ALICIA KEYS AND HER #NOMAKEUP MOVEMENT

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Alicia Keys is done covering up.

“Not my face, not my mind, not my soul, not my thoughts, not my dreams, not my struggles, not my emotional growth. Nothing,” she said. 

In a world of contouring, filters and extreme plastic surgery Alicia has decided to go in the opposite direction. I applaud her for uncovering in an industry where often times looks seem to be equally weighted to talent, especially for female artists.

Is it just a marketing move for her new album? I hope not, but I have to say it makes her stand apart from the army of pop star clones and that is refreshing. It makes me want to share her music with my 12 year old daughter and show her that someone with exceptional talent such as Keys is 1,000,000x more compelling and aspirational than many others in this Kardashian obsessed world.

Alicia explained that this movement was ignited by "a totally raw and honest photoshoot for her new album" with photographer Paola Kudacki.

Keys, arrived on-set from the gym with no makeup on and a sweatshirt — a look she called  a “quick run-to-the-shoot-so-I-can-get-ready look” — ended up staying in that exact look for the shoot. 

“I swear it is the strongest, most empowered, most free, and most honestly beautiful that I have ever felt,” she said of the experience in an essay she wrote on the website Lenny.

Personally I also feel empowered the more stripped down I am. Outside laying on the beach, sun on my skin, hair textured from a mixture of sand and salt water- that is when I feel most beautiful. But I also appreciate the art of makeup, using it as another means to express your creativity. I think it's a healthy balance of knowing that covering up isn't necessary. A woman should feel equally strong and powerful no matter what she chooses to adorn her exterior with. 

What are your thoughts on the #NoMakeup movement? 

You can see Alicia’s new video below:

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BOSTON HIGH SCHOOL STUDENT CREATES 411 PERSONALIZED DRAWINGS FOR CLASSMATES TO HELP REDUCE RACIAL TENSION

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Phillip Sossou is a high school senior at Boston Latin High School, which has had a significant amount of racial tension over the last year. He decided he wanted to celebrate all 411 of his classmates as a special graduation gift so he used his artistic talent to work and created wonderful charcoal portraits of each and every student. Check out the video for more 

According to Buzzfeed Sossou is headed to Bunker Hill Community College this fall and is then hoping to attend the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, after. I hope he continues to find ways to use his art to bring joy and bring together community! 

Here is another video of his work: 

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FEATURED MULTIRACIAL INDIVIDUAL: MEET CHRISTY JEZIORSKI

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Christy Jeziorski, age 35

WHAT MIX ARE YOU?

Filipino and Polish

WHERE DO YOU CURRENTLY LIVE?

I bounce back and forth between Denver and Palm Springs, and I frequent Miami. I’m a nomad.

IS THE COMMUNITY YOU LIVE IN NOW DIVERSE?

Denver? Yes, but it’s a closet diverse type of place. Diversity is there, but as in many “great” cities, it is somewhat segregated. I made a part-time move to Palm Springs to be with my family, as my stepfather, who raised me, is elderly. In Palm Springs, it’s pretty much the same deal. The majority of the population in the Coachella Valley (which Palm Springs is a part of) comprises of minorities, however, I feel like the culture and lifestyle is dominated by rich, country club Caucasians. I see a shift happening, however, it has more to do with the tourist economy, and many of the “great” things that are now offered in this town are still exclusive. I’ll leave it at that. I often find myself in Miami for work, life, and love. It’s full of brown beauty and it represents everything I love about life!

WHERE DID YOU GROW UP?

I was born and raised in Palm Springs, California, and It was diverse in the sense that I surrounded myself with my friends and family who happened to be minorities. It’s the world that I knew. Not until I was older did I really begin to understand the dynamics of race on the makeup of the town, its economics, and so forth. I don’t recall having many friends that were mixed, maybe several, but again, most of my friends happened to be minorities.

HOW DID YOUR PARENTS MEET?

My dad was working as a loan officer, and I believe that my mom paid a visit to make a mortgage payment for my grandparents. I guess she caught my dad’s attention. She was a hottie, she got noticed everywhere.

WERE THERE ANY SIGNIFICANT OBSTACLES IN THEIR RELATIONSHIP CORRELATED TO YOUR BACKGROUNDS?

I think I was lucky in the sense that my mom’s family was welcoming to my dad, but also, my dad’s family consisted of an awesome and open-minded group of people who didn’t seem to care much about my dad marrying a Filipino woman.

HAS YOUR EXTENDED FAMILY ALWAYS BEEN SUPPORTIVE OF YOU BEING BIRACIAL?

I didn’t really notice it until, once again, I understood more about dynamics of race. From the Filipino side, I was called a “mestiza” all of the time, and I realize that I was a prized part of the family for being mixed. As with many cultures, the notion of lighter skin and whiteness was something to be prized. It was a mark of status. So, in a sense, my mom “married up” since she married a white man, and had a half white child. So supportive? I guess. Prized? Absolutely. And to me, that’s ridiculous. On my dad’s side, I know that they think I’m exotic, and there may have been a little innocent envy when they saw how easily I tanned during the annual summer trip to the lake (wink wink). But seriously, nobody has ever made me feel singled out or uncomfortable. I’ve only experienced love. Regardless of race, I’m just “Chris” or “Chris-py” to my family, and I know they love me for crazy me.

DID YOU CELEBRATE TRADITIONS FROM BOTH SIDES OF YOUR FAMILY?

I grew up around my mom’s family, and I am culturally as Filipino (and proud) as they get.

WERE THERE MULTIPLE LANGUAGES SPOKEN IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD?

English was spoken in the house, though I can understand the basics of Tagalog from being around my family. The Filipino Channel and the ABS-CBN network broadcasts at my mom’s house 24/7, so that plays into my knowledge of the language as well!

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT YOUR CULTURAL BACKGROUND?

Our history and background, which is so mixed. Filipinos are a blend of Malay, Chinese, Spanish, African… You name it, it’s in our blood. I’m so proud of that. I grew up eating Filipino food, and I love it when the time comes for indulging in it. I’m such a health freak that I can’t eat Filipino food all of the time, which is typically salty and oily. My favorite desserts on the planet derive from the Philippines, and anything mixed with rice, coconuts, and mangoes make me feel at home.

I also love that because of my Filipino upbringing, I can relate to other cultures. Filipinos can relate to any and all Latin cultures because of the Spanish influence. We are also islanders, so there are many similarities in food and lifestyle that we have with people from island nations.

Unfortunately, I haven’t had much experience with my Polish side, but I am always curious, and maybe one day I’ll dive in.

WHAT ACTIONS DID YOUR PARENTS TAKE TO TEACH YOU ABOUT YOUR DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS?

The arts have always been a powerful force in my family. My mother was an entertainer, and song and dance was what my mom and her family carried on to the States when they left the Philippines in the seventies. I was taught folk dances like the “Salakot” and the “Tinikling”, and my mom and aunt would choreograph folk dances for community events, which we were always a part of.

My dad grew up in the midwest, and he was more of an all-American kind of guy who taught me about the beauty and power of soul music. That, to him, was one of America’s greatest creations. Still, he shared stories about his upbringing and his experiences with his “busia” and “dziadek” (“grandmother” and “grandfather” in Polish), and often shared a Polish joke here and there. Does that count?

DID YOU TALK ABOUT RACE A LOT IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD WHEN YOU WERE GROWING UP?

Absolutely, but not in the sense that you would think. I was the one who questioned race at a very early age. It had more to do with the stigma and treatment of Black people that I noticed, and couldn’t comprehend. I kept going on from there, which led me to my career and educational background dealing with culture and human rights. All I can say is that my immediate family is one of the most unconventional families that you’ll find. My dad is Polish with a Catholic and Jewish background, his wife, my stepmother is Chicana, my mom, a devout Catholic immigrant from the Philippines, married to my stepdad, a WWII vet, atheist, and socialist. Then you have me, who is in love with African and Latin culture. Need I say more?

DO YOU IDENTIFY AS MIXED OR SOMETHING ELSE?

I identify as mixed.

DOES RACE WEIGH INTO WHO YOU CHOOSE TO DATE?

I’m sure people think it does, but I’ve been open to dating a palette of men, I just didn’t bring them all home to meet the family, you know what I’m saying? Since I’m an entrepreneur and I work in entertainment, it’s a standard for me to be with someone who is just as driven, understands the demands of my life, and matches my ambition and passion. However, I tend to migrate towards men with darker skin, cultural pride, and an eccentric style. Accents are a plus.

WHAT DOES BEING MIXED MEAN TO YOU?

It’s just part of who I am. Does it define me? Sure, and that’s okay. I can’t think of being any other way. I am a minority - it’s how strangers see me, and I’m conscious of that. It is how I experience life, and it’s the foundation of my story.

DO YOU HAVE A LOT OF FRIENDS WHO ARE MIXED?

I have plenty of friends who are mixed, and I’ve learned about life in its entirety from them, and these experiences didn’t always deal with being mixed. However, I noticed that they emanated things from one culture or the other, but I don’t think it was because there was a choice that had to be made. We seem to go with what speaks to our souls, with what gives our lives meaning.

ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS YOU ARE REALLY TIRED OF HEARING FROM PEOPLE IN REGARDS TO RACE/CULTURE?

In general, the fact that people are blind to or downplay the issues that minorities face. Race is an issue because it is an issue, and it bothers me when people, who will never know the minority experience, have so much to say to discredit it. Add to that anything that comes out of Trump or a Trump supporter’s mouth regarding race. But I won’t get into that here.

WHAT IS YOUR DREAM FOR THE FUTURE OF AMERICA IN REGARDS TO RACE?

My dream is that race and culture will only be something that is celebrated and admired, rather than be something that’s used as a means by which acts of injustice, abuse of power, and oppression occurs.

