Mixed Remixed Festival

5 Things That Will Make You Feel Like You Can Embrace a Mixed Race or Biracial Identity

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1. Recognize that your psychic health may require self-acceptance of your mixed race and multiracial identity.

Multiracial, mixed race, biracial, growing up biracial, biracial identity, multiracial identity, multiculturalism, biracial family, blasian, hapa, mixed race adoption

A study published in 2015 in Current Directions in Psychological Science by Sarah Gaither found that multiracial children who are “raised to identify with both parents and to understand their complex racial heritage [can] have higher self-esteem than mono-racial people. They are adaptable, able to function well in both majority and minority environments. They are more likely to reject the conception that race biologically predicts one’s abilities, which may, in turn, insulate them from the negative impact of racism or bias.” Source: New York Magazine.

5 Things That Will Make You Feel Like You Can Embrace a Mixed Race or Biracial Identity #multiracial

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2. Learn about historical figures who were mixed.

One of the things that helped me start to accept the fact that I could not hide from my complicated cultural and racial identity was learning about other mixed-race people of the past.  For me, Nella Larsen who also wrote about being black and Danish (like me) back in the 1920s became an important figure.  I saw her bravery about talking about being mixed in a racially divided world as a kind of permission.  It’s important to feel like you have a history.  Seek out mixed historical figures.  Here’s one fun resource in The Mixed Experience History Month.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

3. Read books about biracial people (fiction and non-fiction).

 
Multiracial, mixed race, biracial, growing up biracial, biracial identity, multiracial identity, multiculturalism, biracial family, blasian, hapa, mixed race adoptionThere is an ever-growing literature about biracial and mixed-race characters and people.  Read those stories and find yourself!  We have a couple of resources here if you’re looking for memoirs or kids’ books.  The Mixed Remixed Festival also has its own on-line book club.  You should join us and read some great books!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

4. Watch films featuring biracial and mixed race characters.

 
Multiracial, mixed race, biracial, growing up biracial, biracial identity, multiracial identity, multiculturalism, biracial family, blasian, hapa, mixed race adoptionDitto films!  It’s an amazing experience to be in a theater and see families that look like your own like the wonderful film, Loving, and now more recently A United Kingdom.  Heck, you can find our stories on Netflix too.  Stream one now! 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

5. Connect on-line and in-person with other mixed race and biracial people.

 
Multiracial, mixed race, biracial, growing up biracial, biracial identity, multiracial identity, multiculturalism, biracial family, blasian, hapa, mixed race adoptionIt’s been so amazing to connect with other mixed folks and families on line in various Facebook groups and on Twitter and Instagram.  Our favorite way to connect though is the Mixed Remixed Festival.  It’s the largest nationwide gathering of mixed families and people held each year in June.  You should join us! It’s free! 
 
 

5 Stunning Photo Books of Mixed People, Families and Interracial Couples

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Multiracial, mixed race, biracial, growing up biracial, biracial identity, multiracial identity, multiculturalism, biracial family, blasian, hapa, mixed race adoptioWe think it’s always important to have media images that show positive representations of mixed-race and multiracial people and families.  These are some of the large format photo and portrait books that we’ve loved over the years.  Learn more about them.

5 Photo Books for Mixed Race & Multiracial People & Families #multiracial #mixedrace

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No Difference Betwen Them, Robert Kalman. Here is the easiest way to describe this lovely book of portraits.  “Robert Kalman’s extraordinary portraits of interracial couples in No Difference Between Them show us what love looks like. It’s not contrast but connectMultiracial, mixed race, biracial, growing up biracial, biracial identity, multiracial identity, multiculturalism, biracial family, blasian, hapa, mixed race adoptionion that he has captured. Kalman meets the shared gaze of each couple with warmth. And whether they hold onto each other or not, the couples look like they belong together. Kalman’s photographs witness their bond. No Difference Between Them is an essential record of what human connection looks like. And Kalman has done it with great skill and clearly great love.” — Heidi W. Durrow

 

 

 

 

 

 

Multiracial, mixed race, biracial, growing up biracial, biracial identity, multiracial identity, multiculturalism, biracial family, blasian, hapa, mixed race adoptionPart Asian, 100% Hapa, Kip Fulbeck This beautiful photo book has become a staple of mixed race studies and a must-have for all multiracial families.  The photos are part of a traveling exhibit that has toured across the country a few times and always generates wonderful conversation.  You will love this collection of portraits and the insights into how we see ourselves through the subjects’ eyes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Multiracial, mixed race, biracial, growing up biracial, biracial identity, multiracial identity, multiculturalism, biracial family, blasian, hapa, mixed race adoptionMixed: Portraits of Multiracial Kids, Kip Fulbeck

