Angolan | Brazilian

Photo credit: subject

My Dad is from Angola and my Mother is from Brazil. They met in Angola in the 90s. It was very different, yes, because they are countries with different cultures and customs

I feel closer to Brazilian culture as I was born there, so I grew up with the customs. In my childhood I felt bad and excluded for being ‘different’ from people, and felt ashamed of my Angolan roots. I don't anymore, as there is a need to be different in the world. I straightened my hair to be accepted in my cycle or in society, and I tried my best to hide my Angolan features so as not to look ugly’. I was often called ‘exotic’ because I was a person with different characteristics than others. I even felt shy about African music, and people always thought it was ugly, but nowadays that seems to have changed.

Until I arrived in Angola, I despised absolutely everything about my Angolan roots, but not everything was as I imagined. Like everything in life, there are its good and bad sides, and being in Angola made me feel proud to have strong roots as well as Amazonian roots. I connect to my cultures through dance, music and education.

Don't feel ashamed or feel like ‘an animal’ for being different from your cycle or your society, being different makes us unique. I no longer feel ashamed of being mixed, because my mixtures make me more beautiful. I'm inspired by real people who don't use filters to think they look better.

I love American culture. The country gained many points for being ‘modern’ and ‘influential in entertainment’, an issue that took into account the success of the films, TV shows and music produced that they do there globally. The North American technology park, home of giants such as Facebook, Amazon and Google, also earned points in the ranking.