English | Indian
My Mother met my Father in a nightclub which she shouldn't have been in, but this time she had run away from a forced marriage so was estranged from her family. My Mother and Father were ground-breaking in a way. They set the path for others, they fought against what the norm may have been and all the hate and looks they got for being together. It was so much harder for my Mum and Dad, they had so much more prejudice to go through battle after battle. Today it’s easier but we still have a long way to go. I feel I am more open to choosing anyone and acceptance of anyone, but I’d be keen to have a partner who had a similar blending of cultures upbringing, unless you have been through this it’s very hard to explain.
When you're young you don't really understand or think anything is different. Your Mum’s Brown, your Dad’s White, so what. Until someone has something negative to say and then you just get upset for a while and move on. I did like being mixed as a child as I didn't see anyone else who looked like me. The older I get I feel like we will evolve and will become even more appreciative of being mixed and not care what others think.
Taking my grandmother's ashes back to Ganges was my first time in India. It was a very overwhelming experience, I travelled with all my cousins who were all born in England but look totally different from me. I felt like I stood out like a sore thumb as we travelled to the village. I even had a long line of children following me like I was the pied piper memorised at my looks. I learnt so much about the culture and the struggles the family had to face and the sacrifices. I got a huge understanding of why Mother behaved a certain way. I felt like it was a pivotal point in the understanding of my culture.
I think that things have started to change but I feel like it's just the beginning, there are still a lot of narrow minded people out there who just don't accept others who are slightly different. The realisation that actual being mixed is a beautiful thing to quote Jassa Ahluwalia 'We’re both, not half.' ‘We are more, not less.’
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