Fulbeck took his genius to a new project that focused exclusively on kids.  It’s not just a collection of cute “mixed-race” kids; the book also collects their thoughts on race and identity in their own words.  There is a lot of wisdom from these young kids.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Multiracial, mixed race, biracial, growing up biracial, biracial identity, multiracial identity, multiculturalism, biracial family, blasian, hapa, mixed race adoptionBlended Nation: Portraits and Interviews of Mixed Race Americans, Mike Tauber

Mike Tauber is a super-talented photographer and he has captured great portraits of mixed-race individuals as well as their stories in this large-format coffee table book.  This would make a great gift!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Multiracial, mixed race, biracial, growing up biracial, biracial identity, multiracial identity, multiculturalism, biracial family, blasian, hapa, mixed race adoptionOf Many Colors: Portraits of Multiracial Families, Gigi Kaeser

This too was a wonderful traveling exhibit.  What is wonderful about this book is that it portrays whole families in a really beautiful way.  Here is a description of this book: “Of Many Colors tells the stories of thirty-nine families who have bridged the racial divide through interracial marriage or adoption. In these pages, parents and children speak candidly about their lives, their relationships, and the ways in which they have dealt with issues of race.”

 

 

 

 

 

Photo books to celebrate #multiracial #mixedrace families

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5 Surprising Facts About Biracial Americans

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Multiracial, mixed race, biracial, growing up biracial, biracial identity, multiracial identity, multiculturalism, biracial family, blasian, hapa, mixed race adoption

  1. 29% of biracial adults previously thought of themselves as one race.

Multiracial, mixed race, biracial, growing up biracial, biracial identity, multiracial identity, multiculturalism, biracial family, blasian, hapa, mixed race adoption

Racial identity has changed as (1) the multiracial population has increased dramatically in the last 20 years (2) more high-profile people who are biracial have claimed their mixed-race backgrounds (3) there are more opportunities to connect with other multiracial/biracial people because of social media and, of course, the annual Biracial Mixed Remixed Festival. Source: Pew Research Center “Multiracial in America Proud, Diverse and Growing in Numbers” June 11, 2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

29% of biracial adults previously thought of themselves as one race. #multiracial #mixedrace

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  1. 5Multiracial, mixed race, biracial, growing up biracial, biracial identity, multiracial identity, multiculturalism, biracial family, blasian, hapa, mixed race adoption0% of biracial adults are white and American Indian.

 

It’s true! Fifty-percent of multiracial adults are white and American Indian. The next largest population is Black-American Indian (18%) and the White-Black (11%).  Source: Pew Research Center “Multiracial in America Proud, Diverse and Growing in Numbers” June 11, 2015

 

 

 

 

 

50% of biracial adults are white and American Indian. #multiracial #mixedrace

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  1. The multiracial population will triple by 2060!

Multiracial, mixed race, biracial, growing up biracial, biracial identity, multiracial identity, multiculturalism, biracial family, blasian, hapa, mixed race adoptionYes, that’s right! The increasing rate of interracial marriages and the increasing members of mixed-race children to those couples. In 2013, 6.3 percent of marriages were interracial, and 10% of those living with 2 parents had parents who were different races.  Source: Pew Research Center “Multiracial in America Proud, Diverse and Growing in Numbers” June 11, 2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

The multiracial population will triple by 2060! #multiracial #mixedrace

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  1. Multiracial Americans are politically diverse.

Surprise! The idea that we are all universally liberal because of our intimate connections to at least two races and/or culture is NOT true. In fact, biracial white and American Indians are majority Republican (53% Republican to 42% Democrats).  Source: Pew Research Center “Multiracial in America Proud, Diverse and Growing in Numbers” June 11, 2015

 

 

 

 

Multiracial Americans are politically diverse. #multiracial #mixedrace

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  1. There are psychological advantages to strongly identifying as biracial.

