Mixed Race

 My dad was full Cambodian and my mom's pretty much full Irish (blonde hair, blue eyes, fair skin as you said). But my parents got divorced when I was probably 6 or 7 and after that I never had any relationship with my dad or his part of the family since.

 My family is all white, working class Irish-Americans and I clearly don't look like them so I remember being very confused when I was younger about just how to identify myself (and not just in terms of race, but also my sexuality). I even once put Hispanic - becuase I looked like the Hispanic kids in my classes - on some test when they asked what ethnicity I was lol! I had no idea haha.

 I'm 19 now and have just recently begun exploring my Asian heritage/Cambodian history. I feel that there's an entire other half of myself that I am completely ignorant of which is a strange feeling, because my mom always felt uncomfortable discussing anything to do with him so I never pushed her. Unfortunately I found out my father died about a year so that door is closed for good.

 But I don't feel like my lack of a uniform racial identity has ever given me trouble with the LGBT community (not that I have a lot of experience in that). I embrace who I am, in terms of both race and sexuality now more than ever and to be honest, I think it's easier for me to think of my perceptions towards both to be intertwined. I was once confused but now I'm deeply proud of both, if that makes any sense. Each one has helped my deal and cope with the other which I feel very grateful for. And I've felt very similar feelings towards both.

 It's a nice feeling. Sorry that was really long-winded! 

You are my center when I spin away.

My mother was full-blooded Korean and my father was part Japanese and part Scottish. I definitely look Asian,although people have tended to pick up that I'm hapa. I generally classify myself as Asian-American. I haven't really had negative experiences in the LGBT sense due to being mixed. Not that I can think off right off

im hapa to the max... and from what ive been told by my family have approximately 10 different ethnicities, including filipino,portuguese, english, irish(disputed), dutch, french, german, spanish, japanese, and indian (blackfoot apache). whats funny is here in hawaii im often mistaken for being hawaiian, though im not. i guess its just expected, as a matter of fact today at work some guy asked me "how do you say thank you in your language?" i was a bit stunned, and for a second i thought of replying "and what language is that?" but being the kind person i am just said "mahalo!", but really what kind of question is that? its kinda offensive, as if living in hawaii would be grounds for me to automaticaly speak some language other then english. what ever...anywho

i don't really know where to place my self. and find it quite annoying that not all forms that need to be filled out have the option *other*, as i don't view myself among the choices they have listed.(thinking about that now i assume people choose their categories more so on their cultural identity thent their physical one right?) and really i don't identify with anyone identy because really why should i when im practically the melting pot itself ;)

 

"Language is the blood of the soul into which thoughts run and out of which they grow"

-Oliver Wendell Holmes-

Mixed Chinese and Native Malaysian - very common in Malaysia. My gf is way more mixed than I - she's mixed with Chinese, Thai, German, and Jewish blood... except I'm not sure whether when she says her grandmother was German Jewish, whether that means she was a Jew who lived in Germany... hmm... I should probably ask her tonight when she comes home from work. lol

I can't believe that woman said that because you have different ethnic/racial blood it means that you're 'confused' sexually. That must mean all my straight mixed friends should really be gay! ;)

that's why I'm gay! That explains SO much.

I love race, it's one of my favourite topics, mostly because I'm mixed enough (mostly a mix from all across Asia) for it to be important to me. and in a place where you have to study your "mother tongue" as a second language for 15 years in school, race is totally screwed up here. it doesn't help that my family is pretty much mixed everywhere, so no one sort of "sticks" to their own race and we're a massive jumbled-up mix of whatever. I have cousins who are dark, who are fair, our family reunions look like a joke more than reality. I don't really identify with "one" race, which gets confusing for the racial system here.

Going back to race and sexuality, that's the stupidest thing I've ever heard. But the funniest. I'm gay because I'm mixed! THAT'S it!

 That's ignorant ridiculous what that woman had to say. "Because we're mixed and confused about our race then we must be about our sexuality...hahaha." I'm mixed white, german, black and native american. Never confused about my race I love it and love talking about it. I work as a nurse in a hospital and get asked on a daily basis about my skin tone and hair...No problem answering questions. As far as sexuality I enjoy the company of both...right now I'm leaning more towards the ladies :) And it has nothing to do with my race...it's how I feel.

I've never had any problems from people once they found out I was mixed. That girl just needs a swift kick on the pants!!

 

 

Lindsey

"it's not worth winning if you don't fight for it"

i'm mixed - german, irish, black, amerindian... doesn't have anything to do with my sexuality. i think miixed people are more attractive (not to say that pure people aren't) its just that you get some pretty awesome features thrown together - like slant eyes and full lips on olive skin. yea! ok enough perving out. No bad experiences being mixed, its more about being on a small island that sucks.

To the poster above this article claims that people who are of mixed White/Asian race are scientifically better-looking. I offer no opinion, I guess you can just decide for yourself!

 http://psychologytoday.com/articles/pto-20051221-000001.html

You are my center when I spin away.

