French | Algerian
My Mum is French, my Dad is of Algerian blood, but he was also born in France in the same region as my Mum. My Dad usually cycled to see my Mum as they lived in different parts of the city due to their difference of culture and lifestyle: him, in a rough neighbourhood consisting of big tower blocks, and her in a little remote French village just outside the city.
At first, they struggled to break these cultural barriers with their families. My Mum’s family were Christian and my Father’s Muslim. They both had the old ways in their heart & they wanted to protect my parents from getting hurt by each other, or more importantly, by society. But they got there in the end! My Dad had to show my Mum’s family that he was a good man & that he would look after my Mum well. And my Mum had to recite an Arabic prayer in front of my Dad’s Mum to show her respect and openness to their religion and culture. After that, my Grandma told my Mum that she was now, and will always be, part of the family.
My Dad used to ask my sister and I when we went on holiday to not tell people that we were half Arabic. He also tried to change my last name, as a lot of people of colour have, he has experienced racism. He was afraid that my last name would prevent me or make it harder for me to reach my goals, as it did for him. But I know he asked us to do these things because he was afraid for us and didn’t trust society. It wasn’t because he didn’t like his culture, but he knew and experienced the harshness that came with it, and he just didn’t want us to experience that. And well guess what!? I understood what he was saying, and I did hide it for a while. But then I came to England and met people who were strong, proud, and not afraid to show their mixed ethnicity. And that’s when I stopped hiding. I told my parents, and they understood and helped me get where I wanted to be.
Being, accepting, and embracing my mixed identity has opened me to a whole new world. Truly! It’s brought so much more purpose, joy, and a sense of peace in life. It’s the fact that I now know what I want in my life and with my identity.
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