Multiracial, mixed race, biracial, growing up biracial, biracial identity, multiracial identity, multiculturalism, biracial family, blasian, hapa, mixed race adoptionSee, you’re not confused because you identify with all of your complex racial and cultural identity! Specifically: “[Children] raised to identify with both parents and to understand their complex racial heritage, multi-racial people can have higher self-esteem than mono-racial people… They are adaptable, able to function well in both majority and minority environments.” Source: “The Psychological Advantages of Strongly Identifying As Biracial” by Lisa Miller, New York Magazine May 22, 2015 

 

 

 

 

There are psychological advantages to strongly identifying as biracial. #multiracial #mixedrace

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4 More Top Biracial Memoirs

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We shared our Top 10 Contemporary Biracial Memoirs with you last year.  We realized that there are so many stories that we want to make sure you know about.  Here are 4 more Top Biracial Memoirs that you want to put on your to-read list! 

Multiracial, mixed race, biracial, growing up biracial, biracial identity, multiracial identity, multiculturalism, biracial family, blasian, hapa, mixed race adoption

The Letting Go Trilogies: Stories of a Mixed-Race Family (2016) by Dmae Roberts

This is a great read! In a series of essays, Roberts tells the story of growing up Taiwanese and white before people talked about being biracial. Her prose is moving and her honesty and insight is often heart breaking. Check it out!

Turning Japanese (2016) by MariNaomi

MariNaomi’s graphic novel tackles the story of how after ending two long-term relationships Naomi learns to deal with her “otherness” to both Japanese and American culture. When she decides to work at a Japanese hostess bar in the Bay Area and then travels “back” to Japan to connect with her family. At turns funny and touching, you’ll love Mari Naomi’s artwork and the heart she puts in her story.

Born a Crime: Growing Up Biracial During Apartheid (2016) by Trevor Noah

The biracial South African-born comedian that took the reins of the Daily Show in 2015 has penned a memoir about the absurdities and difficulties of being mixed race in a country where his birth violated any number of laws, statutes, and regulations. This is not a simple celebrity tell-all, rather, Noah shares deeply personal stories about growing up poor, raised by a single mom who instilled in him a belief that he could rise above the circumstances of his birth. Reviewers have praised this book across the board. Be sure to check it out.

Love Imagined: A Mixed Race Memoir (2014) by Sherry Quan Lee

Sherry Quan Lee has written a fascinating memoir about growing up mixed race (Black and Chinese) in a mostly Scandinavian-American region.  She writes about the loneliness and confusion she experienced because of the silence imposed on her family about her racially and culturally complex identity.  The memoir is raw, honest, and a really great read.

Truth Exposed: A Conversation Between a Mixed Daughter and her White Mother

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Meet Meghan

Hey there! I’m Meghan, a 22-year-old Detroit area native and one of the newest guest bloggers to the Mixed Remixed community. I’m a young biracial woman mixed with African American and Caucasian (German and Irish)—however, I don’t know much about my African American family and/or roots. In fact, I was raised exclusively by my white mother and in an entirely white family.

I wanted to take a unique approach to this concept of feeling disconnected from one side of your biracial ethnicity and delve not only into my internal conflicts and concerns – but also into the experiences of my mother and how she managed raising a biracial child (me) in a solely white environment. Through an interview between my mother and I, one can ultimately see how our relationship shaped the views on my biracial makeup.

Enjoy!

Reflection

As I faced my reflection in the mirror, I studied my caramel complexion and deep chestnut eyes carefully…“Am I adopted?” my eight-year-old self wondered.

At the time, my thoughts didn’t seem irrational. The children at school would tell me I couldn’t be more than one race, and the boxes on the standardized testing didn’t defy that concept. “I had to be adopted,” I confirmed to myself with a slight nod.

I didn’t resemble any of my extended family members—which I definitely found unsettling. However, I was particularly put-off by the lack of resemblance I had to my mom. Being an only child in a single parent family, my mom and I were naturally closer than many children are to their mothers. My mom was all I had and I felt bewildered that we looked nothing alike. She had piercing hazel eyes that illuminated against the light and honey blonde hair that maintained an effortless shine. I carried none of those features.

Still staring at myself intently, I scratched my chocolate curls, confused. At the tender age of eight, I most certainly didn’t believe that even having parents of separate race was feasible.

My father wasn’t brought into conversation very often and in general; my interaction with other races and ethnicities were limited.

Finally, I stepped off the stool that gave me height to the mirror and tucked attempted to tuck quietly below the sink. Instead, its legs scraped and screamed against the cold tile floor—similar to the screaming confusion I heard in my head. “Who am I? And when was I adopted?”

