British | Jamaican
I identify as mixed-race, Jamaican & British. My Mum was born in the UK, her Father is mixed Jamaican & Scottish. Her mother is Jamaican. My Dad was born in the UK, both parents are British. I lived with my parents till I was 5. Then lived with my Mum until I was 10 and then was taken in foster care from 10 until the age of 18. I think I first realised I was mixed-race when I was put in foster care. Social services said to me they are going to put me with someone who represents my background and can educate and show me more about it, it took me a while to grasp that at the age of 10 because I was so used to being from a White area that I wasn’t actually paying attention to the fact my family were a different colour to the other people around me because I thought I looked like all the other kids being so pale. I would never say I disregard my British side, but I connect with my mum’s Jamaican culture the most due to my foster carer being Jamaican herself and growing up in that environment was what felt like home. So now in day to day life the Jamaican culture is what I’m more familiar with. Being mixed-race allows meeting other individuals who are mixed-race is one of the biggest positives. You get to see a wide variety of cultures and get a greater understanding of others. I feel like with Britain being so much more multi-cultural now, being mixed race in today’s day and age is something worth talking about. It shows we are integrating and that is a beautiful thing. In today’s world being mixed-race is far more than simply being half Black and White. It’s an identity that covers all cultures and all kinds of mixes. I do feel like I fit in more. I see more people around me with so many different mixes in them that it’s so interesting hearing other people’s stories. You start to place yourself in society as being mixed rather than someone placing you in a box of which mix you side with more. If I were to be born again I would say I would love to have mixed cultures in me. I find it so intriguing discovering cultures and background.
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