British | Unknown
My Dad is British, and so is my Mum. When she was a baby she was dropped off at Barnardo’s, and she was fostered by my Nan and Grandad, who are White. The only evidence we have that she is not totally White is her appearance. The merging of their cultures was quite seamless as my Mum doesn’t exactly know hers, but my Dad has always been supportive when she’s considered looking. They did once drive to her biological Mum’s house together. They sat outside, but never went in. Her Mum is White, and it is her Dad – who isn’t on the birth certificate - who is Black. We are unsure whether the interracial relationship is the reason they gave her up for adoption. I know my parents didn’t have the easiest ride, and my Dad was questioned by people close to him as to why he is in a relationship with my Mum. It caused some major tension, but my mum never let us see her upset. After recently taking the 23andMe test and they placed me in West Africa, citing that I was part Ghanaian, Liberian, Sierra Leonean and Nigerian. It would be nice to take a trip somewhere over there one day in the future. However, I don’t know how accurate these tests are. What I looked like, and who my Mum and Dad are was my normal. I didn’t really ever see myself as different in anyway. Plus, I grew up in Birmingham, which is a very diverse place. As I got older I did feel uncomfortable in looking a little different to my close friends during my teenage years – but I think we all feel that way mixed-race or not. Now I’m starting to appreciate that I have undeniable elements of my Mum mixed in with my Dad’s family, such as my blue eyes, and if I changed that I wouldn’t be a product of them anymore. I hope when I have my own children I can tell them how incredible it is to be different and encourage them to love what makes them unique from the very beginning. If I had the opportunity to be reborn I’ve decided I’d return exactly the same. If you change one thing then it could become the butterfly effect and my whole life could be different. For example, if my Mum wasn’t fostered, then she might never have met my Dad.
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