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You can connect with Christy here: website / About me page / LinkedIn

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FEATURED MULTIRACIAL INDIVIDUAL: MEET MELISA ALVAREZ

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Melisa Brooke Alvarez, 33 years old

WHAT MIX ARE YOU?

My Father is Spanish, Mexican and Native American (Navajo), and My Mother is Norwegian and Creole.

WHERE DO YOU CURRENTLY LIVE?

I currently reside in the beautiful tiny town of Campbell, California.

IS THE COMMUNITY YOU LIVE IN NOW DIVERSE?

Very Diverse. It’s the typical California Silicon Valley melting pot. People from all over the world, from every culture, race and religion live in my neighborhood.

WHERE DID YOU GROW UP?

I grew up in the same town I live in now, although I haven’t always lived here. My paternal side of the family has very deep roots in Campbell. In fact, I live across the street from what was once the High School that my Grandparents met and fell in love at. I feel like most kids around here, even when I was a child, were mixed to some extent, but I definitely had plenty of mixed friends.

HOW DID YOUR PARENTS MEET?

My parents met at work. Memorex in the 1980’s. My paternal grandmother was their boss.

WERE THERE ANY SIGNIFICANT OBSTACLES IN THEIR RELATIONSHIP CORRELATED TO YOUR BACKGROUNDS?

My Dad’s grandmother NEVER accepted my mother. I don’t know if that had to do with race, or if she really was just a cantankerous bitch that people say she was. My dad was the first born grandchild, and a clear favorite, so whoever he had married would have been up against a large amount of scrutiny. My mother’s family has always loved and supported my father. They welcomed him with open arms and plenty of nicknames. But think you have to remember this was Bay Area, California in the 1980’s. This is a liberal place now, and it was then too. My parents used to spend their days roller-skating around the hills of San Francisco, listening to music and smoking pot.  I would imagine not everyone had such an easy road. I know that my maternal Grandmother (who was a black woman that married a white man) ran into obstacles in regards to race, her children, and her marriage in society, but we’ve always been a very accepting family on both sides.

HAS YOUR EXTENDED FAMILY ALWAYS BEEN SUPPORTIVE OF YOU BEING MULTIRACIAL?

Yes. They have to be. They all are too :)

DID YOU CELEBRATE TRADITIONS FROM BOTH SIDES OF YOUR FAMILY?

We are not so much of a tradition based cultural family. My mom has always been very clear with me and my brother that even though we may not look black, we are black, and that culture is ours to cherish. Music is a huge part of any celebration we have, especially Jazz and R&B. My Dad’s family used to be very big on Catholic traditions, but as the older generation has passed away, those traditions have also fallen away. I’m not sure if that answers your question, fully, but we just don’t have a formal way of being all together anymore.

WERE THERE MULTIPLE LANGUAGES SPOKEN IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD?

Nope. Maybe the occasional scrap of creole from my mother. My Father’s paternal grandparents didn’t teach any of their children to speak Spanish, as at the time in Campbell, being mexican, or speaking spanish was very frowned upon. None of my father’s aunts or uncles, or cousins speak Spanish.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT YOUR CULTURAL BACKGROUND?

MUSIC. Music is the great love of my life. Everything from sweet sad jazz standards to Fetty Wap. I love that on both sides of my family music is ALWAYS on. We’re always experiencing life with a soundtrack. There is not one memory I have of a family get together where there was no music playing. And the music was always somewhat culturally significant. Sade. Nancy Wilson. Donny Hathaway. Nina Simone. Both of my parents have STACKS of vinyl.

WHAT ACTIONS DID YOUR PARENTS TAKE TO TEACH YOU ABOUT YOUR DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS?

I can’t recall them ever taking any actions, but I think that’s because I grew up where I grew up. San Jose has Juneteeth festivals and Cinco De Mayo Parades. It was the perfect place to grow up with these cultural roots.

DID YOU TALK ABOUT RACE A LOT IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD WHEN YOU WERE GROWING UP?

Not in a way that remember other than just to be proud of who I am and where I come from. To be proud that I’m a part of so many cultures.

DO YOU IDENTIFY AS MIXED OR SOMETHING ELSE?

I identify as a multi-racial heterosexual woman.

DOES RACE WEIGH INTO WHO YOU CHOOSE TO DATE?

It doesn’t. I currently am dating someone and they are white, but it wasn’t a factor in choosing them, and isn’t really something I even think about as a qualifying factor.

WHAT DOES BEING MIXED MEAN TO YOU?

Being mixed means to me that all you really need in life is love. Look at what love created! This whole new person with all of these roots and histories and ancestors who never dreamed of the possibilities that I have available today. Love is colorblind. And that is amazing!

DO YOU HAVE A LOT OF FRIENDS WHO ARE MIXED?

You know, I don’t really know if many of my friends are mixed. I guess that’s terrible, but I just don’t even ask people, if it doesn’t come up, I’ll never know. I have two very close best friends and one is white and the other is black.

ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS YOU ARE REALLY TIRED OF HEARING FROM PEOPLE IN REGARDS TO RACE/CULTURE?

I hate hate hate being asked “What are you?” I’m a human being. End of story. I’ve been asked that question in so many ways over the past 30 years, that I just have no patience for it.

WHAT IS YOUR DREAM FOR THE FUTURE OF AMERICA IN REGARDS TO RACE?

I would love for Americans to realize that love is blind to so many things. Gender. Religion. Race. Get comfortable in that space, because opening up to that reality will change so much for us as a society.

I understand that when you’re on the top that equality FEELS like oppression, but feelings aren’t reality. Come from a place of compassion and love towards your fellow human and we can all be amazed at the world we can create with that love.

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You can connect with Melisa on Twitter

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FEATURED MULTIRACIAL INDIVIDUAL: MEET KIMBERLY

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Kimberly A. Torres, age 22

WHAT MIX ARE YOU?

I’m Puerto Rican, Cuban, Italian, and Black. My father was Multiracial (grandmother was Italian and grandfather was Puerto Rican and Cuban) and my mother is black.

WHERE DO YOU CURRENTLY LIVE?

I was born and raised in Philadelphia

IS THE COMMUNITY YOU LIVE IN NOW DIVERSE?

The area in Philly that I reside in has always mostly been Latino and African American and some Asian but not that many.

WERE THERE OTHER MIXED KIDS YOU COULD IDENTIFY WITH?

I live in North Philadelphia and back when I when I was a kid, I was one of 4 Mixed kids on the block so diversity as far as mixed people in the area was not too common. But the Mixed kids that did live in the area are still my friends now. Even though we have different mixtures it was still nice to still be around people I could relate to in some way.

HOW DID YOUR PARENTS MEET?

My parents met during the mid to late 80s here in Philadelphia

WERE THERE ANY SIGNIFICANT OBSTACLES IN THEIR RELATIONSHIP CORRELATED TO YOUR BACKGROUNDS?

Hmm...some of the obstacles that I can recall are that I had neighbors that weren’t too fond of my me playing with their kids because I was mixed, whenever me and my parents went out somewhere we would always get stared at like we were some sort of freak show or if I was with just one of my parents, people would interact with us differently, ex. People would stare less if I was with my dad than if I were with my mom. They would assume she adopted me.

HAS YOUR EXTENDED FAMILY ALWAYS BEEN SUPPORTIVE OF YOU BEING MULTIRACIAL/BIRACIAL?

My mom’s side of the family has been supportive since most of my third cousins are biracial (black & white) and they are supportive of the fact that I’m part latin american.

DID YOU CELEBRATE TRADITIONS FROM BOTH SIDES OF YOUR FAMILY?

Honestly, I’m not ashamed to say that I’m not as familiar with the Italian culture of my Dad’s side of the family as I am the Puerto Rican and Cuban sides since I grew up around mostly Latino and African American people. But I still want to know more about that side. I feel like after my dad passed away when I was 14, I lost touch with those roots since that side of the family was scattered.

DO YOU SPEAK MULTIPLE LANGUAGES?

No I do not, I only understand a little bit of Spanish but I was constantly criticized (and still am) for not speaking Spanish. My dad knew Spanish but did not want to teach me and wanted me to learn on my own like he did. But look at how that worked out lol.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT YOUR CULTURAL BACKGROUND?

I most certainly enjoy Spanish and southern food (mom is from South Carolina woo woo!) and Italian food. I feel like if you really want to get to know a culture, try the food! I also enjoy Bachata I can dance to that all day plus a lot of heart goes into dancing to Latin music which I love.

WHAT ACTIONS DID YOUR PARENTS TAKE TO TEACH YOU ABOUT YOUR DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS?

In a nutshell, my parents went out their way to make sure they taught me as much as I could know about my different backgrounds like reading or being around the actual people and learning from them.

DID YOU TALK ABOUT RACE A LOT IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD WHEN YOU WERE GROWING UP?

Race is always a topic of discussion of my household because when I was starting to experience my first prejudicial incidents growing up I would always ask advice or talk it through with them. Plus it’s still a current discussion since I still experience the same issues I had when I was growing up.

DO YOU IDENTIFY AS MIXED OR SOMETHING ELSE?

I identify as Multiracial and only that. I acknowledge all my ethnic backgrounds and have a pretty good knowledge of what they are so that is why I feel comfortable identifying as such.

DOES RACE WEIGH INTO WHO YOU CHOOSE TO DATE?

No I am pretty open with who I date only because my parents were a perfect example of a relationship I’d want and also because I was taught to not see color as a problem. If you love someone that is of a different color than you, that is okay.

WHAT DOES BEING MIXED MEAN TO YOU?

Being mixed to me means that it’s okay be outside of society’s racial constructs and the fact that not everyone will be comfortable with that and that’s fine too lol. It also means that I’m trapped in different worlds so I’ll always try to see both or all sides of each issue.

