Hello, my dear friends, and welcome to the start of my new blogging adventure! I'm so glad you're here!
I started this blog as a way to give my unique persective on the world as a multiracial young woman in America. So, when I came across the mixed girl tag on Tumblr, I thought taking part would be a great way to introduce myself and help y'all get to know me! Let's not dilly dally anymore, though—let's just dive right in!
What are you mixed with?
I am Black American, Lebanese, Cherokee, and a smidge Scottish!
What ethnicities have you been mistaken for?
It honestly varies in different regions of the US and also based on what race/ethnicity the person I'm interacting with is. Black American folk generally take one look at me and immediately know that I'm Black, so most of them don't bother asking me what I am or making any assumptions or guesses as to my heritage. Similarly, Arabs always recognize me as Arab, however they tend to think I'm Afro-Arab instead of Asiatic Arab, likely because they see recognize the mixture of African/Arab but mistakenly ascribe it to the wrong African and Arab ethnicities (for example, Arabs frequently mistake me for being Moroccan). Latinx folk tend to mistake me for Puerto Rican or Brazilian, and I think this is partially because I'm a mixture of Black and Indigenous, similar to many Latinx people, especially in Puerto Rico and Brazil. White people typically don't think that I'm White, but also generally have no clue what race/ethnicity I might be. Some guesses I've gotten from many White folk are "some type of Latinx?" and Jewish.
Is your hair curly or straight?
My hair is really curly! To be specific, I have fine, highly porous 3C curls.
Was coming from different backgrounds challenging growing up?
In all honesty I'm happy to say that the answer is "not really." IMy hometown is incredibly racially and ethnically diverse and super integrated. For example, during the time I attended, my high school was one of the top three most racially diverse high schools in the US and there was no race-based violence. Because my hometown is so diverse, I was one of many mixed raced kids at my schools growing up, so I wasn't really viewed as "special," "different," or "unusual."
Which backgrounds did you embrace the most?
All of them! Growing up, I was fortunate to live in a home where I was really encouraged to embrace each and every part of all of my cultural heritages/identities and to learn every history and connect with every community and participate in every culture. I was also fortunate enough to grow up in an area that was diverse enough to facilitate that.
Have you ever been teased for being different?
I haven't necessarily been teased specifically for being mixed race, per se, but I've definitely been made fun of for different aspects of my racial/ethnic identity. For instance, I have very fair skin, but in almost every other way, I present as stereotypically "phenotypically Black" and growing up non-Black kids would make fun of me for both of those things. Having grown up in the aftermath of 9-11, I also had White folks saying a lot of really hateful things to me about my Arab heritage and calling me an "Arab terrorist."
Have you ever been ashamed of being multiracial?
Never! I grew up mainly with my mother, who is also multiracial (she's Lebanese, Black, and Irish) and she made a conscious effort to teach me to embrace the fullness of my multiracial heritage and to never be ashamed of it, no matter what others might say.
Do you feel that being mixed has its benefits?
I think it has its benefits only as much as being any race has its benefits. That being said, it definitely gives you a unique perspective and I, personally, feel a responsibility to use that unique perspective to leave the world a little better than I found it.
What makes being multiracial a beautiful thing?
I think being multiracial really showcases how each culture has so many similarities and so many differences and those similarities and differences are meant to be celebrated and shared, rather than ignored in favor of assimilation to one culture. The world is so much more beautiful when you learn to see it in color and to embrace that colorful nature of life. I feel like multiracial people really embody that particular truth and that's so beautiful and special.
Any advice to someone who struggles with their multiracial identity?
No matter what, don't break yourself into percentages! Embrace all of your cultural heritages as 100% a part of you and that you are a full human being!
So that's all for today, dear friends! Hopefully this tag gave you a better glimpse into who I am and what you can expect from me. I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences as a mixed person or as a non-mixed person in the comments and hopefully we can get a good discussion going and learn from each other!
Until next time, dear friends!
Lila
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