Hello, thanks for all the comments, I can definitely relate to what you guys are saying.  I was shocked when my coworker gave me that comment, I didn't know how to respond to her!  I am very proud of being mixed, I have been able to fully experience 2 very different cultures and that in turn I think has made me more open minded.  I have also heard that people of mixed race are better looking, and I saw a report on NBC news, probably about a year ago that said that mixed people are healthier and have stronger immune systems, I don't remember why but if I find the link I will definitely post it.    Anyways keep 'em coming! 

 

she just wanted to find a way to justify (to herself) the "reasons" you're "confused". lol! ah the terms these people use. You should of said "i'm very confused, i can't decide whether i like small boobs or big boobs"    i'm pretty sure she wouldn't have had any other stupid philosophical comment/ideas about your sexuality after that.

I'm Half korean half scottish and I consider myself not as a happa but as a double. To me its a bit sad that even language is degrading regarding mixed ethnicity people when they consider themselves only half of something and not as a full. I'm fully Korean and fully scottish therefore fully proud!

As far as being genetically better- things like that don't matter to me being mindful of being accepting of others is all that matters to me. Once I start trying to say i'm better then other then I start to believe i'm superior and they are inferior and I believe we were all made different but equal.

Half Filipina (mother) half Caucasian (father). The caucasian part is a mix of mostly irish, some french, and a bit of german. I've never had any negative experiences as someone who is mixed-- everyone is always genuinely interested in hearing about my upbringing. And as for the connection between that and my being gay, i've never gotten that. thank goodness, because i would probably pop someone in the face if they ever even suggested that to me.

Hey all, Really glad to see this post. I've been playing around with my thoughts about what it means to be a biracial lesbian but I always hit a wall because I don't have much family history to give me a historical sense of self nor a close ground in lived experience to make up for the cultural implications of being assumed light skin black. I grew up in all white communities in Los Angeles and my mother (who is black) raised me by herself. My father is of German and Italian roots but refused to agknowledge me or be in my life. I know where he lives, what he does, and he knows I'm 22 now and all but he refuses to discuss cultural heritage or even talk to me. So, I kind of work at construcing what it means to be black and feel like I'm learning it through books (that there are all these great black creators and change agents - Alice Walker, Toni Morrison, Angela Y. Davis, Bayard Rustin, DuBois...etc) because my mom was from a small rural town in North Carolina and has been the only one to break out of the poverty mentality there and go into filmmaking. She disassociated (her issues..) her blackness to make herself better than the family. Her father abandoned her and my grandmother's father abandoned my grandmother...Well you don't need to know all of this but my point is I've got 0 on my father's side and one generation on my mother's side to contextualize who I am and that is really confusing... I want to continue to agknowledge that I'm biracial but I don't know how exactly... I love Heidi Durrow's blogs and the Mixed Chicks web presence.. Then there is being gay... Yea. Lots to think about. All things I'm beginning to be proud of but it's still a struggle at times.

well my mom has mexican/spanish/chinese...her last name is a mix of spanish and chinese...my grandpa is spanish my grandma mexican and my great grandfather chinese!

ok and now from my dads side...he is brazilian and was born in the dominican republic...

my grandma is dominican and my grandpa is brazilian!

i just look really latina to most people but i think its interesting how diverse my family is...in spanish some words mean different things so we have to be careful when talking to our grandparents! lol...

I hate when ppl ask me that.  But now I don't care.  Most ppl classify me as an American as they should, but I think I kinda look Filipina...which is hilarious because ppl approach and speak Tagalog right away to me.  Needless to say I'm not...I'm asian/white...but I've dyed my hair dark and less people can really tell I'm mixed.  I use to think being mixed was cool until other "hapas" killed it for me with their obsession to identify as other...so much that it became alienating...so I just realized, people have been mixed all over this earth, I am nothing new or special.  I just stick to myself...and try to avoid issues about race because I think it should be less and less important.  But I gotta say, I think mixed people are sexy...well cept for me...

I'm very mixed and don't really know where I belong. My father is native American/Chinese/German/African-Latino and my mother is Chinese/Javanese/Arabic.

Although I was born in South America and I do have a darker skin tone, people see me as a Chinese, but I don't feel Chinese, because I'm darker. I was also brought up with a more Caribean culture and Javanese culture.

Sometimes I feel like I don't belong anywhere. For example, the black people at work don't really see me as black, because I'm not 100% black, the Asian people don't really see me as asian because I'm not 100% Asian. I try not to focuss on it so much and surround myself with people/friends who don't look at color or race.

~confusedN~

i have people yelling at me at spanish, my dad says racist things towards the ther side of me when hes not on his meds and i constantly have to come out as black and white!

.

I've lived in the south for the majority of my life and it somehow never ceases to amaze me how often I get the question, " What are you?" or " Where are you from?". The questions are normally asked when after I get to know someone and its a question you can tell they have been wanting to ask for a while.