DO YOU HAVE A LOT OF FRIENDS WHO ARE MIXED?

I’m slowly meeting people who are mixed that I would’ve never known just by looking at them which is just as amazing for someone who is more racially ambiguous. But I’ve learned that all of our different mixtures pose different issues for us based off of different factors, but there is still a common ground for us that is still relatable which still leaves room for us to support each other.

ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS YOU ARE REALLY TIRED OF HEARING FROM PEOPLE IN REGARDS TO RACE/CULTURE?

Oh lord where do I start lol….well for starters I’m sick of exclusion when it comes to race because your own people, meaning people from your racial backgrounds will shun you more than another mixed person just because you neither look or act as they do, and the usual peeves: stop asking me “what are you mixed with?” I’m not a damn smoothie! The respectful way to ask me is “what is your Ethnicity?”, I’m tired of my own people saying I’m not ” _______enough”, whether you like it or not? I’m still a LATINA, I’m still a LIGHT SKIN BLACK WOMAN, and I’m still a DARK SKIN EUROPEAN! I make sure I don’t let anyone try to take this away from me, and lastly I’m tired of people asking to touch my hair lol

WHAT IS YOUR DREAM FOR THE FUTURE OF AMERICA IN REGARDS TO RACE?

I’m hoping that there’s better representation of mixed people in the media, instead of people criticizing and verbally dissecting them like a lab rat, I wish they’re praised and respected. Also I’m hoping that people would stop fetishizing mixed children, people should have them out of love not because want one as an accessory.

ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO SHARE?

I just recently got my BFA in Fine Arts this year and I’m a portrait painter whose work mostly focuses on painting multiracial/Biracial people and celebrating them :)

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Follow Kimberly and check out her art on Instagram

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Korean Rapper Dumbfoundead Tackles Hollywood Whitewashing In New Music Video

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This music video is EVERYTHING. Kudos to Korean rapper Dumbfoundead for having the guts to tell people how it really it in the United States for Asians. Specifically Asian males. 

In his newest video called "Safe", he explores Hollywood whitewashing, and what it means to be Asian. Name the last time you saw an Asian male play the lead in a major Hollywood blockbuster? You probably can't, and that's just sad. 

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So about that racist Chinese detergent ad…apparently we are being “too sensitive”

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It seems like we are in the year for ads that are causing quite a stir. Whether it’s racist people who are upset by the fact Old Navy promoted a multiracial family causing a social media frenzy. Then there’s Qiaobi, a laundry detergent based out of China promoting colorism in a tasteless commercial that has now gone viral.

If you haven’t seen it, watch it now and join the rest of us who went from shock to pure awe at the blatant racism this ad promotes in a tongue and cheek manner I suppose the consumer is supposed to find humorous or clever.

For those of you who would like to enjoy your week and not entertain the ignorance of it by watching then I here’s a quick summary of this laundry detergent commercial. The ad starts with a Chinese woman who is washing her clothes and is approached by a paint splattered black man. He attempts to seduce her by whistling and then getting in close proximity where you get a small vibe that they may kiss. No harm or foul… until she stuffs a detergent into his mouth and pushes him into the washing machine. When he emerges he is a young, clean Chinese man smiling at her and winking into the camera with laundry detergent packet.

China has always had a very problematic view with race/skin tone as a culture often promoting the misconception to its people that the lighter their skin tone is, the better they are. While other countries have different standards of beauty that can often be viewed as problematic, there is no arguing that this ad was created in severely poor taste.

Audience reaction to the commercial has been one of suck disgust and horror the company released the following apology over the weekend:

"[Due to] the harm that has been caused to members of the ethnic African communities as a result of the advertisement's circulation and the over-dramatization by the public opinion, we hereby express our apology and sincerely hope that the internet users as well as media will not over-analyze," the company said in a statement. "We strongly oppose and condemn racial discrimination."

 The ad had received over 8 million views on YouTube since being posted by an independent person on Thursday and the company stated they have removed all of traces of it as best they could online. Eliminating it from the internet does not change the fact that the producers of the commercial and the company itself weren’t initially as apologetic as they should have been for the response to the ad. The company told Chinese nationalist newspaper The Global Times:

“We meant nothing but to promote the product, and we had never thought about the issue of racism.”

A smart musician once stated that the road to hell is paved with good intentions and perhaps the company and other foreign entities will take careful consideration in the models, story, and overall promotion of their products in the future.

As for what their company representative Mr. Wang stated regarding that the critics were “too sensitive,” I’m sure we can all agree that if anyone is lacking sensitivity it was the company in the production of said commercial.

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THE N WORD… CAN YOU SAY IT? CAN YOU SING IT? THE BRENTWOOD SCHOOL DEBACLE

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If you have to ask, the answer is no.

Recently LA’s Brentwood School made the news for a video that leaked. It featured of a bunch of high school kids who were partying on a yacht while singing along to A$AP Ferg’s “Dump Dump”. The kids appear to be mostly white and are singing along to the lyrics which include the N word (with an 'a' at the end).

The video clip got out on social media and former baseball player Barry Bonds, whose daughter attends the school, posted it on his Twitter page.

There are a lot of people who don’t think the kids did anything wrong, since they are “just singing along to a song” [insert eye roll]. Let me just stop those people right now.

Yes A$AP Ferg can say the N word. Yes Beyonce can say the N word. Yes Kendrick Lamar can say the N word.

They are artists. African American artists. They convey THEIR experience, THEIR story, through THEIR art. The N word, no matter how ugly and disturbing, is part of African American history. Current day some individuals choose to embrace taking ownership of the word and use it to express themselves. But unless you are African American that right is not available to you. 

Permission is not granted.

This is a conversation I have had with my own daughter (who is half black) more than a few times.  The most recent example was after we watched the movie on Jesse Owens' life, Race. The word was used throughout the film, so it prompted another conversation about what it meant and how it is used current day. After I heard about what happened with the Brentwood students we had the talk again.

We have also talked about why even though I sing Beyonce's new song "Sorry" at the top of my lungs at least once a day, she will hear a distinct pause during certain parts of the song because I, as a white woman, do not have permission to sing that particular lyric. Will she sing along to that someday? Maybe, her blackness gives her that choice. She hears male friends of ours use it in casual conversation, she hears it in songs, she is not shielded from it. Because shielding does not educate, conversation does. 

THE OTHER SIDE

As I was researching this story, I came across Mark Dice’s YouTube page with a video that shared his thoughts. I hesitate to even share this video because as I listened I had a similar feeling to when I watch anything Trump related, I wanted to crawl through the screen and punch him in the face. So watch this with that warning in mind:)

The comments are awful. This guy saying the N word is awful. I don’t agree with anything he is saying. But I also know many Brentwood parents probably share his sentiments that it is "no big deal". But I will respectfully let them know that they are WRONG. 

LET'S TEACH SOME ACCOUNTABILITY

The kids on this yacht are well educated, at least in the traditional classroom sense. They should know better. Their parents, their school and their community need to hold them accountable. I am POSITIVE if this same group of kids were enthusiastically singing along to a song with homophobic lyrics or anti-Semitic lyrics the community as a whole would be outraged.

These kids are beyond privileged and they have access to everything the world has to offer. An education worth 40k a year is a beautiful thing to be able to give your child however, the learning needs to extend beyond the classroom if these students are going to become adults with integrity. Excusing this behavior, or laughing it off, is not going to do them any favors in the future. 

I hope these kids, their parents and their school learn 3 lessons from all of this negative attention: 

1. Kids need to be engaging in conversations about race in school and at home from a young age. Diversity and cultural understanding needs to always be top of mind. Schools and parents often avoid these conversations for fear they can sometimes be uncomfortable but they are vital and need to be addressed early and often.
2. Expose these kids to the real world. Not the privileged world of 5 star hotels in glamorous locales, but the real world.  Give them the opportunity to see life through others' eyes. If you have never been marginalized because of race (or gender) it can be hard to understand that experience. The only way to do that is to surround yourself with people who have had that experience and to hear their perspectives. 
3. Teach these kids RESPECT. Respect for everyone. Children model behavior. Behavior they see at home and behavior they see on screens. It is up to the parents to "check" these kids. That means being an upstanding human being yourself and if you witness people making comments or disrespecting another individual you must speak up and model that behavior for your child. 

Oh and as a bonus suggestion... 15 year olds alone on a yacht with alcohol is not a great idea. 

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FEATURED MULTIRACIAL INDIVIDUAL: MEET CHANEL BOSH

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Chanel Bosh

WHAT MIX ARE YOU?

My mother is African American & my father is Puerto Rican (with some white thrown in there somewhere, but that’s where it gets messy)

WHERE DO YOU CURRENTLY LIVE?

Los Angeles

IS THE COMMUNITY YOU LIVE IN NOW DIVERSE?

As a whole, I’d say LA is diverse.

WHERE DID YOU GROW UP?

I grew up in a military family, so I moved around a bit. There were other mixed kids in some of the stops. There was a particularly diverse community when we lived overseas in Turkey. We lived in Izmir, which was a NATO town. The kids at my school were the children of the different people working at NATO, so by default there was diversity, as we came from all over the world. This was also the place where I knew the most mixed race kids.

HOW DID YOUR PARENTS MEET?

My parents met in Texas while attending college.

WERE THERE ANY SIGNIFICANT OBSTACLES IN THEIR RELATIONSHIP CORRELATED TO YOUR BACKGROUNDS?

There weren’t really any significant obstacles that either of my parents can recall. However my mother’s grandmother told my dad that my mom always liked “white or bright”. My father’s sister and my mom didn’t quite get along and my aunt was odd towards my mother but my dad isn’t 100% sure if it was related to race. According to my mom, my paternal grandmother didn’t want my dad to date Black girls. My mother believes it was due to the treatment my grandmother received as a dark skin Puerto Rican - there was prejudice on the island and she also saw how it was in America as well, therefore she wanted to “better” the line by marrying White people.