As I faced my reflection in the mirror, I studied my caramel complexion and deep chestnut eyes carefully…’Am I adopted?’ my eight-year-old self wondered. #mixedrace #multiracial

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Understanding

Fast-forward 14 years and of course, I’m no longer eight. Instead, I’m a 22-year-old woman who has self-actualized and developed a growing understanding toward her biracial background thanks to the encouragement of my mom.

Throughout the years, I was curious as to how she managed to raise me and if she endured struggles along the way. So, being inquisitive in nature, I decided to sit down and ask her what had been on my mind throughout majority of my life. Here’s what she had to say:

During pregnancy/once you found out you were pregnant, had you ever thought what it would be like to raise a biracial child? Did you initially think there would be any type of struggle in terms of racial identification?

Initially, no. I didn’t think there would be any type of struggle. My main responsibility was raising you and making sure I provided for you. Thinking back, it may have been oblivious for me to think I wouldn’t run into struggles in helping you to identify with your African American side. I also should have been more aware to the potential issues of raising you in a primarily white community where there weren’t many biracial or black children at the time.

Living in a predominantly white community, what would you say some of the hardships were being a white, single parent raising a biracial child?

There were definitely several. Especially once you got to be school aged. A lot of the time, I felt like people would look at me and then look at you and try to figure out what was going on and how we could possibly be related. Regardless, though, I wanted you to know that just because you may have looked different from a lot of the other kids you were in school with – you were beautiful and special. You still are! I really tried to encourage you to love your hair, love your darker skin and recognized that being you is perfectly wonderful. Another issue/hardship I remember was when you were in six. There was an incident when you were in first grade where one of your friends told you, you couldn’t play with them that day because you were black. I spoke with the principal later that day and even again later that week to really enforce teaching racial tolerance at the elementary school. I think back in 2000/2001 racial tolerance was still a very new concept.

What was your reactions to me asking if I was adopted?

It made me sad that you thought you weren’t related to me. At the same time, I could understand where you were coming from. I really wanted to try and find ways for you to embrace your black side. I tried to use words of encouragement and have you watch TV shows with mainly black characters! I also got you a black dolls. But it was still hard being that you were never really surrounded by other African Americans at school, in our family or in the community at large.

Did you ever find yourself to be the subject of any scrutiny while raising me?

Oh my gosh, yes! One of the most notable things I can remember was about your hair. I would be walking down the street with you or in a grocery and African American and/or mixed women would approach me about your hair—saying they could do it for free of charge or at an extremely discounted price if I needed. A lot of the time I would say it was fine but thank you for offering. But in my head I was just like “really?!” I guess I felt inadequate and even insulted that they felt I didn’t know what I was doing when it came to your hair. I initially tried to brush it off but eventually the more I was asked if I knew what I was doing [with your hair], the more I got aggravated.

Were you ever asked if I was your child? If so, how often and how did that make you feel?

Sometimes, yeah. If we’d be in a store together people would sometimes ask if we were together or if I was your daughter. When you were growing up I got it more from the young kids, though. They had trouble understanding why I was light and you were darker.

Overall, what are your thoughts about raising a biracial child and how do you reflect back upon that time?

I’m proud. I’m proud of the woman you’ve become and glad you’ve ultimately come to understand both sides of your race. I wanted you to be well adjusted and very receptive to both sides of your multiracial makeup. It may have come with some unknown territory at the beginning of it all, but I couldn’t be happier.

Fast-forward 14 years and of course, I’m no longer eight. Instead, I’m a 22-year-old woman who has self-actualized and developed a growing understanding toward her biracial background thanks to the encouragement of my…

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Meghan Dooley

—Hey there! I’m Meghan, a 22-year-old Detroit native mixed with black and white. I’m a storyteller at heart and have a passion for all things related to multiracial culture, reading, writing, crime thrillers and current events! Feel free to check out my blog, Biracial Beauty and follow me on Instagram @meghandooleyy

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Join us for the largest gathering of multiracial and mixed-race families and people in June 2017 for the 4th Annual Mixed Remixed Festival.

Your Top Resource for Multiracial and Mixed Race Stories Now is a Podcast Too!

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You kept telling us that you love the Mixed Remixed Festival but you wanted MORE!  And we heard you!  That’s why we have started the Mixed Remixed Festival podcast that debuts this week!

Join the On-Line Book Club Discussions LIVE on the Podcast or Catch Up Via itunes!

