English/Irish/Indian | English/Irish/Pakistani/Persian
Photo credit: provided by subject
I identify as Asian, Catholic & heterosexual. My Mum and Dad were both born in England, but have a mixed nationality of Pakistani, Indian, Persian, Irish, English. They both met at a house party and it went from there.
I realised I was mixed-race when I started secondary school, I was continuously asked why I’m White with a Muslim surname and my brother and sister was tanned, but my other brother was blond and blue eyed.
When I lived in Camden as it was very multicultural, it was probably when I moved up to the outskirts of London in Hertfordshire that felt different. There weren’t many mixed families when we first moved here so it was a shock to the system but forward to the present day and it is very mixed now.
My parents didn’t have any problems as they were both mixed themselves, but my Dad did have some issues at home growing up as my Granddad was a partially strict Muslim and would not allow any bacon in the house so would go to his friends for a bacon sarnie.
Whenever I had appointments or had to show identity to prove who I was, I had to continuously have to explain who I was and why I’m White with a Muslim surname. Even to this present day there’s occasions where I still have to do that. Also, when I’ve been around very naive racist people talking about horrible matters of race, and I’ve had to stop them and reply ‘would you say the same to me because I’m mixed and have Asian in me?’. The majority of the responses have been ‘oh but you're different’. I’m not different, yes I may not have gotten the darker skin to look mixed but I still don’t tolerate any form of racist comments said around me.
I would say all of my mixed heritage is a positive as I’m introduced to so many different cultures, foods, music, fashion, music. There’s so many to talk about.
I wouldn’t want to be born again as I have accomplished so much in my life and don’t regret a thing and I’m so happy to be a small percentage of mixed females in London.