My personal experience when I was younger was being beat up and alternately ignored by the white kids for being too asian, and being beat up and alternately ignored for the asian kids for being too white. I'm kind of over- simplifing what occured but at the heart of it that is what happened. Because of that experience I became incredibly apathetic during highschool. As for being LGBT and mixed? I think it definately plays a part however I think people often separate your ethnicity and sexuality.

Sounds silly? Well I think cultural affinity and ethnic ties are more relevant when developing a sense of self. With race I find irrelevant but more as a catch all that means NOTHING. In America you say you're white, fine it means something...in the context that you are an AMERICAN white; go to the U.K it means nothing because You could be Welsh, English etc. Your cultural heteritage means more than racial. So while people see me as black I don't "feel" black in an American sense because I don't care/share for that history. I would love to learn, but that would also would love to learn about Japanese, Scottish, Russian cultures, I'm a worldy person. Our racial bonds should not limit to what we can understand about ouselves as humans.

As for it defining our sexuality, well that's just silly!

When it comes to race yea people really need to get over themselves because what's important to them is their culture which is not defind by race but a common narritave, history and language.

 The Mixed Roots Film & Literary Festival will be an annual event celebrating films and literary works exploring racially and culturally Mixed heritages.

The Festival is inclusive: anyone who identifies as Mixed, has a trans-racial or trans-cultural adoptive family, or who supports interracial and intercultural relationships is welcome.

 

 June 12-June 14, 2008, at the state-of-the-art Japanese American National Museum in downtown Los Angeles, CA (369 East First Street--Little Tokyo). All events are FREE!

 

http://www.mixedrootsfilmandliteraryfestival.org/

http://www.mixedchickschat.com/

 

 

i dont really consider myself mixed because i never met my father side and his mom is white and his father is black making some man that i never seen before mixed and not me

 but i do get the questions everyday what are you mixed with, are some latino person who come up to me and just start a convo in spanish. Most of the times there shocked when i reply in their tounge that im african american. Its even more funny when im at work and i just get my weave done when people ask if im mixed with asian. (i work at a casino).  There was only 1 time i received a negative reaction on my complexion, and she was just a bitter girl i guess.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm half indian and half arab. I cant speak hindi at all but i can understand them. I speak 3 languages. English, Malay and Mandarin. I'm half arab but i cant speak the language. I can write though. Weird i know.

Growing up in Asia is a little tough when you're gay or at least half gay. Its too conservative, especially in Singapore. Too much taboos bout homosexuals. If you're gay and you show your affection to your partner, they will look and talk bout you right infront of you sometimes. Its pretty harsh. The Prime Minister said Gay is OK but apparently most of the people doesnt agree. If i'm not wrong, only Thailand and Japan embraces homosexuality. But hey, mixed race babies are hot! ='))

I am half Italian and half African American. I never grew up around anyone from my father's side of the family, who are African American. I had a horrible childhood once my mother got re-married. I was surrounded by some of the most racist, confederate waving people you could ever meet. I can remember being told as a child to just ignore them when the went on one of their rants about blacks or gays or any other minority group. Imagine being 8 years old, surrounded by a bunch of strangers who consistently spewed their vile, bigoted stereotypes and jokes about African Americans. Even at that young age, I knew I was a part of the race that they were condemning. Live through that, and do it all by yourself with no siblings or family for support.

I am Black, Japanese and German. My dad is Black (and other things unknown), my mom is Black Japanese and German. Her mom is Japanese and her father is Black/German. I grew up till about 12 around black people. Then middle school It was an mostly white school. I was scared outta my mind!!! I felt sooo awkward. But I got used to it and it wasnt soooo bad. Then in high school it was a mixed school sooo that was great. I get along with everyone! So Im glad for that.

My dad came to America at 19 from Guyana and my mom is american but german by heritage. 

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice anywhere.
Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.
MLK

I have actually had one woman tell me tht because I am of mixed race, that I must be confused about my race and that's what makes me confused about my sexuality...

REALLY? I love that everyone has to tell multiracial people, where they belong in society. Apparently, we can't figure it out for ourselves. We're so lost, dazed, and confused- the typical "tragic mulatto" stereotype that should've died with the antebellum South

I guess I didn't really have an issue adapting to my sexual orientation. I was used to living in-between cookie-cutter social groups, so it was just one more way that I didn't conform to society. It didn't hurt me in any way. I knew where I belonged- in the middle of extremes. And I was comfortable with that. It was everyone else that was uncomfortable. "So, are you black or are you white?...Gay or straight?," that sort of thing. When that black-and-white logic failed to apply to me, I just made my own identity. Anyone who didn't like it could kiss my grits.  

mixed arabic and french here :) my father is a full blooded algerian and my mum a full blooded french, i kinda like that mix lol hope girls like it too