1. Multiracial, mixed race, biracial, growing up biracial, biracial identity, multiracial identity, multiculturalism, biracial family, blasian, hapa, mixed race adoptionCatch the wonderful conversation that Festival Founder Heidi Durrow and Festival Literary & Workshop Director Jamie Moore had about the inaugural book club pick, Loving Day by Mat Johnson.  We talk about the characters and issues that Johnson’s excellent story about a mixed-race man confronts when he learns about a daughter he didn’t know as she grew up and tries to help her with her racial identification.  You can listen to the episode here or download it from itunes.  Be on the lookout for the announcement of the next book club pick!

Keep the Conversation Going About Mixed-Race and Multiracial Books on Goodreads all year long!

Yes, we have a monthly call-in and chat discussion, but we’re also on Goodreads and we’ll keep the discussions going there all year-long and always updated.  Join our Goodreads group and stay up to date!

Mixed Remixed FestivalThe Mixed Remixed Festival Podcast Will Also Feature Festival Archives!

We’re also working on sharing the audio from past festival with you so that if you missed it you can listen in.  And if you were there, you can re-live your great festival moments.  Stay tuned!

Listen to the Mixed Remixed Festival podcast! #mixedrace #multiracial

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Join us for the largest gathering of multiracial and mixed-race families and people in June 2017 for the 4th Annual Mixed Remixed Festival.

My Journey Transitioning from Bare Face to Beauty Trends

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Makeup Beginnings

Make-up and I have had a very interesting relationship over the course of my 26 years of life. I wouldn’t say we started off too strong given a.) I didn’t know what I was doing, b.) my beauty trendsetters consisted of The Olsen Twins, Britney Spears, Jessica Simpson…need I say more? c.) My mother is much lighter than me and didn’t wear too much make-up, but when she did it was pink blush and a red lip. I don’t advocate for wearing make-up at an early age; however, I was a cheerleader and we were required to wear uniformed make-up, so it crossed my path at many points of adolescence.

Experimentation

We started off with glitter, crème eyeshadows, pink blush and now have transitioned to bold lips, highlighted cheeks and blended tones. Looking back there are many times I cringe at failed make-up experiments that did not look good on me. I remember concluding early on the classic “red lip,” was not made for my skin tone. There was even a period of time I stopped wearing make-up all together because it was frustrating trying to find foundation, bronzer, cover-up, and lipsticks that looked good on my skin tone. For an amateur like myself, make-up in general can be wildly overwhelming, there is just so much product that is for 1,000 different things. If you asked me up until maybe these past three-four years what beauty brands were available for people of color, I’d think Covergirl, Olay, Avon, Neutrogena and L’Oreal. This was few and far between because the availability of options was very limited for anything past maybe a golden skin color.

There was…a period of time I stopped wearing make-up…because it was frustrating trying to find [what] looked good on my skin tone. #mixedrace #multiracial

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Red lips are for everyone!

Worlds of Color

Now with the rise of diversity and inclusion in beauty products you have MAC, ColourPoP, Nars, Urban Decay, and Iman Cosmetics. Social media and the rise of vloggers and beauty swatches also highlight what goes best with your skin tone before you even think of purchasing. I don’t even need to stand in front of an illuminated case at Wal-Mart or Target trying to match bottles to my skin. It’s truly amazing. My launch back into the make-up world started with Karrueche Tran’s collaboration with ColourPoP, and now I’m actively paying attention to beauty brands, marketing, and seeing what companies reflect products that are made for me. I feel confident wearing make-up and think it’s great the beauty industry is working to include and advocate for diverse models in make-up, skin, and hair. Younger generations have Zendaya, Selena Gomez, and Demi Lovato to use as their beauty trendsetters and it’s great to see the leaps and bounds diversity is making in all facets of business.

Future Trends

Is there still more work to do? Of course. I love ColourPop, but they received a lot of scrutiny recently for negative make-up labels associated with darker skin products, or Kylie Jenner who claims to have uncovered the secret for a “perfect nude for darker skin tones.” However, the attention and action by consumers to these beauty blunders have been swift. With major companies like MAC having collaborations by Taraji P. Henson and the late Selena Quintanilla, we’re seeing progressive change towards incorporating high profile figures to showcase beauty reflective of all races and cultures.

We’re seeing progressive change towards…showcas[ing] beauty reflective of all races and cultures #mixedrace #multiracial

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—Desiree is Texan Lady living in the windy, sometimes temperamental city of Chicago where she is getting her MFA in Creative Writing.

