Everybody nowadays seems super-eager to get irate, butt-hurt, and/or generally crazy about issues surrounding skin color.
And it makes me make this face: 😐
Yes, there are ignorami out there who genuinely think that the melanin content of a person’s skin determines that person’s worth. There are even studies that show we have subconscious biases and expectations based on race.
But I’ve lived a different experience (look deep into Oprah’s eyes).
I’ve had more acceptance than rejection, more friends than foes, & felt encouraged far more than dejected when I’ve seen people tap into what they know is true in their hearts.
Things are better, happier, more abundant when we incorporate and collaborate. Skin pigment has nothing to do with merit, but there are serious perks to racial diversity. That’s why I’ve put together this list!
But, first, some definitions (because you weren’t going to get away without Professor H dropping knowledge)…
Race: each of the major divisions of humankind, having distinct physical characteristics.
Ethnicity: the fact or state of belonging to a social group that has a common national or cultural tradition.
Okay, let’s close our Webster’s and get to the list!
The Top 5 Reasons Why Being Multi-Racial Is Awesome:
1. Options
They say that variety is the spice of life, and my parents provided the genetics that created a buffet of options for my appearance alone. Hair curly or straight? Either works, no perms necessary. Dating? I’ve never had a choice BUT to be in an interracial relationship.
2. Outing Idiots
On the same Loving v. Virginia track… I’ve always loved when an ignoramus gets “outed” & shut down (can’t help it… the vengeance is strong in this one).
One summer, when I was 10 or 11 years old, I went to church camp with some friends. At the camp, this boy told me that I didn’t belong there and that I should go shower because my skin was dirty, and he repeatedly called me a “Gentile”…
You see, in the Bible days, there were Jews and Gentiles. And we weren’t at the Shenandoah Summer Camp. So, he was stupid in more than one way.
I told him that if he hated me, he must also hate himself, what with my being half-white and all. Boy, I didn’t know how true that was or how big that truth was…
Basically, I love representing how stupid it is to hate.
3. Fast Friendships
Outer ambiguity allows me to use the brief downtime in which folks spin through their mental rolodexes, searching for my appropriate category, to befriend them.
Look out for us biracial kids – we’ll make you our friend faster than you can profile!
4. Etymological & Empathetic Enrichment
Over the years, I’ve gotten to learn all kinds of new terms – white-washed, coon, Uncle Tom, buffoonery… the list goes on.
Considering my perpetual curiosity and the fact that there are a finite amount of hours in a day, I was taught at an early age to use dictionaries and encyclopedias. Naturally, I applied the same to unfamiliar terms, which inevitably led to gaining a historical understanding of words, which provided an understanding of why someone would use them.
Learning the deeper facts helped me take things less personally.
5. Comedic Potential
At any time, I can use this line:
“I have mixed feelings about this…”
Boom. Nailed it.
Really, we stand to gain so much by appreciating all the races… or, even deeper, all the unique perspectives and expressions from each individual within each race.
But, we have to stop seeing each other as distant strangers first. We’re more related than we realize.