German | Egyptian
My Mother is Egyptian and my Father is German. They met in Sydney at a factory they worked in the late 70's. There was hardly any cohesion, my Father left behind his German culture/history to absorb himself in Aussie hedonism and my Mother was totally blanketed in layer after layer of her Egyptian cultural identity, so much so that I spoke Arabic before learning English and was Egyptian to anyone that asked.
I have visited both countries and fell in deep love with Egypt, so much so that I moved there mid Arab Spring, staying for 3 years! I have plans to live in Germany one day too. Germans are represented very much so, with their structures and strong work ethic. Not so much on the Egyptian side though. For most of my childhood and youth I hid the German side.
I love being mixed now that I have language to express how I feel and yes in future I think as the world eventually becomes more ethnic and mixed, we'll become the norm. I totally agree and support interracial relationships, which is more than what my parents’ generation offered. I look for someone ideally also mixed or very well-travelled or bilingual to be able to get me, beyond theory and words, into the deep embodiment of the skin I'm in.
Positives are I am a chameleon; I can fit in and be embraced as a native in any Brown nation, which has an abundance of advantages e.g. paying local prices and being invited to local parties!
Disadvantages are that some of my oldest friends still see me in terms of parts, the part they prefer is emphasised and relatable while the other parts are kept in the shadows and never acknowledged, which makes me feel discombobulated or on really low days; broken. I’m doing much better now, with almost daily walks in the woods, yoga and breath-work, meditation as a deep spiritual practice, journaling and more meaningful communication and activities with friends.
To improve racial equality, education, across every single Institution, place of work and worship needs to get professional consultants in to unlearn the racist myopic histories we've been taught and re-learn history through a vastly wider lens.
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