Irish | Thai
My Mother is from Thailand, my Father from Ireland. I lived in Thailand when I was very young, but after two years we moved back to London. Living in such a multicultural diverse city nurtured me.. I went to Thai school in the summer holidays at the Buddhist Temple. We celebrated Easter with Mass, and a week later, would celebrate Songkran, Thai New Year. We went to Dublin for Christmas, and Bangkok for the summer. I think the biggest part I got from my Irish side was my love of Trad music and sense of storytelling. From my Thai side, it was empathy and kindness, a respect for those who have come before us. From the outside looking in, some may see stark comparisons between the two cultures but for me, there is more in common than anything else; big families, loud conversations, a strong sense of national pride. I am so lucky to feel so strongly about both. I am not half of either; I am both ethnicities 100%. I used to use the term ‘half’ but consciously don’t do that anymore. I think it’s important to present myself as both. When I was about 15, there was a website called Formspring, where people could write anonymous messages to you. Whilst other girls in my school received flirtatious bids for their affections, I received a barrage of racist abuse. I was humiliated. Instead of rationally thinking this was abuse, I incorrectly attributed these comments to my identity. I started to feel shame – shame in who I was, shame in my family, shame in how I looked. It has taken me many years to come to terms with who I am. This year, I embarked on a project of identity, starting an Instagram detailing stories from my childhood. I want to normalise mixed-race relationships and share my experiences. If I had heard stories from others who were like me, I think I would have felt less alone. Want to read more?
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