[gameofthrones]

Hi guys,

First post

I have pretty much my entire life felt outcasted simply due to my mixed heritage. I am half Irish (father) and half Indian (mother). Two pretty different cultures, apart from the fact that they both drink ridiculous amounts of alcohol... yes Indian punjabi for you Indians out there.

I just don't know where the **** I fit in. My skin is a milky tea kind of colour and I guess I look more asian/mediteranian than I do Irish, apart from my ginger beard.
I guess what I am trying to say is that when I'm with Asians I feel I can relate simply because I look more similar to them. Maybe it's just in my head but thats how I feel.

When people look at me they only see the "Asian" looking boy and I guess I get disheartened because I feel I have been alienated away from my Irish heritage. I mean a brown guy entering a full on Irish pub and then the stares ect.

Anyone else who is mixed raced can shed some light on how they dealt with neglecting one part of your heritage for another?

Thanks

[Sugar.And.Spice]

I think its good to be mixed race, you have two cultures and lots of mixed race people are attractive imo.

I'm also mixed race, and when I was a kid i called racist names, but i know that's their problem and its just racism =/

Don't think too much about fitting in with one culture.

[gameofthrones]

(Original post by Sugar.And.Spice)
I think its good to be mixed race, you have two cultures and lots of mixed race people are attractive imo.

I'm also mixed race, and when I was a kid i called racist names, but i know that's their problem and its just racism =/

Don't think too much about fitting in with one culture.

I know but it's just I feel like such an outcast. I love both my cultures it's just I don't know where to fit in. Maybe this is just a phase and it will pass.
I have been called racist names by alot of people also. Somehow Irish has connotations of gypsies ect?
It's a lose lose situation sometimes lol.

[PierceBrosnan]

Dude, I've been here being mixed White and Asian funnily enough Irish/Indian (Gujarati). Listen, you are you and nothing will change that not even the colour of your skin. You don't have to fit in to either culture and they both have flaws or so called in anthropology "cultural cringe". Personally, I tend to avoid the question of "What do you consider yourself as?" and just say British which is a cop out answer I know, but overall it works which usually then doesn't lead to any follow up questions. Culture doesn't decide who you are for you, you decide that for yourself.

[The_Jammy_Witch]

Wow, I'm Indian/Irish too, Indian (Assam) mom Irish (Cork) dad!

I haven't really been subject to MUCH racism in my life... did get called something in school once, and I hit the girl and it was never a problem again. :P

Just embrace both. I feel more Indian than Irish due to my appearance too, and also due to being closer to my mom.

I don't know whether to bhangra or morris dance out of bed in the morning. But bhangra normally wins.

[gameofthrones]

(Original post by The_Jammy_Witch)
Wow, I'm Indian/Irish too, Indian (Assam) mom Irish (Cork) dad!

I haven't really been subject to MUCH racism in my life... did get called something in school once, and I hit the girl and it was never a problem again. :P

Just embrace both. I feel more Indian than Irish due to my appearance too, and also due to being closer to my mom.

I don't know whether to bhangra or morris dance out of bed in the morning. But bhangra normally wins.

Bhangra :P yeah I am the same as you, closer to mother and thus felt closer to my indian side.

[gameofthrones]

(Original post by PierceBrosnan)
Dude, I've been here being mixed White and Asian funnily enough Irish/Indian (Gujarati). Listen, you are you and nothing will change that not even the colour of your skin. You don't have to fit in to either culture and they both have flaws or so called in anthropology "cultural cringe". Personally, I tend to avoid the question of "What do you consider yourself as?" and just say British which is a cop out answer I know, but overall it works which usually then doesn't lead to any follow up questions. Culture doesn't decide who you are for you, you decide that for yourself.

Yeah you are right. I will have to learn that as for so long I defined who I was by how I looked ect. But on the plus side I do get away with being called good looking so not all bad :P

[alexsasg]

I totally understand how you feel. I'm half Bulgarian, half Bengali, but look far more Asian (people guess Turkish a lot of the time) and it's SO annoying when people just forget that actually, I'm white too! I also don't have a real connection to my Asian culture as I have no relationship with that parent, so the main culture I have is that of my white mum. But even though people know I'm mixed race, for some reason people see the Asian half as being more dominant, which I HATE. It's literally like someone's thrown away half of your identity. In my school, which is predominantly Asian, someone will make a joke about how there are no white kids in the class and it's entirely Asian and while I'm not entirely white, I do feel a bit hurt. Obviously I want my Asian side to be acknowledged, but I want my white side to be recognised too! I'll sometimes say "half a white kid here!" in a jokey manner but a lot of the time, especially recently, I've just left it. I've grown comfortable enough with my identity now to be able to ignore little things like that. Until it all builds up and unleash it all on tsr, of course!

Sorry to rant a bit but yes, I completely understand how you feel. I'm sorry I can't really offer any advice, just some empathy. I would just act completely normal regardless of the stares in the pub. You know that you're Irish, there's no need for you to feel uncomfortable because they think that you aren't.

[Bollo's Lovechild]

Phil Lynott. That's all I'm saying.

[Anonymous]

(Original post by gameofthrones)
Hi guys,

First post

I have pretty much my entire life felt outcasted simply due to my mixed heritage. I am half Irish (father) and half Indian (mother). Two pretty different cultures, apart from the fact that they both drink ridiculous amounts of alcohol... yes Indian punjabi for you Indians out there.

I just don't know where the **** I fit in. My skin is a milky tea kind of colour and I guess I look more asian/mediteranian than I do Irish, apart from my ginger beard.
I guess what I am trying to say is that when I'm with Asians I feel I can relate simply because I look more similar to them. Maybe it's just in my head but thats how I feel.

When people look at me they only see the "Asian" looking boy and I guess I get disheartened because I feel I have been alienated away from my Irish heritage. I mean a brown guy entering a full on Irish pub and then the stares ect.

Anyone else who is mixed raced can shed some light on how they dealt with neglecting one part of your heritage for another?

Thanks

I am the same mix as you and know what you mean... I get really sick of the questions, personally. Every friend/new person I meet, the only thing they really want to know is where I am from/what race I am... it gets tiresome, but I know it's only meant in good nature.

I feel like I can't relate to Asians or White people really... I can't ever be completely one of them, but in the grand scheme of things the MAJORITY of people don't care that much about race.

When I have visited Asia, I am just as 'outcasted' there as in the UK.