Desiree Johnson

She has publications with The Rivard Report, NSIDE Publications, Study Breaks Magazine and Unite 4: Good. Her approach to writing whether fiction or non-fiction is to keep it as eclectic and diverse as her interest so she is ambitious in wanting to have her writing cross all platforms. She seeks to continue to improve in her skill set as an author, writer, and storyteller while educating others on being bi-racial and interracial relationships. As she continues finishing her MFA she looks forward to the new opportunities that lie ahead and embracing whatever life throws her way. She is currently a contributing writer for Swirl Nation Blog, EliteDaily.Com, an Editorial Fellow with The Tempest, and created the new “Your Hair Story Series,” with Mixed Chicks Hair Products.

 

 

 

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Join us for the largest gathering of multiracial and mixed-race families and people in June 2017 for the 4th Annual Mixed Remixed Festival.

“What it’s Like to be Multiracial in a Black and White World”

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Introducing Helen

Hey, everyone! I’m Helen, one of the newest guest bloggers on the Mixed/Remixed team. I live in gritty New York City, in the borough of the Bronx…one of the last places to be touched by the city’s relentless waves of gentrification. I have a huge and sunny room in the cozy neighborhood of University Heights, with picture windows gently framed by gauzy pale pink curtains and an inky-black dresser covered with crystals, head wraps, and prayer beads. I am a psychology student, spiritual practitioner and author who is working on her third book. And I am ecstatically biracial—African American (Igbo and Yoruba Nigerian, as well as Aztec Mexican), Czech and Italian.

I thought that, for my first guest post, I might break the ice by introducing you to an oldie-but-goodie article floating around on the Huffington Post. On September 21, 2015, the Huffington Post published a blog article called “What It’s Like to Be Multiracial in a Black and White World,” written by a mom named Danielle Campoamor. The article talks intimately about Danielle’s experience growing up as the child of two differently-born parents—her father is Puerto Rican, her mother Norwegian. I, for one, instantly identified with many of Danielle’s experiences, and found it so satisfying to hear her speak frankly about them.

Multiracial in a Black and White World

Danielle talks about what it was like to grow up bicultural as well as biracial, feeling the richness of being able to speak two different kinds of languages and eat two different kinds of food. She also shares what it was like to feel like an outsider in her family because of her coloring, which was different from most of her family’s. Finally—and this is where she really got me—she talks about never being accepted by other Latinos, who felt she was a privileged brat because she looked white and had different cultural experiences—she dressed differently, spoke differently, and listened to different music than the other kids.

Thoughts on the Article

Wow. That’s basically been the story of my life. I actually grew up in New York City, in the Times Square area. I went to neighborhood public schools and then to elite private schools on scholarship, but I never felt like I belonged in either environment. Race was a constant theme throughout those years, as I desperately tried to make my way socially in environments which refused to accept me as I was—the child of differently-born Buddhist hippie types, a fan of grunge music and fashion, abstract poetry and activism, spicy food, and spirituality.

Race was a constant theme throughout those years, as I desperately tried to make my way socially in environments which refused to accept me as I was. #mixedrace #multiracial

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I was consistently pressured to conform to a more culturally-acceptable stereotype of what black was, even as the black kids in my environment scorned and rejected me for “not being black enough.”

 

It didn’t help that I landed on the streets shortly after my graduation from high school, and have struggled to escape them ever since. The streets are not kind to people experiencing racial identity crises, especially when they’re very conspicuously biracial, as I am. I have been consistently bullied during my time in this system, for the way I speak (like a “white girl”), the way I dress (either in corporate casual or hippie garb), and the way I think (I currently identify with both radical and conservative political views). It has been such a struggle for me to stay true to how I feel in the face of a system that says that the very reality of who I am is a mistake, almost a thought crime.

It has been such a struggle for me to stay true to how I feel in the face of a system that says that the very reality of who I am is a mistake, almost a thought crime. #mixedrace #multiracial

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My activism basically keeps me alive. I look forward to sharing it with you! 🙂 See you next time.

—Helen O’Neil is a psychology student, spiritual practitioner and freelance writer living in New York City. She is exuberantly biracial (Igbo and Yoruba Nigerian, Aztec Mexican, Czech and Italian) and a devout metaphysician. She sews her own clothing, adheres to a vegan diet, and is devoted to a healing lifestyle. Helen overcame an excruciating childhood of homelessness and abuse and an adulthood spent in the shelter system to earn a college degree, and is now building a freelance writing career. http://bronxwarriorpriestess.wordpress.com Twitter: BxWarrPriestess

Guest Blogger Helen O’Neil

 

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Join us for the largest gathering of multiracial and mixed-race families and people in June 2017 for the 4th Annual Mixed Remixed Festival.

