Biracial [bahy-rey-shuh l] /baɪˈreɪ ʃəl/ ; adjective 1. Consisting of, representing, or combining members of two separate racial groups.2. Having a biological mother from one racial group and a biological father from another: She's proudly biracial.
I would say this is the perfect description of who I am today. I represent two separate ethnic groups: White and Latina. I have a biological mother from one racial group and a biological father from another. Mostly importantly, I am proudly biracial.
Yet, being biracial has been one of the most prominent internal conflicts I have had to face in today’s society. America considers itself to be a melting pot nation, thriving with biracial and multiracial citizens from many different cultural backgrounds. Citizens who face a daily struggle of having to choose between which one of those cultures they will be accepted by and which one of those cultures they will be rejected by. Being biracial simply boils down to one question: How do you learn to be proud of who you are when, on a daily basis, you are forced to be at war with yourself?
My personal experience with being biracial has certainly defined even the smallest aspects of my daily life. I remember the first time a co-worker asked me if I was adopted because my father and my sister were both darker-skinned and I was not. To her, they both fit the stereotypes around what it means to be Latino. I was puzzled and awkwardly laughed it off, explaining that I was not adopted. I just had been born with lighter skin. “Oh, you just don’t look Puerto Rican, that’s all,” she said. To her, being “Puerto Rican” meant having a certain, stereotypical physical appearance. I was shocked by the fact that someone who was virtually still a stranger to me was bold enough to question my biological background.
The workplace was not the first or last place where I faced these stereotypes and bizarre perceptions of race and ethnicity. “But you’re half white too” people always say whenever I state that I am Latina. Yes, I am half white. I am also half Latina and being Latina has defined more of my life experiences than being white ever has. Therefore, if you ask me what my race/ethnicity is, I will always say, Latina. “Yeah, but you’re only half” is usually the response that follows.
Only. The word is defined as “no one or nothing more besides; solely or exclusively.” A strange word to use in reference to an individual’s personal identity, as if there is a certain requirement on how much of something you have to be in order to rightfully identify as such. There is an internal conflict that stems from this way of thinking about race and ethnicity. Society requires that I claim to be either white or Latina. There is no option for me to be both. Yet, my entire life, I have culturally preserved both sides of my heritage through actively engaging in the cultural ideals and traditions of both.
The thing about being biracial is, you almost rarely face explicit discrimination for who you are. Being biracial is more complex than that. I am not accepted within society because of what I am not. I am not white enough to be white. I am not Latina enough to be Latina. I am not racially complex enough to be biracial. The point here is that biracial or multiracial individuals face more discrimination than a non-biracial/multiracial individual. Why, you ask? Because when you are biracial or multiracial, you have to prove yourself every single day of your life to be profoundly identified with both or all of your cultural backgrounds. Anything less, in society’s eyes, is just not good enough.
In conclusion, biracial and multiracial individuals struggle to exist in our society because we are forced to desperately try and fit into it when it does not accept us who for who we to begin with. All the while, claiming that we are not the identities we associate with, no matter how hard we try to prove ourselves. Bringing awareness to these struggles is important because we as individuals should aim to value and respect people, regardless of their racial or ethnic backgrounds. I believe the only way to create a society that is established in acceptance and positivity is to stop prospering one that is established in unjust and prejudicial treatment.
