Written by Rahul Yates; IG: @rahul.yates
Proudly Multiracial and Multicultural
“Being mixed-race and multicultural has definitely shaped who I am, in both positive and negative ways.
I still remember when I was younger and always having to take that extra “step” when explaining my background to people, that most of my friends did not have to do. Further, I felt that my name and the color of my skin didn’t “match up”, so to say, and that my ethnic name did not make sense when people would look at me, since I’m lighter that most people of my ethnicity.
Now as I’ve grown older, I’ve been able to come more to terms with my identity. I no longer dread having to explain my ethnic and racial background, because I am now proud of being multiracial. Where I used to see it as another annoying task, now I wear it as a badge of pride.
I can attribute this change in thinking to 1) growing up and become more socially and culturally aware, and 2) realizing that so much of who I am is because of my mixed identity, so I should embrace that instead of hiding from it. For example, I know so much about both Indian and American culture, and I’ve practiced traditions from both, to the point where I can seamlessly participate in each one, with the only catch being that I don’t really look like the other people I’m with. This gradual change in thinking has definitely been beneficial to me, because now I’m not stopping myself from embracing all of me.
Overall, my experience being multiracial and multicultural has been at times tumultuous, but I’ve grown to love my identity and all of the good and the bad that comes with it. And, I’m always super excited to meet another mixed person so we can talk about our experiences!”