HAS YOUR EXTENDED FAMILY ALWAYS BEEN SUPPORTIVE OF YOU BEING MULTIRACIAL/BIRACIAL?

As far as I know, yes.

DID YOU CELEBRATE TRADITIONS FROM BOTH SIDES OF YOUR FAMILY?

We celebrated American and Christian traditions. The only thing that was somewhat specific to culture or race was acknowledging/celebrating Juneteeth. My mother is from Texas, so that holiday is really important to the Black community there.

WERE THERE MULTIPLE LANGUAGES SPOKEN IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD?

No.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT YOUR CULTURAL BACKGROUND?

I enjoy everything! I love both of my cultures. Each one has such a vibrant and rich history. I am so proud to be both, because I believe each culture that makes up my background, is very diverse. I love the music, as well as the food from each side. Both are steeped in soul and sazon!

WHAT ACTIONS DID YOUR PARENTS TAKE TO TEACH YOU ABOUT YOUR DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS?

As a kid, my mom and her mother enrolled me in Spanish classes (although, I never fully grasped the language). They also took me to many Black events, concerts, festivals, book signings, etc.

DID YOU TALK ABOUT RACE A LOT IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD WHEN YOU WERE GROWING UP?

Yes! For whatever reason, I have always been VERY interested in race and race relations. Even as a child. I am not sure where that curiosity came from, as I can’t remember anyone in my family talking about race before I brought it up. Even my maternal grandmother has said, that I was just always curious and she had no idea where it came from. But my family was great in that they answered my questions, they took me to book stores and bought me all sorts of books, and they were patient with my curiosity even though I am sure, it was probably obnoxious or uncomfortable at times.

DO YOU IDENTIFY AS MIXED OR SOMETHING ELSE?

I identify as Black and Mixed. So I guess, I’d call myself a Mixed Black girl, if I had to sum it up.

DOES RACE WEIGH INTO WHO YOU CHOOSE TO DATE? 

No, race has never weighed into who I’ve dated. I’ve pretty much always liked every one, but I will say I was similar to my mom when I was young, in that I tended to like more guys who were “light or white”. I think this is because I identified most with them. As I got older, and began identifying more with Black people, I dated more Black men. And now I am single, and open to everything.

WHAT DOES BEING MIXED MEAN TO YOU?

Acknowledging all parts of yourself.

DO YOU HAVE A LOT OF FRIENDS WHO ARE MIXED?

I do have mixed friends. I have learned that oftentimes, the way we see ourselves and the way society sees us, differs.

ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS YOU ARE REALLY TIRED OF HEARING FROM PEOPLE IN REGARDS TO RACE/CULTURE?

I am tired of the fetishization of mixed people. I am also tired of people thinking that “mixed” means one specific thing. Not all mixed people are Black and White. Being mixed doesn’t automatically make you more attractive. Not all mixed people have light skin and loose hair.

WHAT IS YOUR DREAM FOR THE FUTURE OF AMERICA IN REGARDS TO RACE?

That we will all realize race is a social construct based on skin color, and we will learn to simply appreciate different cultural traditions. The color of a person’s skin does not automatically reveal their ethnicity or cultural background.

ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO SHARE?

For me, it is important to claim and identify with all of my backgrounds because I find culture and history to be important. As a woman of color, I recognize that there is a lot of my history and culture which have been erased over time. Therefore, I think it is really important to know and cherish that which we do know. As humans, we are not really all that different from one another. Where we differ is in culture and tradition. That is what makes us unique and that is what we should value and appreciate in one another.

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You can follow Chanel on Instagram  / Facebook. You can also see her on Buzzfeed! 

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HARVARD GRADUATE DONOVAN LIVINGSTON DELIVERING INCREDIBLE COMMENCEMENT SPEECH

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A beautiful and powerful commencement speech given at Harvard's 2016 Graduation by Donovan Livingston.

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MULTIRACIAL #WCW ROSE BERTRAM

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I first saw this photo of Rose Bertram while trying to find a new hair color for myself:

I thought she was beautiful, but filed her photo away to reference for future hair-color and thought nothing more of it.  About two months later, I stumbled upon her Instagram.  OK, so I basically stalked her for the whole day.  I am such a creeper.  I had to know more about this beautiful creature.

From Wikipedia:

Rose and her mom 

Stephanie Rose Bertram, or simply Rose Bertram, is a Belgian model. She was born in Kortrijk, October 26, 1994, to a Belgian father and a Senegalese-Portuguese mother. She has two sisters. Stephanie lives in Paris with her boyfriend, the Dutch footballer, Gregory van der Wiel.

If you don’t want to be jealous, don’t follow her on Instagram.  If you want to see how a really beautiful person with lots of money and a hot, rich boyfriend live, follow her on Instagram.  That all being said, she seems to have her priorities straight and she is having incredible fun.  Enjoy the gallery of this gorgeous woman.

Rose and her boyfriend

Rose and her little sisters

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THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM... A MIXED RACE FAMILY IN 2015'S FANTASTIC FOUR

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Marvel’s reboot of the Fantastic Four was well a flop. A small blip on the comic book franchise movement we have seen since the early 2000’s with Spiderman that has now trickled down to Captain America, Thor, Batman and every superhero in between. Now, I’m an avid fan of the wave of comic book adapted films that have given me thrills, chills, and nostalgia for my childhood on a Saturday morning with cereal. I love them. I have such a swelling joy for them that I’m probably that person really overexcited for a midnight premiere. I was even more excited when I found out they were rebooting the Fantastic Four and that it was going to reflect the reality of myself and people I grew up with, a mixed race family. The response to this new dynamic was not received as warmly as I would have hoped though, not in the slightest.

I loved the first adaptation of the Fantastic Four when it was released in 2005 with stars like Jessica Alba and Chris Evans. Evans played the character Jonny Storm (The Human Torch) who is the sibling to Alba’s Sue Storm (The Invisible Woman) and they proceed with the narrative of getting their powers and becoming a team that saves the world. Despite the comic book sibling’s being traditionally white in the comic book, nobody made uproar over a Blonde haired, blue contact lens; light complexioned Alba portraying Sue Storm. She’s hot, and was arguably at the height of her Hollywood career so no fuss was given to the fact she was a minority sister to Chris Evans…. but then again audiences didn’t see that amongst her hair, eyes, and body hugging suit. I don’t even think my fifteen-year-old self questioned how they could be siblings because she looked so white- and argument could be made that they were being authentic to the comic book and it wasn’t necessarily a racial issue.

The new 2015 reboot took a different spin on The Fantastic Four that broke into the comic book world in the 1960’s by taking an original take on their origin story, casting a younger cast, and making the infamously charismatic Human Torch to be played by breakout Hollywood star Michael B. Jordan.  If you have never heard of MBJ (please go watch Creed/Fruitvale Station- you’ll thank me) or somehow missed the mixed media response to the casting of siblings with two different ethnicities, then I encourage you to Google interviews when you finish reading this.

Now, being the progressive generation that we are, many praised and hailed the casting that gave Sue Storms a black father and seemingly black brother. In the classic case of having to defend the question most multiracial families encounter- the “WHY” and “HOW” was a large part of many popular press junkets the stars did. 

Atlanta Rock 100.5 Morning show DJ’s asked: “How could the two actors of different races, conceivably, be siblings in the movie? Hmm. “But you’re white and you’re black. How does that happen?” to which Michael B Jordan responded: “They could be raised as brother and sister. There’s a whole bunch of family dynamics that could be without the ‘obvious adoption.’” 

Crazy right? Even late night TV hosts like Jimmy Kimmel prodded Michael B. Jordan during an interview as to how they were going to explain to audiences. Kimmel stated: "Kate Mara, I don't know if you know this, is a white person, how did they figure that out?" Jordan responded with “I'm pretty sure there's white people out there with other ethnicities brothers and sisters. Doesn't mean biological. It's the world that we live in."

I’m in no way promoting you to watch the movie because to be honest it wasn’t that good, but it had nothing to do with the cast, the story itself just didn’t make sense.  I appreciated that even in the movie they didn’t focus on explaining the history or giving some context on how the two siblings were indeed siblings. Coming from a mixed race family many of us can attest to our siblings not sharing the same skin tone that we have or even that we don’t share the same features as our parents.  Mixed families are beautiful and I’m happy that the cast took strides to answer eloquently and without the same level of misguided ignorance as their interviewers.

I hope as Hollywood continues to develop their casting tactics in the future less attention can be paid to frivolous questions like how characters of different races can be considered family. Maybe perhaps someday there will be a time when this doesn’t flutter an eyelash for anyone and It will be accepted and understood that even if not biological a family can be integrated without cause for speculation.

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MULTIRACIAL #MCM JASON MOMOA

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Who doesn’t love Jason Momoa? He is one of those universally sexy men. He is half Hawaiian on his father’s side mixed with German, Irish and Native American on his mother’s side. I honestly don’t think I’ve seen any of his movies and I have never watched Game of Thrones, but I can still be a fan can’t I?!

Unfortunately for the single ladies of the world Jason is taken by yet another sexy multiracial actor, Lisa Bonet. The pair have two children named Lola Iolani and Nakoa-Wolf Manakauapo Namakaeha.

And in a beautiful display of multiracial sexiness here is Jason, Lisa, Lisa’s ex Lenny Kravitz and their daughter Zoe. They should basically be the Swirl Nation Blog spokespeople!  

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FEATURED MULTIRACIAL INDIVIDUAL: MEET DIANE

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My name is Diane Phelan & I’m a Broadway actress and photographer living in New York City

WHAT MIX ARE YOU?

