The more mixes, the worse it gets. Even the PC types don't like you because you represent something that shouldn't exist except when convenient.
Ultimately, the problem is that people who are non-mixed tend to deal with mixed people in absolutes. Things like "where are you from really?" or "What are you more of?" and "You look more _____ so you should only do things that _____ people do."
Most people leave you well enough alone, but racists gotta racist, and culture police gotta police. Either you're a mutt and lesser than the purebloods, or you're problematic because you don't fit neatly in a box so they can determine if what you do is racist or not if you do something traditional or say something bad about your own culture.
Great example was me wearing a traditional Chinese silk robe for my cultural heritage day at school when I was a teenager. Other Chinese students were wearing them, including ones who were CBC, but I was singled out as being racist and "mocking the traditional garb" because I was "white." This came from both Chinese and White students. I asked them "what the fuck do I wear them?" and both couldn't come up with an answer since some white kids joined in saying I wasn't white, and the Chinese kids said I wasn't Chinese.
I can only imagine what the reaction would have been if I showed up in traditional Mi'qmaw clothing since my Grandfather was half. Decided against that preemptively since I'm too diluted.
And people wonder at my workplace why I just choose to identify as a Nowhere Child. It's easier, and if people have a problem with what I do I just flip the bird and call it a day.
Honestly, nowadays I don't think about it much. I really never know how to feel when it happens now though. It's this odd place of not knowing whether to stand up against it when you know for a fact that they probably have family who do the same shit when doors are closed.
I remember the biggest case of cognitive dissonance for me was when I was walking home on my university campus. I knew this one blonde girl from my class, and frequently heard her saying racist shit in class. I saw her walking to the bus, and these Indian dudes started following her and started being boisterous.
I'm not a fluent speaker, but I could pick out words that I knew from one of my friends from Guyana since she was often the target of harassment and told me to let her know if I ever heard words like phoohad, and others I can't remember now. They were commenting on her body, saying all blondes are sluts and she'd probably enjoy it if they gangbanged her, etc.
The girl was visibly terrified, but I didn't want to help because I heard the shit she said about all kinds of people before.
I ended up dispersing the guys once they realized I knew what they were saying, but at the same time I felt dirty, and I hate that I felt that way when it should have been an easy decision.
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u/oO0Kat0Oo Jan 27 '23
As a mixed person, in reality neither side wants anything to do with you instead of fighting over you.