Spanish/German | Chinese
I feel like I've experienced a number of positives through my identity, like being immersed in a number of cultures, languages, foods, and traditions growing up. I also don't really belong to any one community and feel super comfortable and happy to learn about other cultures. Some challenges I've experienced include ignorant comments; being told you're ‘not Asian enough’, ‘not White enough’, ‘exotic’, or other comments on my appearance in relation to my race. It can also be tough to feel like you're properly representing all of your ethnicities and doing them justice.
Since I can't speak any of my languages fluently, I feel as if I'm not fully representing any of my mix which makes it more difficult to fully embody my identity. Part of being mixed is just being comfortable and satisfied with yourself, the culture you embody, and being able to withstand comments, thoughts, and judgements from other people. Additionally, I have severe food allergies (to sesame, nuts etc.) which has hindered my ability to try foods from my own cultures and fully embody my identity this way. When I was younger, I would have to bring my own food to Chinese restaurants or avoid German desserts. This has been a bit of an ongoing struggle which I don't think is talked about enough in the mixed community.
I was proud to be mixed-race growing up (although I didn't really recognize the significance of my identity until I got older and have been grappling with feeling pride / struggling to come to terms with my identity in the last few years). I've also learned more about my family history in the last few years which is diverse and complex. As such, I feel proud now to be mixed-race and wouldn't have it any other way. I have other distant family members in Spain, Germany, China, Hong Kong, and the US. It's been interesting growing up and being able to travel and see family members around the world. I also currently live in the UK for school and am away from my immediate family for an extended period of time. It's tough being away from family but I hope I can visit home soon!
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