My father’s family is 5th generation Irish American with a tiny bit of French Canadian in there, my Mom is from the Philippines, with a lot of Spanish mixed in.

WHERE DO YOU CURRENTLY LIVE?

See above :)

IS THE COMMUNITY YOU LIVE IN NOW DIVERSE?

Very.  One of the most wonderful things about New York.

WHERE DID YOU GROW UP?

I was born and raised in the ex-pat community in Taipei. I went to an international school where there were plenty of foreign kids, but I honestly didn’t see many mixed race kids like me.  I honestly and completely thought I was Chinese growing up.  At age 9 my family moved us to Connecticut where I lived until I left for college in NYC at 17.  It was incredibly challenging because there were very few minority people I was in contact with, and definitely no mixed race kids, definitely no third-culture kids.  I felt completely alien!  It was a relief to move to New York City where the norm was anything counter-culture.

HOW DID YOUR PARENTS MEET?

My parents had both left home in search of adventure in Taipei.  They met teaching English at the same university.

WERE THERE ANY SIGNIFICANT OBSTACLES IN THEIR RELATIONSHIP CORRELATED TO YOUR BACKGROUNDS?

I think my mom had a harder time than she let on when she moved to the US in terms of racism.

HAS YOUR EXTENDED FAMILY ALWAYS BEEN SUPPORTIVE OF YOU BEING MULTIRACIAL/BIRACIAL?

I do remember hearing gossip about my family from extended cousins etc. Really too bad but that generation was rough.  

DID YOU CELEBRATE TRADITIONS FROM BOTH SIDES OF YOUR FAMILY?

My family actually celebrated local traditions in Taiwan when we were younger.  My childhood memories are filled of New Years Dragon parades, Buddhist temples, lantern festivals… but both sides of my family are Catholic so that was a common thread for my parents.  Interestingly, I only learned more about Filipino traditions as I got older- it was a bit of a void in my upbringing.

WERE THERE MULTIPLE LANGUAGES SPOKEN IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD?

We definitely spoke chinglish in my house.  Apparently my first words were in Chinese.  Even to this day there are chinglish phrases we continue to use.  Today I am only fluent in English.  I honestly had no one to speak Chinese consistently with and so it fell by the wayside.  And for some reason my mother never felt the need to speak to us in Tagalog.  I got so much flack about not knowing my mother’s language but it was literally never on the table for me.  I was immersed in being American and Chinese. It does make me curious about my mother’s experience and why she never taught me her language. I did pick a lot up quickly when I had an extended trip to the Philippines to visit family though!

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT YOUR CULTURAL BACKGROUND?

Because I had such little experience with my Filipino roots growing up, I have since spent a lot of time searching it out. What I love most about the Filipino culture is the sense of community.  It’s incredibly strong and supportive in many ways. I think my parents were each working on their own individuality growing up for various reasons-  you have to ask at some point what causes a person to leave their home and take roots in a completely different country and culture where they have no ties- and then raise a family there- I respect the journey my parents went through as human beings. But mine has been all about discovering what community and family is. It’s incredible to me how Filipinos share a bond no matter where you are. The national pride and camaraderie is so strong.  Having grown up as an outsider, it feels really good to be claimed by parts of your heritage.  

WHAT ACTIONS DID YOUR PARENTS TAKE TO TEACH YOU ABOUT YOUR DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS?

What they did teach me a lot was about our Catholic roots.  People can say what they want about religion, and I have my own complex relationship with the church-  but I am so grateful and glad that my parents really took the time to teach me the language of communing with the divine.  It’s not mandatory for a successful spiritual life by any means, but I believe it certainly helps.

DID YOU TALK ABOUT RACE A LOT IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD WHEN YOU WERE GROWING UP?

My parents really made sure to let us know how special we were to be mixed.  They were really proud of how different they were especially for their times and therefore how different we were. I grew up feeling it was special to be mixed race, even though I had a really complex relationship to feeling like I didn’t belong anywhere. Double edged sword.

DO YOU IDENTIFY AS MIXED OR SOMETHING ELSE?

This has honestly changed throughout the years depending on where I was living.  As I mentioned, I identified Chinese until I was almost 12 years old.  As an actress, I had spent a lot of my time bending parts of me to fit into whichever part they were hiring for.  Nowadays, I identify myself as Hapa, Third-culture, or simply, New Yorker.

DOES RACE WEIGH INTO WHO YOU CHOOSE TO DATE?

I was always drawn to people who looked the opposite of me. As I got older I tended to be drawn towards people who had a similarly international background, regardless of where.  I married a Dutchman but really the prerequisite was that they were well-traveled!

WHAT DOES BEING MIXED MEAN TO YOU?

It used to mean that I didn’t belong anywhere and life was challenging for me when I held that mindset.  What I’ve come to realize now is that being mixed allows me a very unique perspective on the views of race, representation and presentation and culture.  Representation and diversity in casting is an incredibly hot and sore topic in America as reflected in Hollywood as well as on Broadway right now.  I believe this is the case because we are at a point in our culture where we are continuing to develop our identity as a nation- the topic of race and who we are and who gets to have a voice in the society determines what kind of a society we are going to be. In this situation, people who are mixed race have the unique perspective-  and therefore our voice and perspective can be particularly useful right now, one that can act as a bridge.  As an artist, what makes me tick is how the stories we tell reflect back the state of our society, our culture.

DO YOU HAVE A LOT OF FRIENDS WHO ARE MIXED?

I tend to befriend a lot of people who are mixed race because I didn’t have any people like me growing up- I think I am subconsciously trying to gather my tribe!  I’ve learned that being mixed doesn’t have to carry the baggage I had growing up. I’ve met some people who are on varying scales of being well-adjusted and I’ve learned that peace with race and identity is an inside job. So I got to it.

ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS YOU ARE REALLY TIRED OF HEARING FROM PEOPLE IN REGARDS TO RACE/CULTURE?

It really bugs me when people say I don’t look Asian.  Because I am, and I identify that way-  so maybe perhaps *your* perception of what is and what isn’t needs expansion.

WHAT IS YOUR DREAM FOR THE FUTURE OF AMERICA IN REGARDS TO RACE?

My dream is that all races in America will feel represented in the stories we tell in film, TV, stage, etc. because that will mean we are all in agreeance that all colors belong here and that everybody gets a voice, every story is valid.  It’s way of the country coming to terms with who we are- we Are a melting pot and that is what makes us great.  

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ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO SHARE?

I’ve started a social community called the Broadway Diversity Project in response to the recent rise in protest against the whitewashing happening in Hollywood and on Broadway.  Following the precept that whatever you focus on grows, we shout out and celebrate the directors, casting personnel, companies that do produce non-traditional & “out-of the box” casting that is happening on Broadway and major theatres around the United States.

Facebook / Twitter / Website

I have recently started an Instagram account documenting my travel photography and and adventures. You can follow me HERE

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FEATURED MULTIRACIAL INDIVIDUAL: MEET SUZIE

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Suzie Asmar Strong; age: shhhhhhh

WHAT MIX ARE YOU?

Lebanese, German, Irish, Osage, Spanish, English.

WHERE DO YOU CURRENTLY LIVE?

Los Angeles

IS THE COMMUNITY YOU LIVE IN NOW DIVERSE?

I live in a small, primarily latino neighborhood a few miles north of DTLA called Cypress Park. It is not diverse in that it’s mostly Latino. Downtown Los Angeles, where my work studio is, however, is very diverse.  

WHERE DID YOU GROW UP?

I grew up in the suburbs of Seattle. I went to an alternative elementary school where we had the only ESL program in the area, so we had lots of kids from around the world, mostly from Asian countries: the Philippines, Japan, Laos, Cambodia, India, Pakistan, etc. The overall community, however, was definitely not diverse, consisting of primarily white families, but sprinkled with a few Asian and black families. I had a few Persian friends, but there were very few middle eastern (or mixed middle eastern families) aside from us.

There were not a lot of mixed kids, but I had friends who were also of mixed race and/or non-white.

HOW DID YOUR PARENTS MEET?

My parents met in college just outside of New Orleans, where they grew up.

WERE THERE ANY SIGNIFICANT OBSTACLES IN THEIR RELATIONSHIP CORRELATED TO YOUR BACKGROUNDS?

I don’t recall my parents talking about obstacles for them as a couple. My parents moved from New Orleans to the Bay Area when my sisters were little. My sisters and I were pretty tan, with our olive skin and being outside all the time in the California sun. My mom (german, black Irish, and Spanish) is olive skinned, but fair, so it was not uncommon for strangers would ask her if we her kids.

HAS YOUR EXTENDED FAMILY ALWAYS BEEN SUPPORTIVE OF YOU BEING MULTIRACIAL/BIRACIAL?

My family, especially the older generation, doesn’t always think of themselves as multi-racial, although we’ve all experienced bias and prejudice for it. I think my generation and the younger generation more clearly understand what it means to be not of the majority.

DID YOU CELEBRATE TRADITIONS FROM BOTH SIDES OF YOUR FAMILY?

Everyone in my family who immigrated into America came through New Orleans, rather than Ellis Island. Most people immigrated at least 2 generations ago, so the individual cultures were fairly integrated by the time we were being raised. Our family culture and traditions mainly reflect the culture of New Orleans, which is a beautiful quilt of many types of people. Our home was always a southern island on the west coast.

I did, however, grow up with lots of Lebanese food prepared by my dad and grandfather.

WERE THERE MULTIPLE LANGUAGES SPOKEN IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD?

My family speaks only English. I speak Spanish however. I learned Spanish in school, spent two summers in Guatemala, and minored in Spanish Language in college.  

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT YOUR CULTURAL BACKGROUND?

