Spanish | Mauritian
My parents met while studying in the UK to learn English, they stayed to remain with each other. They have shared their cultures through many many stories, and to this day they are still finding out things that surprise them about each other's cultures and families after 25 years of marriage. We recently went to a Hindu wedding which surprised my Mum due to the extensive traditions that it entailed. This has never been an issue for them though and they love to learn about each other even after so long.
I do believe I am closer to my Spanish side, I speak Spanish and visit Spain very often. I also have a very close connection to this side of my family. However, I do try to, especially as an adult, try to immerse myself where possible with my Mauritian side, and take great pride in learning as well as educating others about the island and its culture.
I used to dislike the fact that my Mauritian family had Indian roots for two reasons. Firstly, Mauritians as a whole try to differentiate themselves from Indians as it is a very different country, and therefore although there is a level of ancestry there, the culture is blended and different. But there is also an element of this being due to the British Empire and the fact that it was unfortunately an advantage for the Mauritians to separate themselves from their Indianness which has probably trickled down into later generations. And secondly, there were children in my primary school who were mocked consistently for taking curry to school even by teachers and wearing bindis, I did not want to be associated with this to try to avoid being bullied, but also because I gave into and started to believe the narrative that it was 'cringey' to be Indian. I am ashamed I ever felt this way.
Growing up with this background was bitter sweet. Part of me loved it; I loved being unique and ambiguously different to others in a way that couldn’t be categorised by face value. However I struggled greatly with understanding what I was. Being mixed-race usually means Black and White to everyone else so I struggled to label myself as mixed-race as I knew that I didn’t fit that description. Being Mauritian in itself confuses people as culturally there is a lot of Indian background both culturally and ethnically, and then adding Spanish to the mix means that a lot of times my identity would be lost or misunderstood even by me.
I have never been in a room with people that all look like me, and when I have met someone that is White and Asian they are never Spanish and Mauritian. I have felt particularly isolated when someone has pointed out that I am different, such as in the small Spanish village where my Grandad is from, where an elderly lady said I was exotic. She didn’t mean this in a negative manner, but in that moment it made me hyper aware of my difference.
I encountered the difficulty of knowing what to class myself as. There are many mixed-race people in London where I grew up, but perhaps not with my mix of ethnicities which made labeling myself or even stating who I was in regards to my background difficult at times. I think another very known difficulty for anyone who isn't explicitly White British growing up in London is the question of 'what you are', which comes up very often, and when you have a situation where people are actively unsure about what race you even are it comes up a lot. This means sometimes it's fun because you are able to express yourself and educate others about your cultures and race, but it also means you are reminded that you are not seen as English despite having lived here all my life. I am aware that I am 'ambiguous' as people rarely guess where my background is from, however being labelled that way externally feels wrong as I think people feel they have the right to comment on something they really have no ownership over. It is also worth mentioning that calling someone exotic or ambiguous can also trigger things for people of mixed races. Although I am alright with it now, as a child this would've reminded me that I am different, and so even if the comment is not meant in a negative manner, it should be avoided.
I think my parents have shown that despite differences, there are more things that join us as people. They have always shown me that I should be strong in my identity. There are a lot of mixed-race people, but their story is particularly interesting as they had never interacted with anyone from the others race before meeting each other. They have differences including their religion, their country, language etc but this didn't divide them but brought them closer. This inspires me as it sets a standard for what it means to be a mixed-race person.
My advice to others is to not allow others to label you or make you feel different. Our differences are what makes us all special, and even when someone has attempted or made you feel like an outsider, don't let others have the power to define what and who you are. You can be multiple ethnicities and cultures unapologetically, in a way that shouldn't be doubted, and if it is doubted, just remember you ultimately know yourself and your identity better than anyone else.
I admire all cultures, as an anthropology student that is literally the basis of my studies. However, I really do like cultures similar to the Mauritian one in countries such as Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, Guyana etc. They are all countries that as former colonies have a melting pot of cultures which has created their identity today. If you go to a Trini restaurant you can see how their cuisine is a mix of cultures which they all share. I admire this as it reminds me of being mixed-race and what acceptance can look like.
I connect the most with food, music & nuances of both cultures. I'd like to be able to keep my families style of cooking forever and make sure my descendants are able to replicate or enjoy it in the same way it is done now, enjoying both cultures equally. I unfortunately did not get to learn Creole which is my Dad's language, so I am not very in touch with the music such as Sega, but I would still like to be able to keep and remember it when I am older and even pass it down. Jokes and expressions that you understand when you are part of a culture. This is very important as they separate someone knowing a culture and living it. Being mixed-race is being able to be part of more than one which is very special.
Another thing that is also in order to retain my cultural identity and sense of self but is also a Spanish tradition, is having a double barrelled surname which will not change even if I was to one day get married. In Spain everyone has two surnames and they don't change like they traditionally do in the UK. This is also very important to me, as not only is my surname me, but it is also an example of my 2 cultures in the most obvious way, my name.
At Goldsmiths University I feel that there are many mixed-race students which is great to see and makes you feel that your identity, including being English won't be questioned just because you look 'different'. However, from my knowledge there aren't as many professors or teachers in the anthropology field. This isn't as much a problem with Goldsmiths as it is with the education system and the discipline as a whole, hopefully in time this can change. In UvA this is the same.