English/Italian | African-American/Puerto Rican
I identify as mixed-race, not religious but sometimes spiritual. My Father grew up in New York, he is African American/Puerto Rican. My Mother is Italian/English and she grew up in London, they met at a gig where he was performing in London, Camden in 1988. My Father was Muslim, and my Mother grew up with both Christian English Mother and a Jewish Italian Father, and I believe she very much had been influenced by both cultures.
When they met she briefly converted to Islam when I was born, so I was born Muslim with a different name, so in essence they worked, they didn’t have a problem with each other’s cultures or religions, and got on fine, however it didn’t last and after 5 years he left, and she changed my name to the name I have now.
My Grandparents reacted badly at first when my Mother met my Father despite being from different backgrounds themselves, He was 20 years older, Black, with a different religion. They had prejudice based on fear, cutting my Mother out of their will at the time. I think it’s important to mix different cultures and races, you grow up without fear of others, a different viewpoint of the world, a clearer understanding that we are all just human regardless of what colour, religion or race.
Having grown up mixed-race in London, I feel I have been influenced by all of my family cultures in some way. I have always been interested in partners that have a mixture in them, either culturally or racially. It fascinates me, and resonates with me, as it’s someone I can relate to. The perfect example, my current partner is completely Belgian, but grew up in several different countries in the middle east, taking on these different countries influences, whereas I grew up in London, mixed-race and taking on the mix of cultures whilst only living in one country, but yet we connect on these similarities.
I have always found from a young age I could go to so many countries and fit in, travelling to Cuba, Columbia, Morocco, Israel, Spain, everyone would think I was from that country. Because I look like I could be from anywhere, I feel I can be at home and comfortable in many different environments.
Where in some situations I have been able to fit into different cultures and countries I didn’t grow up in, in others such as growing up in London, even with its multicultural diversity, I often felt like I stood out. I grew up with so many different influences, but in school I got bullied with anti-Semitic comments, or comments about my hair, so as a teenager I would often feel like I would not fit in.
I have been lucky to have a Mother and Father who both had many different influences. My Mother into a varied mix of world music, mainly Latin music, running her own salsa club, and a Father who himself was a famous poet, in The Last Poets, and key influence on Hip Hop music in the 70’s up until today. Having two parents into such a varied mix of music and cultures inspired me, and I have taken after both of them in so many ways, also becoming a make-up artist like my Mother, and an artist like my Father doing my own version of poetry with my painting.
From a young age I visited Italy and Israel, connecting with the Jewish side of my family from my Mum’s side. As a young adult I went to America where I connected more with my Father’s African-American Muslim side of the family. I am still connecting to my other 7 siblings in the US, and one sibling in France, and my English sister (9 siblings in total).
Although I may have struggled with my identity as a child, my outlook has always been very open minded. As I have got older and connected more with my Father’s side, I feel more of an understanding and appreciation for different cultures.
I am a freelance Make-up artist working in London, I’ve always found it to be quite inclusive on most jobs I work on, however I still often feel like I stand out on certain jobs.
If I were to be born again, I would come back still mixed-race, still having mixed cultures and influences, I love having so much of a mix in me, I wouldn’t have it any other way and feel enriched and special.