Both Lebanese and New Orleans cultures have very strong family and extended family ties. We are there for each other no matter what. We support each other through celebrations and tribulations.  I’m super grateful for my loving and supportive family. Both New Orleans culture and my Lebanese-American family are very welcoming as well. Friends are always welcome in the home, even for family celebrations.  

I also loooooove Lebanese food so much! I am mostly pescatarian, but I do eat lamb, which is a very traditional Lebanese meat.  I also love New Orleans food, of course. Who doesn’t?!  

WHAT ACTIONS DID YOUR PARENTS TAKE TO TEACH YOU ABOUT YOUR DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS?

We love to cook and eat. A lot. My parents taught me how to make traditional Lebanese and New Orleans dishes.

They definitely instilled a deep love of family and friends and that it’s important to create a welcoming and comfortable home for anyone who walks through the door.

DID YOU TALK ABOUT RACE A LOT IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD WHEN YOU WERE GROWING UP?

Not so much. I remember coming home from elementary school crying, telling my mother that the other kids were teasing me about my last name and the shape and color of my eyes. I didn’t understand that I was different at that time and I also didn’t understand why my name and features were something to be made fun of.  She did her best to console me, but we didn’t talk about it that much. As I got older, I definitely had a lot of questions about how it was for my dad, who is Lebanese, growing up in a community where people identified as either white or black (with not a lot of room or understanding for “in-between” people).

DO YOU IDENTIFY AS MIXED OR SOMETHING ELSE?

I identify myself as ambiguously brown. Haha!  But in all seriousness, I identify myself mostly as mixed Lebanese and white.  My whole life, I’ve been asked, “What are you?”, “Where are you from?” or “Are you ________ (insert any brownish race)?” hence the joke about being ambiguously brown.

Fun fact: my eyes were brown until I was 12, when they lightened up and turned green. I have no explanation for that as no one else in my family has green eyes.  My light eyes and freckles seem to throw everyone off.

DOES RACE WEIGH INTO WHO YOU CHOOSE TO DATE?

Race does not play a part with whom I choose to hang out. I’m an equal opportunist as long as you’re smart, interesting, creative, hard working, but mostly funny.

WHAT DOES BEING MIXED MEAN TO YOU?

Being mixed means sometimes, it’s hard to find your people.

It means I’m going to be asked a lot of questions about why I look the way I do.  

It means I am very tolerant of and that I get along with lots of different types of people.

 

DO YOU HAVE A LOT OF FRIENDS WHO ARE MIXED?

When I went to college, there was a very diverse group of kids: black, latino, asian, mixed, etc. who were all into music, hip-hop and dance like me. They took me in and I had never felt more welcome in my entire life up to that point. I learned that I enjoy having friends that understand the difficulties of not being in the majority race. They were also the first group of peers to call me “beautiful” for my different looks and from that, I learned to appreciate and honor my unique physical qualities. And for sure it’s nice to feel good about your exterior, but it’s much more important to be beautiful on the inside.

Now, I enjoy friends and companions of all colors who are into art, music, food and family.

My kids Romeal and Paloma

ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS YOU ARE REALLY TIRED OF HEARING FROM PEOPLE IN REGARDS TO RACE/CULTURE?

Although I know people are curious about my racial background, it gets tiresome explaining it. But I try to have empathy, because I wonder about people’s backgrounds at times as well.  If they’re mixed and I’m curious, I wait until the moment feels natural, if I even have the desire to ask.

I do love that my kids (their dad is American of Scottish and English descent) never seem to care about race. I’ve asked them, “Is so-and-so maybe mixed with Japanese?” (or whatever) and they respond, “I don’t know,” because for their generation and in LA, it’s irrelevant.  

God bless this next generation.

WHAT IS YOUR DREAM FOR THE FUTURE OF AMERICA IN REGARDS TO RACE?

I love that the questions I was asked growing up never seem to be a part of the lexicon of my kids and their friends. It never crosses their minds to even think about that. They grew up with a mixed president and Beyonce being the queen of beauty, music, and feminine power, so to them, being mixed and or brown is neither out of the ordinary nor an obstacle. I think that’s incredibly beautiful.

My dream would be that this perspective becomes the norm: where color does not incite an instant opinion, reaction, or judgement and that at the same time, we can celebrate cultural uniqueness.

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You can follow Suzie HERE, HERE, and HERE!

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GOING GREEK

Why choosing a Latina founded sorority doesn’t mean I chose a “side”

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So I’m a sorority girl in the loosest sense of the term. I’m a proud member of the Greek community and have been since I was 18 years old (they got me early, what can I say?).  I did not come from a Greek centric family or lineage in my household and to be frank my parents were pretty not on board for be joining the whole Greek universe. Granted with the popularity of media making vigilantes out of fraternity and sorority life that to the mainstream represents money, partying, and hazing, could you blame them?

However; when I was afforded the chance to learn and choose what organization I wanted to pledge my time and devotion to, I was given three options at UTSA (Hey Roadrunners) MGC (Multicultural Greek Council), PHC (PanHellenic Council) and NPHC (National PanHellenic Council/ The Divine 9).  As much as I’d love to make this an education on the Greek system (that post will come later since the general public is very ill-advised in what Greek life looks like today), I wanted to discuss why I chose Kappa Delta Chi National Sorority Inc.  Which is apart of (MGC) instead of going NPHC (historically African American organizations).

I was very bright eyed and bushy tailed to Greek life going in and was really surprised to know there was options for people like me. People of color, which movies and media rarely highlight in their portrayal of over the top houses with lavish vehicles and cute bedspreads (San Antonio has none of these btw).  With the many options I had to ask myself what did I want in a sorority? What did I want for myself? I wanted sisterhood, friendship, community, and somewhere where I would be comfortable. One of the first people I met was my future Big Erica Proo who I got to interview for a class project (not Greek related) and noticed she was wearing a collared shirt with a sorority logo I hadn’t recognized.

At that point in my first semester of college I had been exposed through my friends to NPHC (Divine 9) only and wasn’t aware that Latina based organizations existed. I inquired about her organization and she invited me to meet more of her sisters later on that semester. Maritza Villegas, Samira Lopez, Erica, and their advisor made an impression on me that inspired me to get more involved on campus and choose a smaller, diverse, more intimate organization versus a larger one that may not foster growth culturally and individually, as I needed being a freshman. KDCHI was Latina founded, but I didn’t feel like I had to be an expert Latina or that was a culturally criteria to join. I felt welcomed and eager to be apart of an organization that promoted sisterhood, community service, and academics despite not being fully Latina.

Upon joining the organization in Spring 2009 I was not only welcomed into the sisterhood but Greek life in it’s entirety which despite my specific sorority membership promoted Greek unity and support collectively to be active students and members of the San Antonio community. UTSA Greek life worked to have communal events for the councils to interact with each other in professional, social, and service based settings so I was constantly fostering friendships and learning about what the other sororities and fraternities represented. I often got asked why I chose KDCHI when I could have gone Divine 9, and to be honest funds, accessibility played a large part in that.  I have a profound respect for members of the NPHC and know culturally I would have had a different experience that would have still be beneficial for me as well as the academic, community service and sisterhood they are infamous for. One of the aspects that made me appreciate MGC and NPHC specifically in my 6+ years being in Greek life is that culture, diversity, and inclusion are factors engrained in the values and foundation of the organizations versus just being an aspect of membership.

Greek life gives you experiences you wouldn’t otherwise have and as I have always said your sorority/fraternity experience depends on what you do with it. You can be a person wearing letters or a member. KDCHI showed me how to lead and follow whether it was at a meeting, collaborating with another organization for an event or teaching fellow sisters a stroll or skit. I got to interact with sisters Nationwide who all had a common goal of graduating and making their college experience one of value serving their campus and community. The friendships I fostered extended beyond my letters and taught me tolerance of other people that went outside of UTSA when we got to travel and visit fellow Greeks for conferences in San Marcos, Austin, or Houston.

KDCHI taught me an appreciation for my Latina side I hadn’t explored growing up in Killeen and gave me insight into the world of growing up in traditional Hispanic household that I did not. I learned to have my pride in my Spanish; there is more than Selena to listen to (though we love her), the art of bachata, and respect for an underserved community seeking equality amongst their peers. I never felt like I chose a side of my multiracial self because I went Latina versus Black because I still made an effort to include aspects of my heritage into my sisterhood, which they were more than willing to learn and help me grow with. I never felt excluded or that I didn’t belong because I was only half or even because I didn’t speak Spanish perfectly.  KDCHI changed my life and gave me a cultural pride in myself that I hadn’t experienced before. It’s one of the driving factors I have had in including bi-lingual characters in my writing and pushing myself to explore my biracial self, but also striving to promote cultural awareness to others.

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A MIXED RACE FAMILY'S LOVE OF LONDON

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Someone asked me today, why do you love living in London? I admit it has taken us years to get where we are, to feel settled in a way where both of us can admit this feels like ‘home’- for awhile at least.

Our journey around the world to get here has been interesting, though restless. Starting out in Wales where my husband and I met, we felt out of place, alone and often resentful at having to drive to London so often to visit friends and family. South West England was better but it too had different issues that niggled at us. Its segregated feel, drawn along false economic lines made us feel uncomfortable as a mixed family, knowing our loyalties lay on both sides but our economics pushed us to one more than another.

Our journey to Edmonton, Canada (where I grew up) and then eventually Lagos, Nigeria (where hubby grew up) were both attempts for us to feel grounded and settled. And though both were satisfying in many different ways, the pull was always back to London.

So what is it with this place that keeps us coming back? And what has finally made us feel like this has more of what we’ve been looking for? As a mixed family, I’ve always been told it’s important to find somewhere neutral for both partners- a place that isn’t home for either of you and that you can both forge an identity starting from scratch. And that’s exactly what we’re doing. Starting out in London has been an entirely new beginning, from finding schools for our daughters, to researching areas to live, tradespeople for jobs and transport to get places, all the knowledge we’d built up as a couple over time was wiped for us to start again.

