Irish/German | Bruneian
I have a more tangible experience of Bruneian culture and traditions. My Mum never shied away from educating me in Bruneian and Malay culture with language, food, customs and frequent trips to Brunei. We always stayed with our large family. Grandparents and relatives would also stay with us when they visited the UK over the years. This was normal to me, but so was the British education system from primary school up to University in predominantly White areas. I’m grateful for all the experiences because now I feel connected to both cultures.
Mixed-race people get an early insight into otherness but can also gain a valuable perspective on differing cultures and people as a whole. Having the lived experience of two or more cultures can foster a deeper sense of reflection as you have experiences to compare. I wish I had something more profound and poetic to say! I wasn’t very vocal about my Irish and German heritage as I quickly learnt people were referring to my ‘Asianess’ when asking; ‘where are you from’. The obsession with visual difference didn't leave much curiosity to the other parts of my heritage. The consistent lack of acknowledgement discouraged my own recognition of integral parts of my identity.
We definitely need to be more representative of the multicultural people we support. Therapists overall aren’t hugely transparent, understandably for professional boundaries however, not addressing cultural differences or similarities is unconstructive and can be alienating. Not to mention you can’t hide how you appear! I’ve been more open about my mixed heritage within my work settings hoping to encourage others to be vocal about theirs. I aim to be a male role model within my profession as I would have loved to have seen someone I identified with, when I was younger, in my role now. This passion has led me to co-facilitating an Art Psychotherapy group specifically for people of mixed heritage. It’s perplexing that there is support for various minority groups but minimal for the fastest growing demographic of people in the country.
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