Just as with Asian Americans, bi-racial people confront stereotypes on a daily basis.
North Shore Community College in Lynn, Massachusetts held a panel discussion on biracial identity and acculturation, reports Item Live.
Mabel Lam identifies as Chinese American, but due to her dark complexion, is often mistaken as Black. She says fitting in can be difficult.
“I sometimes get uncomfortable when I go to places where people don’t look like me,” Lam said.
Evelyn Lawson’s children are biracial, but she is often asked if she is going to raise them Black or White.
“I answer, ‘I am going to raise them as children,’” she said.
Maria Vazquez is Puerto Rican, and questions why she is lumped in with other Hispanics.
“I’ve asked myself, ‘how much do I have in common with someone from Argentina?’”
The panelists agreed while there is confusion in a multi-racial society about identity, it is up to those who are biracial to define themselves.
“We have the control of who we want to be. If we give it up, other people will tell us how to see ourselves,” Lam said.