We don’t complain though. For me, it’s been exhausting with three kids but strangely enjoyable. From the smog of Lagos to the emptiness of Edmonton, London has offered us more than we could even imagine. 

But the most important: diversity. Not just from a race point of view but from every different angle, you see people doing their own thing. They’re even trying to be different so they can stand out from the crowd. Sure, you get that everywhere but perhaps not on the scale that you do in a big city such as London.

I love that the guy who helped me pull my pram onto the bus the other day was black transvestite male. I love that my daughter asked out loud whether he was a girl or boy and he answered her with a smile. I love that my eldest daughters’ class has at least three kids from mixed black/white families, that there are over 15 different languages spoken in the class and that my daughter actually wants to speak a different language so she can be like her friends. I love that our friends consist of families of all different colours and mixes, even with seemingly monoracial families, the mixes span cultures and religions and this is normal. I love that I can point out beautiful, smart, curly-haired women everyday to my daughters on our way to school. I love that my daughters’ friends include kids of all different abilities and this is also normal.. I love that the tube was filled with blue and purple haired girls the other day inspiring my daughter to imagine her own self with purple hair. I love that the bus journey into the city is littered with shops selling all sorts of wear such as elaborate costumes, beautiful wooden instruments and ornate, kitsch furniture that looks as if it belongs in a palace. I love that my daughter thinks every ornate gate in London is Buckingham Palace. I love that police officers ride horses and wear funny hats. I love that the Science Museum is free, workshops are led by young diverse students and that we’ve been three times in three months and each time we’ve had a completely different experience- all positive. I love that my daughters have seen a West End show already once in their life. I love that hubby and my date night was at a restaurant that is filled floor to ceiling with beautiful Victorian paintings-and it wasn’t pretentious. I love that Chinese New Year wasn’t just celebrated at my daughter’s nursery, they actually paid a visit to Chinatown to get the real experience.

There is more I could list but I think you get the picture. It’s not perfect I know but I’m enjoying it for now as I show my Mom around this beautiful city.  I just wanted to appreciate out loud that the last three years have been up and down but we are here in this place, at this time for a reason and as I contemplate ‘home’, I realize it is here.

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WE SO HAPA MULTICULTURAL CABARET

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We So Hapa was originally conceived by Alex Chester, who is the creator of MeSoHapa.com a multicultural blog. Her passion behind bringing awareness to multicultural artists attracted Rebecca Lee Lerman and Kalen Sakima to jump on board in November of 2015. Sakima Productions was then brought in to support We So Hapa's misson and to provide guidance to make this concept a reality.

What is Hapa you may ask? Hapa comes from the Hawaiian Language meaning 'half'. A Hapa is anyone that identifies with two or more ethnic cultures. 

We So Hapa was created to showcase multi-ethnic talent. With a mission to bring awareness to others that one side of our diverse makeup or the other should not stereotype us as people or performers. We So Hapa is giving Hapa's a voice by challenging the perspective of what makes a person "white", "black", "Asian", "Middle Eastern", "Latino", etc. because deep down we are the same. We are human.

On Monday, September 12, 2016, the Triad NYC will host the first We So Hapa –  A multicultural Cabaret, at 8:30pm. This event will feature professional musical theater artists of mixed backgrounds. The show will take you on a journey of their experiences of what it is like to live the hapa life in the  entertainment industry. Performers will finally get a chance to perform material that showcases them best, regardless of enthic background. 

Creating this cabaret takes a team of writers, a director, a musical director, band, and performers - to name a few - and New York City prices do not come cheap! Sakima Productions believes that every artist should be compensated for their time and work. Artists too often work for free. We are striving to not make this another pro-bono project. We want to do everything in our power to produce this show at the highest quality level possible! Here is how you can support us and take part in changing the status quo: 

1. Donate to this Hatch Fund Campaign (tax deductible)

2. Share the fundraising campaign website

3. Create conversations about the We So Hapa event and mission

We have already gained the support of our colleagues and have some amazing perks for you! We know that with your help we can make We So Hapa possible. If we happen to go above and beyond our goal, funds will be allocated to support the next We So Hapa show.

Thank you for your time. We are so excited about We So Hapa and we can't wait to see you help us make a difference in the entertainment industry. Together our vision of inclusion will be heard and seen! 

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FEATURED MULTIRACIAL INDIVIDUAL: MEET NAIA

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Naia Kete, age 26

WHAT MIX ARE YOU?

My Mama is Jewish, my dad African American. Both sides of the family also have Native-American blood. Included in the ancestry on my Mom’s side are people of Hungary, Germany, etc. As I understand it from my Dad’s Mother, a lot of her side of the family is Ethiopian. I wish I had more info! Going to have to do a family tree one day.

WHERE DO YOU CURRENTLY LIVE?

Los Angeles

IS THE COMMUNITY YOU LIVE IN NOW DIVERSE?

Absolutely

WHERE DID YOU GROW UP?

I was born and raised in Western, MA. More specifically Northampton and the surrounding towns. My Step-Father is from Senegal, West Africa, and I grew up around all types of music including reggae, jazz, West-African drum and dance and more. Be raised in that creative and multi-cultural family, I was blessed with a community that was mixed as well. While in school it wasn’t nearly as diverse, at home I grew up hearing many different languages and accents, and seeing many different beautiful colors in the people I was blessed enough to call family and friends.

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HOW DID YOUR PARENTS MEET?

Through music.

WERE THERE ANY SIGNIFICANT OBSTACLES IN THEIR RELATIONSHIP CORRELATED TO YOUR BACKGROUNDS?

You know, they had obstacles in relationship just like anyone else, but they didn’t seem to be related to their background. At least not that I knew about. They both have a lot of love for diversity and I think it’s partly what brought them together. I never thought much about the color of their skin or difference in background except to celebrate it.

HAS YOUR EXTENDED FAMILY ALWAYS BEEN SUPPORTIVE OF YOU BEING MULTIRACIAL?

My extended family is very mixed as well. My cousin’s wife (on my dad’s side) and my boyfriend immediately bonded because they both have Filipino blood. We are all very accepting and loving towards one another. I’m very lucky in that respect.  

DID YOU CELEBRATE TRADITIONS FROM BOTH SIDES OF YOUR FAMILY?

Hmm...I don’t know if celebrated “traditions” as much as “ceremony.” From our study of West-African drum and dance, to nyabhingi in reggae, lighting candles at dinner, to Kwanzaa, Hanukkah and Christmas...we love it all! Music was a common thread.

WERE THERE MULTIPLE LANGUAGES SPOKEN IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD?

As I mentioned there were! Through my Step-Dad. He speaks Wolof (native to Senegal), French, Creole and English. When he and his would get together it would be a blend of all those languages, along with some Patois, as a lot of his friends were Jamaican. I only picked up a few phrases here and there, though I’ve always wanted to learn more.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT YOUR CULTURAL BACKGROUND?

You know it’s interesting, some say that mixed kids have the hardest time finding and really owning an identity. Wondering where we fit in. For me though, while I went through that a little bit, I was always so proud of my blended heritage. It helped me to really let all the colors WITHIN me shine, vs. focusing on the color of my skin. I was taught to be myself, unapologetically. That’s what I loved the most.

Grandad (dad’s side) Wesley A. Brown. First African American to Graduate from the US Naval academy

WHAT ACTIONS DID YOUR PARENTS TAKE TO TEACH YOU ABOUT YOUR DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS?

They had an openness about them. We talked a lot about everything, and I always felt welcome to come to them with any questions. I was also lucky enough to have 6 grandparents! (Both my grandfathers re-married, so I had 4 grandmothers and 2 grandfathers). I was close to a number of my grandparents as well and learned a lot from them. Granted I don’t remember everything! But their values are what stuck with me. In addition to learning about my own ancestry, I was taught about MLK, Malcom X, Sojourner Truth, Harriet Tubman, Frida Kahlo, etc. Pioneers of Freedom and equality for all.

DID YOU TALK ABOUT RACE A LOT IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD WHEN YOU WERE GROWING UP? Yes. Race was definitely a topic of conversation. All of us being musicians and songwriters, and writing revolutionary-based music, bringing people together was at the forefront of our minds. Race and culture, inevitably, became a part of those discussions.

DO YOU IDENTIFY AS MIXED OR SOMETHING ELSE?

Yes, I identify in that way...although a part of me also just feels like I just AM.

DOES RACE WEIGH INTO WHO YOU CHOOSE TO DATE? 

No it never has been a conscious choice for me that I would or would not date somebody based on race. As more of a spark develops though, I have found myself thinking how beautiful someone is because of who there are, and race may be involved in that. My man, whom I’ve been with for 8 years, I love in part because of his multi-racial background, and outlook and openness to life as a result. If that makes sense.

WHAT DOES BEING MIXED MEAN TO YOU?

Being mixed is being human at this point. We are all blended. Whether you know it or not, or chose to accept it or not, it is a simple truth. How many “white” people hand found they have more black people in their backgrounds, and vise versa? The U.S. is called the melting pot for a reason. So many different people from all different parts of the world have come here and raised families and communities here. I’m really a believer that we are all of one people, one race. That we are stronger together than we are a part, and that our differences our to be loved and celebrated. Am I mixed? Yes, because I am a human being.

DO YOU HAVE A LOT OF FRIENDS WHO ARE MIXED?

Well if you go by my above answer, all of my friends are mixed :). I learn how to be loving and accepting. How to be kind and give unconditionally, while also being willing and able to ask for and receive support. I’ve learned how to be patient. How to be kind. How to teach what I know and know what I teach. How to trust myself and trust those around me. I’ve got an incredibly beautiful and diverse group of friends who are wise, and funny, and inspiring.

ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS YOU ARE REALLY TIRED OF HEARING FROM PEOPLE IN REGARDS TO RACE/CULTURE?

I think the most difficult thing is when I get told in many different ways, that I’m not “black enough” to, essentially, speak my truth. As an artist my truth is embodied by my lyrics and melodies as well as my style through how I wear my hair (in long dreads that have never been cut). The core of my truth is freedom, revolution, love and togetherness. I will often reference those who have inspired me as a way of conveying this truth including Frederick Douglass, Maya Angelou, Harriet Tubman, etc.

When I’m told I’m not “enough” of anything to be and do me, especially from a group of people who I’m fighting for, it hurts. But it also gives fuel to my fire, as there is so much work to be done, and that’s what I’m here for.

WHAT IS YOUR DREAM FOR THE FUTURE OF AMERICA IN REGARDS TO RACE?

That we stop dividing one another. That we come together with love and acceptance. That these feelings ripple out and touch world citizens and world leaders alike. That’s my dream.

ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO SHARE?

Just wanted to shout out my band, SayReal. Our latest single is called “Frederick’s Song (Freedom)” off of our “Unarmed and Ready” album.

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Follow Naia and her band SayReal on social media. 

Naia Personal Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

Go HERE for 3 free songs

SayReal Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

Check out their website HERE for upcoming shows.

SayReal L to R: Lightfoot, Lee John (my Boyfriend), Imani Elijah (brother), and me!

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FEATURED MULTIRACIAL INDIVIDUAL: MEET LAUREN

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Lauren Thomas-Brewster, age 32

WHAT MIX ARE YOU?

Norwegian, Creole (African-American, Spanish, Natchez and French), Sioux and Welsh

WHERE DO YOU CURRENTLY LIVE?

Broomfield, CO

IS THE COMMUNITY YOU LIVE IN NOW DIVERSE?

Not at all.

WHERE DID YOU GROW UP?

I grew up in Scotts Valley, CA , San Jose, CA and Boulder, CO. Scotts Valley was the epitome of small town living with little-to-no diversity. Everyone assumed I was of Central American or South American descent and started calling me “negra” when I tried to explain to them what my background was. That caused more than a few playground fights. San Jose had a lot of diversity although there were not a lot of other people I could relate to because I didn’t find a lot of people who were as “mixed up” as I was. In Boulder, CO, I was an outcast because no group would claim me. Nobody knew what Creole was, I only knew 1 Native American and I wasn’t “white enough” or “black enough” to be accepted without jumping through huge hoops or doing some sort of song and dance (literally) to prove myself.

HOW DID YOUR PARENTS MEET?

I believe they met at work.

WERE THERE ANY SIGNIFICANT OBSTACLES IN THEIR RELATIONSHIP CORRELATED TO YOUR BACKGROUNDS?

My paternal grandmother was very opposed to my father dating my mother at first because my mother was an anomaly to her. It wasn’t until my paternal grandmother met my Creole maternal grandmother and fell in love with her outspoken personality that the relationship was given my paternal grandmother’s blessing.

My maternal family did not have any objections because my maternal grandparents were some of the original people to marry outside of their races in the 1950s. If my grandfather and grandmother had been run out of town for loving each other across color lines, how could they judge their daughter for loving someone outside of her race?

HAS YOUR EXTENDED FAMILY ALWAYS BEEN SUPPORTIVE OF YOU BEING MULTIRACIAL/BIRACIAL?

I think it has been a hard concept for certain members of my extended family, but most people have been very accepting of me. They do their best to see me as a person and not as a race, but there have been a few uncomfortable moments when racial jokes are shared in front of me and they stare at me to see if I’m offended before they laugh.

DID YOU CELEBRATE TRADITIONS FROM BOTH SIDES OF YOUR FAMILY?

My parents did their best to raise me as an American and not force me to choose to be Anglo-American or Native American or African-American/Creole.

 WERE THERE MULTIPLE LANGUAGES SPOKEN IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD?

Both of my parents spoke English. I would occasionally hear Creole words mixed in with English when I visited my mom’s family, but I had no idea what I was hearing until probably my teen years. My dad married a Bolivian woman after he and my mom divorced, so I did hear a lot of Spanish in the home, making Bolivian an “adopted culture” of mine. I am not fluent, but can understand and speak Spanish at an intermediate level.

WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT YOUR CULTURAL BACKGROUND?

I identify most with my Creole background. Every time I step foot in the state of Louisiana or meet another Creole person, I feel so alive and comfortable. The food that is seasoned to perfection, the music that moves your soul and your feet at the same time, the southern English mixed with the broken Spanish and the butchered French...there is nothing like it!  Nobody ever questions how white you are or how black you are, they just tell you how they’ve know “dem Robertsons” for years and how you look just like “so-and-so.” I’ve never felt more accepted than when I’m in the presence of another Creole person or around people who appreciate the Creole culture.

WHAT ACTIONS DID YOUR PARENTS TAKE TO TEACH YOU ABOUT YOUR DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS?

I don’t have a lot of memories of my parents teaching me about my background. I tried to absorb as much of my culture as possible when I would go and visit members of my extended family. The most I learned was when I decided that I wanted to attend college in Louisiana. I must have been a Sophomore or Junior in high school when my mom and I took a trip to visit all the colleges I was interested in. She went out of her way to take me to all the important Creole landmarks so that we could learn about our culture together.

DID YOU TALK ABOUT RACE A LOT IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD WHEN YOU WERE GROWING UP?

The conversations were few and far in between. When we did have conversations about race, they were either hilarious or extremely emotional. I remember a time that we tried to explain our background to my little brother who must have been between 3 and 5 at the time. He decided that he wanted to “give his Creole quarter back.” While it was his juvenile misunderstanding of his genetic makeup being a 25 cent piece of change, it may also have been wisdom beyond his years of what difficulty he would have in the future being multiracial.

The hardest conversations about race were with my older brother, my cousin and my mom. While we are all multiracial, we all have had very different experiences dealing with other people’s perceptions and acceptance of us. It always boggled my mind reaching out to them in an effort to speak to someone who had experienced the same racism that I had, only to find that they experienced racism in completely different ways.

DO YOU IDENTIFY AS MIXED OR SOMETHING ELSE?

I either identify as mixed or as African-American/Creole. Unfortunately, I have been judged and shunned so much by Caucasians and Native Americans for not being “pure,” I find it easier to “pass” as African-American/Creole.

DOES RACE WEIGH INTO WHO YOU CHOOSE TO DATE?

My husband is African-American and most of the man I have dated in my adult life have also been African-American. Part of that is my personal preference, but a larger part of that is that my mixed features do not always make me attractive to other races.

WHAT DOES BEING MIXED MEAN TO YOU?

To me, being mixed means getting used to awkward looks and the harsh question “what are you?” As I’ve gotten older, I’ve become more comfortable in my own skin and find myself less likely to jump through anyone’s hoops to gain their acceptance, but that wasn’t always the case. For so many years, being mixed meant a daily journey to figure out which race I felt closest to and then hoping that the race I picked that day was going to welcome me into their club. “I’m feeling white today, so I better straighten my hair and put on a cardigan so they don’t question me.” Now, the biggest part of being mixed is making sure that I educate my children on who they are and that I teach them that their uniqueness makes each of them worth more than diamonds.

DO YOU HAVE A LOT OF FRIENDS WHO ARE MIXED?

The majority of the mixed people that I call friends are also my family. My cousins and siblings may not understand my journey completely, but have experienced “multi-racism” issues just like I have so we are always there to support one another. The few friends that I have outside of my family that are multiracial make it a point to remind themselves (and me) that it’s about who you are inside, not on the outside. I have noticed that the majority of my mixed friends identify more with their African-American heritage due to racism from the other races they are mixed with being so much harsher. I guess it is easier to swallow the sentiment that “you're not black enough” when the other statements you hear are flat out repulsive.

 The friend who has taught me the most about how to survive as a multiracial American is considered “Blaxican.” She is proud of all of her heritage and volunteers in activities in both the black and Mexican communities equally. She makes it a point to educate those who judge her instead of being offended or angered. I can only aspire to as amazing as her at representing the multicultural community.

ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS YOU ARE REALLY TIRED OF HEARING FROM PEOPLE IN REGARDS TO RACE/CULTURE?

My biggest pet peeve is the question “what are you?”  I don’t get how people don’t see that the phrasing of this question is so rude! It can make the sweetest of people want to teach you what the five fingers said to the face! And the statement that my children and I are “culturally ambiguous.” It makes me feel as if there is something wrong with us or that we are unwanted. In general, the comments that I could do without are those that make it seem like I am not doing enough to embrace one race/culture or the next. At the beginning and end of everyday, I am multiracial. I’m not here to constantly prove my allegiance to each race individually because, no matter what I do, I will always be letting at least one whole race down. As a grown ass woman who is multiracial, I am here to love myself, to raise accepting children and to embrace the emerging multicultural/multiracial country that we live in.

WHAT IS YOUR DREAM FOR THE FUTURE OF AMERICA IN REGARDS TO RACE?

My dream is that we all accept each other as Americans instead of an African-American or an Anglo-American or a Native American, etc... I enjoy the traditions and cultural uniqueness of each race, I just wish that everyone else felt that same way. I don’t think that any race or culture needs to let go of their traditions or that we each have to participate in each other's traditions, but, at the very least, we should be open minded and sensitive to things or people that are different. I think that, as humans and as Americans, we all need to live and let live. Before you know it, multiracial people will be the majority and I look forward to that day! In the meantime, I am so appreciative of how TV shows are more frequently showcasing and mainstreaming multiculturalism so that my children do not have to feel the same amount of exclusion that I did growing up.

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