How Mixed Remixed has Helped Me on My Mixed Journey and My Writing Journey

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Growing up, I was raised in a home where I was allowed to process what it meant for me to be mixed; especially since a mixed race single mother has primarily raised me. However, I haven’t seen a lot of representation of mixed race people in the sense of being generationally mixed, and I haven’t seen a lot of spaces where people can process their mixedness outside of their households.

I related and didn’t relate at the same time to articles, and popular TV and film characters that identified as biracial due to having monoracial parents of different races. Other than through poetry, I didn’t know how to externally process how difficult it has been for me to engage in conversations about racial identity as someone who identifies as generationally multiracial.

I haven’t seen a lot of representation of mixed race people in the sense of being generationally mixed, and I haven’t seen a lot of spaces where people can process their mixedness outside of their households.

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From left to right, my sister Danielle, me, and my sister JC

After reading an article from Vox about things people needed to know about being biracial, and noticing how one of the points included the inclusion for generationally mixed, I became excited, and started Googling more on the topic.

Two search pages over came a quote from Misty Copeland that was on the Mixed Remixed Festival’s site. I became even more ecstatic!

After reading through the festival’s celebrity quote page for a bit, I read more about the site. The Mixed Remixed festival prepared for a huge event every year catering to various multiracial people’s stories, interracial couples’ stories, and even transracial families’ stories; on that note, it was nice to see the word “transracial” used properly in a non-Rachel Dolezal context.

Whether you had mixed race children as a monoracial person, whether you were of two or more races, whether you were generationally mixed, you had a place there in person at the festival, and online on their social media platforms.

I followed them on Twitter and Facebook immediately.

I didn’t even think anyone from Mixed Remixed’s staff would respond to my tweets, either, but I’m so glad they did. I tweeted them asking if they were able to find articles about someone mixed similar to my mixed identity. I tweeted them thanking them for such an awesome platform. I tweeted them questions they asked about favorite movies that has mixed race characters, and other things along the lines of that.

What I did not expect to tweet at them was something from my blog.

I don’t remember if it was prose, a poem, or a short story, but I do remember tweeting something. And a bit afterwards, I got a tweet back from them that stated, “Keep writing!”

And I totally did.

I haven’t written things often about what it meant to be mixed race in my work until interacting with the Mixed Remixed Festival. A piece of writing that gained the most feedback was a poem I wrote about what dating is like for mixed race women, particularly for me as a mixed race woman. Not only was I still writing on my blog, but I also submitted my poems and short stories about mixed race experiences for my university’s publications, and those have been well received.

It pushed me to hone my writing that would make people discussed mixed race people and mixed race identity. It eventually encouraged me to participate in video projects, such as my university’s #ECUWithoutMe campaign, and the 100% Mixed Show’s #Mixstory campaign.

I haven’t written things often about what it meant to be mixed race in my work until interacting with the Mixed Remixed Festival.

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More and more people were starting to hear my story, and most people have actually given me positive feedback for it. It was so refreshing; I didn’t expect any of that to happen!

So, what was next?

I was unsure of whether or not I would get in, but I submitted an application to be a panelist at the Mixed Remixed Festival for June 2016. After I sent my application, I kept thinking, “Oh, I probably won’t be accepted. There are published, more successful writers who are on their panels, there’s no way they’re going to accept me.” I wasn’t a “real” writer, whatever that meant.

Whether I was going to be a panelist or not, I was still going to go. Whether I was going to be a panelist or not, I was not going to miss out on this opportunity.

I wasn’t a “real” writer, whatever that meant.

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Then, I started focusing my energy on applying for my summer internship with Hillside Missions. When I got accepted, I still didn’t know my starting date, but since I didn’t hear back from Mixed Remixed yet, I thought, “Hey, it shouldn’t be a big deal, I probably won’t be accepted as a panelist.”

“I’m not a ‘real’ writer.”

I assume you know where this is going.

March came along…and I got selected to be a panelist for the Mixed Millennials panel!

Ahhhhh!!!

That’s right! I was a real writer. No, I AM a real writer!

Wait…when was I starting my internship? Where was I going to stay? How was I going to get there? How long would I be able to stay?

As excited as I was to get that email, I had to email back to say that I needed a few days to gather everything before I sent a confirmation.

