Greek Cypriot | Jamaican
My Mum is Greek Cypriot and Dad is Jamaican, they were both born in London and met in London. During my childhood being mixed-race felt like the norm for me because I was surrounded by so many mixed-race people. Because most people around me were mixed-race and shared similar physiological features to me I did not feel as though I stood out, and so I am not sure that I really recognized that I was any different. As I grew up and started secondary school, I realized that I was different from most people. This was due to people continuously asking me where I was from in terms of heritage and commenting on my appearance. I was brought up with both cultures and spent time with both sides of my family. I am not sure whether either side of my family saw me as being any different, but neither made me feel any different to them. My family speaks to me in Greek, but I always reply in English out of habit. I never feel left out because I understand my family when they are speaking in Greek. I do however sometimes feel embarrassed by the fact that I can speak Spanish much better than I can speak Greek, due to studying, living in Spain and having a Spanish partner. When I have children, I want to ensure that they feel comfortable speaking both Greek and Spanish. Do you consider yourself more Greek or more Jamaican? The question makes me feel as though I am being asked to choose one side over the other, and to do so would make me feel as though I am rejecting part of myself and one of my parent’s heritage. I feel an equal connection to both parts of my culture. People find it strange when I say this, but I feel like I have my own unique culture, Greek/Jamaican both fused into one. When asked ‘where are you from?’ I answer with confusion and awkwardness. Where was I born or where are my parents from? People then proceed to tell me that I don’t look very Greek or I don’t look very Jamaican and tell me where they initially thought I was from. Another frequent response I get is ‘how exotic’. Being mixed-race allows me to able to identify with more than one culture.
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