Mixed Up tells the under-heard narratives of the nuanced lived experiences of the mixed-race population.
There is nothing innate about being mixed-race that leads to confusion or conflict, but social perceptions and the desire to fit into a singular category can lead to a sense of isolation.
Being mixed-race can also be a huge source of joy. Exposure to multiple cultures can open up the world and spark empathy and understanding.
It is a strange phenomenon to not look like either one of your parents – to feel as though you exist in an in between space. But by telling our stories we can define our own narratives and carve out a comfortable place to exist in the world.
Naomi Yazmin is a student and fashion blogger. She is Ghanaian, Indian and white British, but she identifies as black.
‘I feel like having light skin is glorified by many people in my generation, so I have never been ashamed of it,’ she says. ‘I have been made to feel special because of it. More special than others at times.
‘Rappers still mention “light skin” a lot in their music. They sing about being with a light-skinned girl and touching her “caramel skin”.
‘When Facebook was thriving, getting comments on my pictures calling me “lighty”, by both males and females, became normal to me. I only realise how wrong it is now I am older.
‘I have had boys I don’t know approach me on the street and tell me I think I’m “too nice” because I’m light skin, I’ve also had boys message me to say I’m taking too long to respond because I’m light-skinned.
‘My skin colour has nothing to do with how long I take to reply to a text message.
‘At a time, it seemed light-skinned girls were the “in thing” or a “fetish” and it made me wonder if they were only seeing my skin and nothing else.’
It is so important for lighter-skinned mixed-race people to acknowledge the privilege that comes with a closer proximity to whiteness. But when you identify as black, it can be hard to feel as though in some situations you’re not quite black enough.
Naomi says: ‘When the melanin movement was born, I felt automatically excluded from the movement because of being light-skinned – despite it being something that is dedicated to the empowerment and growth of young black queens.
‘I felt like I wasn’t allowed to be involved, that I wasn’t dark enough, despite being black.
‘Sometimes it’s not clear where society wants you to fit in.
‘I want people to understand that there are different types of black and that I am a melanin queen too.’
Society is obsessed with labels. We want to know exactly ‘what’ everyone is. More often than not, people want to fit you into a neat, singular identity. For Naomi, the constant explanation and justification of who she is gets frustrating.
‘When I was born, my Asian features were more distinctive so the nurse instantly asked my mother if my father was Chinese,’ Naomi explains.
‘People have literally been trying to guess or assume my ethnicity since the day I was born. When I was a baby, people would stop my mum in supermarkets and say, “are you sure that is your baby?”
‘Whenever I begin to tell people where I am from, I get ready for the sea of shocked faces.
‘I start with Ghana, because I feel more Ghanaian than anything else and then I am instantly interrupted. “Are you sure you are just from Ghana because the texture of your hair is too curly for you to be just Ghanaian”, which is pure nonsense.
‘It is only when I tell people my full mix that they seem satisfied. I often get, “oh that makes sense”.
‘It’s really annoying when I tell people my mix and they don’t believe me, or instantly question everything about me.
‘I’ve always found it difficult to fill out forms when they ask about my ethnicity. I never really know what category to pick and I have often picked “Other” to save time. I never want to feel like I am shunning one side of me.’
As well as questions from the outside world, Naomi has her own questions about her family background – namely the large unknown Indian influence.
‘There is so much about my heritage that hasn’t been answered yet and that can be quite frustrating,’ says Naomi.
‘But I am extremely proud of my heritage and it has a huge impact on me. My mix makes me unique. I feel lucky and I am happy God made me this way.
‘I am a proud Ghanaian and I am excited to visit India one day and meet my family that live out there as I try to connect the dots and find out more about that side of me.’
She might not feel connected to India, but Ghana is in Naomi’s heart. Growing up with her Ghanaian mum forged a deep connection with her motherland.
‘From a very young age, my mum told me all about Ghana. I have always eaten Ghanaian food and listened to Ghanaian music, supported Ghana in the world cup and attended huge Ghanaian functions and events,’ Naomi tells us.
‘Growing up, I would go to my grandparents’ house in London every weekend. There, I would be taught Ghanaian traditions, such as the correct hand to shake hands and eat food with – Ghanaian society frowns on the use of the left hand.
‘I visited Ghana for the first time when I was two. I go to Ghana often to visit my father and I love it. I feel at home in Ghana. I love the culture. Everyone is friendly and things are a lot more relaxed. I understand Twi, but I cannot speak it fluently.
‘When I visit Ghana, people are always excited to meet me and speak to me because I am from London. Many are also interested in my complexion.
‘When I walk around in Ghana, I hear people call me “Oburoni”. Which is a word used in the Twi language literally meaning, “those who come from over the horizon”. It is often colloquially translated to “white person.”
‘It doesn’t offend me anymore because I have been called it so many times throughout my entire life. I guess I have learnt to ignore it.’
Growing up in the capital has shielded Naomi from the negative perceptions and stereotypes about ethnic minorities that are more commonly found in non-urban areas. But the abuse experienced by previous generations hasn’t been lost on her.
‘Thankfully, I have never experienced racism,’ she says. ‘My mum has told me about the racism she received growing up in London and hearing those stories makes me extremely sad and angry.
‘Attitudes towards race are improving but I do not think Brexit helps. It feels like people in this country are becoming increasingly comfortable being racist.
‘It is really interesting to see that major UK supermarkets now have world food isles and that you can now buy products for Afro and curly hair in Boots and Superdrug. I mean it is 2019, so it’s about time right?
‘I think society will continue to be more accepting of mixed-race people because there are so many of us – and we are only going to continue to grow.
‘The media still has a lot of work to do.
‘We need to hear more stories of people who have grown up with similar experiences to us. People need to know that there are highs and lows of being mixed-race – and we want to talk about both elements.’
MORE: Mixed Up: ‘You don’t get to tell me that I’m not really black’
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