I contacted my internship’s office, and was able to start on time and attend the festival. I was able to stay with a cousin. Although I was going to pay for two online classes for the summer, I paid for one so that I could pay for my plane ticket. And although I was only able to make it for the second part of the festival so that I didn’t miss my sister’s graduation vacation, I was still able to be a panelist and experience what the festival was like.

I'm a panelist! Whoo hoo!

From left to right, me, multidisciplinary artist Via Perkins, and founders of Mixed Race Politics N. Laurence and Andrea Venkatesan

Out of all the things that could have brought me to California for the first time, the Mixed Remixed Festival did that, and I am so glad and proud that it did.

Because the festival has helped me grow so much, I was able to become a writer for an online medium called The Tempest, and was able to write pieces about my mixed experiences.

I continue to find new ways to contribute pieces about being generationally mixed.

I have been able to focus my social work research on the mixed experience in my undergrad.

I intend to apply as a panelist and a spoken word performer for 2017’s Mixed Remixed Festival, and I am now a blogger for the Mixed Remixed Festival.

It has been such a blessing to be a part of a platform that has helped me grow and become more vocal as a Black, White, and Native American second generation mixed woman.

I’m looking forward to see what’s to happen next!

—Maya Williams, Blogger for the Festival

Naming the Monsters: Christina Guillen on Teaching Microaggression Zine Workshop

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We asked Christina Guillen who led the Microaggression Zine Workshop at the Mixed Remixed Festival about her experience.  The workshop was a hands-down hit.  We are looking at the possibility of doing this workshop again during the year so that more of our Festival followers can experience this.  Plus I want to do the workshop too!-Heidi Durrow, Festival Founder

“Festival attendees filled the room.  I introduced my background as Mexican and white and gave a definition of microaggression.  I explained my story of first encountering the term.  I shared my anger and the diffusion of pain upon hearing the word.  I proposed to our group we give our microaggressions a shape, smell, or feeling.  I demonstrated releasing a rough styrofoam ball on the table.  The ball bounced and rolled away.  I explained once we can see our microaggression outside of ourselves we can disidentify and observe it.  This gives our power back.

christina workshop 3_MG_6639I asked them to offer their own microaggressions.  They spoke up shyly at first, but eventually there were enough responses to see an array of reactions.  Some spoke with humor others let their anger and frustration be heard.  It got pretty intense but I was prepared.  I let them know it was a safe place, we’re in the same boat.  We have a right to feel however we feel.  I think the validating was really needed.  Even though I’d said I was not the microaggression expert but more of a conversation facilitator, people still looked to me for validation of their feelings, to ask whether their experience was a valid microaggression.  Some got tangled up with terms so we talked about what underlies the term microaggression.  Our honest feelings underneath it all are telling us something doesn’t feel right.  We want to name it because we want to disidentify from it.  We went back to the beginning—give the feeling a shape and disidentify.

I passed around a bucket of shapes (screws, sandpaper, scissors, a zipper, a crab’s pinchers, a snarling chihuahua, etc).  Each person kept one to represent their feeling as they filled out a worksheet about microaggressions.  Later, I showed how to fold a single sheet into a small book.  Afterward, the group transferred their ideas from the worksheet onto the zine book.  They created with markers, stencils, and drawings.  The result was a zine that physically showed their experience outside of themselves.  Titles ranged from “You don’t like beans?” to “Don’t touch my hair!” to “Zen in the face of microaggression.”

christina workshop 4_MG_6628The actual creative process allowed us to keep the conversation going while our hands were occupied.  We talked about that many minorities transcend their experiences by doing creative projects.  Myself and another woman wrote a novel, another sings, and all of us made a zine.  We talked about seeing the positive angle of microaggressions, we found ways it was making all of us better more loving people.

At the end I suggested leaving their zine in their car as a communication tool.  Several said they’d like to do so.  I was overjoyed with the smiles, hugs, gratitude, and relief I felt in the room.  It was an amazing feeling to validate and empower so many people!  I think I’m still glowing.”-Christina Guillen

Christina Guillén is a diversity speaker, teacher, writer and the creator of Half Moon Jefa, the Mixed People’s Superhero.  Her historical fiction novel and M.F.A. in Creative Writing focus on identity, feminism, and indigineity vs. colonialism.  Christina will lead an exciting hands-on zine workshop to flirt with our perspectives on the topic of microaggressions.  Find out what trucos she’s up to at halfmoonjefa.tumblr.com.

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