Dutch | Ghanaian
Both inclusively but neither exclusively is how my Mum has always encouraged me to view my heritage. I identify as mixed-race; my Dad is from the Netherlands, of both Catholic and Jewish background, and my Mum is Ghanaian, of Ga and Fante origin. They met at a Sainsbury’s, which I find funny, considering how much Cambridge slang and culture revolves around the numerous Sainsbury’s sites across the city.
Growing up in London, surrounded by my Mum’s numerous mixed-race friends, I never really questioned my identity. When I was younger, I didn’t really care that I was mixed-race when I was younger, since it had no effect on me. Now I’m definitely more aware of it, but not really in a positive or negative way. I hope I will learn to love it more when I’m older.
I see interracial couples as normal, especially since I grew up in London. My Grandparents’ generation however are probably a lot less receptive to this though. I’m glad things are changing. I will say, it’s definitely harder to feel as though you belong to a culture without speaking the language.
Ghanaian music was always played at home during my childhood, and of course, I love the cuisine! My favourite food is kenkey and fried shrimp with fresh pepper sauce, and no birthday is complete without ɛto, a traditional Ga dish made of mashed yam, palm oil and topped with boiled eggs, which we always serve in a clay grinding pot called an ayewa. Apparently, the dish has fallen out of favour with Christian Ghanaians, but my Mum has always encouraged honouring pre-colonial traditions like eating ɛto and pouring libation to stay connected to our ancestors.
My hair is also a huge (in more ways than one) aspect of my identity. I never relaxed it growing up and was raised to love and care for it. I wore it out to my Cambridge interview! Reception has been mostly positive, but I have been told to chop it off to fit it in a swimming cap, or had it yanked while waiting in queues or walking around town. I am not offended if people ask nicely if they can touch my hair, I understand the curiosity, but at the same time I am not a petting zoo animal.
However, my negative racial experiences are not limited to hair. It ranges from explicitly being dehumanised, being consistently confused with the only other Black/White mixed girl in my school year for the 7 years I was there, and being scrutinised at airports, since passport control officers believed my White Father had kidnapped my brother and I, despite sharing a rare surname. I realise how much of my experience is subconscious, too, knowing that racial abuse was inevitable for the Black England players at the Euros after the finals, or being wary of non-White anti-Blackness in countries my White friends have been to on holiday and recommend.
Uncomfortable I think is the best way to describe the events after the death of George Floyd. I was glad to see so many people speaking out about injustices, but eventually, social media just became depressing. I guess I’m privileged to be in a position to find it uncomfortable and take some time out, but when social media started bombarding us with violent videos and images, it was quite overwhelming.
If I were born again, I’d choose my mix, but would want to learn Dutch and at least Twi, the main language in Ghana. I implore multicultural families to teach their children their respective native languages. This said, I maintain my ties to my Dutch side by visiting family often and participating in Dutch society here at Cambridge. I also enjoy the excellent array of snacks that the Netherlands has to offer. I wish to further understand my Jewish heritage as well.