Creole/Native-Indian/Hindustani | Algerian/Jewish-Portuguese/Jamaican
My Mother & Father are both mixed-race; from Paramaribo, Surinam. My Mum is from Creole | Hindustani | Native-Indian descent & my Dad is from Algerian | Jewish-Portuguese | Jamaican descent. Being born and raised within a Dutch western society as a ‘Surinamese’ mixed-race definitely had an effect on my heritage. First of all, the culture & traditions you inherit of your origin are the total opposite of where you are born & raised. When you grow older you will start to notice the differences. For example; the Surinamese society is very polite & friendly while the Dutch society can be very rude & harsh sometimes. It can be very difficult to find a balance between these cultures as they do not match always. My Father passed away when I was 6 or 7 years old so losing my Father on a young age did not make it any easier. Also, I learned that my Mother’s surname is from Scottish descent and my Father’s surname is from Dutch descent. These were inherited through slavery in various ways which made it more complicated. The only advantage I already had was that I was born in the society that I was being raised in. The only differences that arose were based on the different cultures. My Mum always said to adjust yourself and integrate in the society you live in but to never forget where you came from. Whenever I would have questions my mother always tried to give me a sufficient answer and guide me through the difficulties. Everything comes with advantages and disadvantages. I think the best experience of being mixed-race is learning so much of different cultures which changes your perception and view upon all things. One of the benefits is that I will blend into every society. As a mixed-race, you will always be different than other people. Instead of trying to do your best to fit in, even if it means losing yourself, try to find the real you and accept you for who you are. You don’t know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’re coming from.
Want to read more? - Subscribe here #mixedracefaces