Indian | German/Indian
As a child, I would distance myself from Indian aspects of my heritage to try and ‘fit in’; anything that othered me from my White classmates became a source of shame. However, I soon realised that my multiculturality should instead be a source of pride; my mixed-race identity should not limit me. I should not have to disregard aspects of one culture to feel part of another. Within my family, there is a certain level of tolerance, even in my Grandparents’ generation, because of the interracial marriage between my Mother’s parents. However, something that must change within my generation is the prejudice towards Muslims and Black people harboured by a lot of Indians: although this is never addressed directly by my family, there is undeniably a taboo surrounding these relationships, as suggested by the fact that I have no Muslim or Black family members.
I’ve had to experience several different cultures and the traditions that belong to each: having the opportunity to learn about Kenyan, Indian, and German culture has helped me form a stronger sense of my own identity. One difficulty I encounter often is having to explain the strength of my connection to Kenya. As my extended family live there, and we visit every year, my connection to my Indian heritage has always been through Kenya. New traditions have replaced Indian/Hindu customs within my family as a result of our immigration to Kenya, and my parents immigration to the UK.
Another challenge has been the impacts of the lack of diversity in Western media. The media’s interpretation of ‘mixed-race’ is narrow and alienating, featuring tall, thin models with fairer skin and perfect curls. This contributes to the general perception of beauty as relative to race. Tinder interactions that begin with ‘where are you from?’, ‘what mix are you?’, or calling me ‘foreign’ or ‘exotic’ are inevitable. These microaggressions, partly the result of underrepresentation in Western media, further alienate me from Eurocentric standards of beauty and can easily impact my self-perception.
Studying Modern & Medieval Languages: Spanish & German @cambridgeuniversity
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