heritage. Mauritius was kind of a fictional place to me when I was growing up. My Dad came from this paradise island, the same place as the extinct Dodo is from. And he would tell us stories about riding on turtles and swimming in clear blue seas and sand that is seven different colours, so different to the reality that we had. He moved to England when he was 19 with one suitcase. He came to make his fortune, to become British. We didn’t have many ties to the Mauritian culture at all. I think as an actor my job is quite challenging because I’m mixed-race, there’s not as many opportunities for mixed-race actors, but I think that is starting to change. We’re starting to see more non-White people on our TV screens and that’s a good thing. I always feel that I don’t quite fit into society, that I don’t belong to a specific tribe. I like the way I am and I wouldn’t change it. Maybe I would learn more about my Mauritian heritage and feel a stronger connection to that. But the UK is my home.
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