African American | German

Photo credit: provided by subject

I am an Afro German mixed woman in my early 30s. My Dad is American and Mom German. My Dad was based in Berlin, he was in the army and Mom lived in Berlin. They met at a party. They met in the 80s where especially in Berlin it was a time where it was pretty normal to have a lot of Americans around because of the Berlin Wall. Mom’s English was pretty good and Dad just started learning German.

I know that my parents had a lot of problems because of their interracial relationship. There was a big shift in the past decade, the world is open for most of the people. People love to explore the world and new/different cultures. I suppose it’s more common and accepted.

I wouldn’t say I hide my identity; it was more like trying to fit in. That was one of the reasons why I always have straightened my hair. It doesn’t matter how good I am, the first thing people see is my skin color. You always need to be better to get the same chance. An example of this is there are only a few mixed people at my work.

I think whole mindsets need to change if we are going to really see any progression. The way people talk, the news report, the media shows us. People have to learn and understand that other ethnicities don't mean danger or something bad. We have to stop judging people because of their ethical background. Everyone deserves the same chance.

If I had the knowledge of today I definitely want to be reincarnated. The experiences from the past can help people in the future to improve and evolve. This world it’s so unique, colorful and beautiful. Immerse yourself in it, appreciate it and love it with all you have.

During the pandemic yoga & meditation helped me a lot.