British | Vietnamese
My Mum is Vietnamese, and my Dad is from the UK. They met in Hanoi, where my Mum lived and my Dad was working as a journalist. The instances where my Vietnamese and British cultures combine which I find most endearing are those which occur without effort. For example, often at times we sit down to a meal and not consider it unusual until we actually look at our plates and see what we have in front of us. To our family, we are just putting together delicious elements which the family loves. A recent example would be using leftover gravy as a stock for phở. I'm also fond of the way my family seamlessly code switches when talking, and do not realise that we have used words from both Vietnamese and English until somebody else points it out. It is at these moments where I feel especially proud to be mixed-race.
The effects aren't culturally specific, more so the fact that I am mixed-race and have been lucky enough to experience two different cultures. I would look for someone who would be open to experience another culture at more than just a shallow appreciation.
Particularly in primary school, I was often irritated at being 'othered' by students in my class, when I didn't understand why I was being treated this way. Microaggressions have been something that have followed me throughout my social life, and it was only in the last few years where I heard the term and looked back on my experiences at school and understood why I was often so frustrated with my identity. Reading more, and hearing of other experiences in the media, have confirmed that my frustrations are and were valid.
I think that there is a general shift in the way that interracial relationships are viewed by those in an interracial relationship. Before, such as with my parents, the focus was very much on the celebration and welcoming of both cultures. This is valuable, but I think that there is now a move towards understanding the differences in life experiences relating to race between individuals in the relationship, as well as celebrating the cultures.
I have been able to express my anger, pride and confusion through art, and have supplemented this expression through academic and leisure reading of race-related concepts. The ability to use the arts in this way is such a privilege, and something that I want to continue to do throughout my life.
My family and I have spent extensive periods of time in Vietnam whenever we visit. We would stay for a month/months in Vietnam, so our visits never felt like holidays, but rather an opportunity to settle back into the Vietnamese culture.
I have sought out people and spaces where I am able to discuss being mixed-race, and this has been integral to my university experience. As I enter the workforce, I hope that these discussions will only grow, and that I will be able to experience both my cultures in a deeper way.
During the pandemic I have taken this opportunity to improve my Vietnamese reading and writing!
As a White-passing mixed-race person, I have found it frustrating to navigate my route through the debates surrounding racial equality. Being White-passing means that I have not been exposed to the same types and degrees of racial discrimination as my peers, which can make it difficult as I am unable to wholly speak on behalf of a PoC individual. Nevertheless, it is vital to take part in these discussions.
If I had the opportunity to be reborn I would return as British Vietnamese, as I am fiercely proud of my heritage! I only wish that I had felt able to celebrate my mixed cultural upbringing from an earlier age!