I had a chance to do an email Q & A with Cam who is super excited to attend the Mixed Remixed Festival. I love his story! He’s traveling all the way from Illinois to join in on the fun! Check out what he had to say.–Heidi DurrowQ: You’ve probably heard it all your life, but I have to ask: What are you?
A: I’ve been asked so many times and I still don’t know the best way to answer the question. The simplest answer is half white on my mom’s side and half black on my father’s.
Q: Was there a moment in your growing up you realized that you or your family were “different”? How old were you? What happened?
A: I distinctly remember in kindergarden drawing pictures of my family and ALWAYS using a different crayon when I had to draw myself. Everyone was “Peach” while I was “Tan”. I grew up in a pretty diverse suburb of Chicago and all my peers were of various backgrounds.
Q: What did your parents tell you about being mixed?
A: My mom always emphasized not having to choose between being black and being white. This helped a lot when my mom and I moved to a predominantly white suburb and it was difficult not to be a token. I was always just told to be myself, because I’m more than just my ethnicity. This way of thinking helped me to embrace white and black cultures and live my life not fitting into stereotypes.
Q: Why is the Festival important to you?
A: I’ve been coming to Mixed Roots for a few years and now Mixed Remixed and I remember the first year I walked in and was so shocked by how many beautiful people were there. This festival for me is a glimpse of how much tolerance and unity can be achieved if we celebrate everyone’s cultures coming together. That’s what the festival stands for in my eyes, a celebration of cultures coming together as one community.
Q: The mayor of LA calls himself a “kosher burrito” because he has a mixed Mexican and Jewish background. What would your “mixie food name” be? 🙂 #mixiefoodname
A: My mixed background is a little bit of everything so I’d have to be a “Thanksgiving leftover sandwich” Some of all of it in every bite!