21 Weird Side Effects Of Being A Person Of Color Raised By White People
I love you, family.
But this was weird.
posted on April 20, 2015, at 4:41 p.m.
1. When you’re out and about, no one will believe that your parents are actually your parents.
ABC
“So how do you two know each other?” “I literally came out of this woman’s body.”
2. Or that your siblings are actually your siblings.
ABC Family
3. You’re intimately acquainted with searching “where are you from?” questions from strangers.
TNT / Via
tyrabankruptcy.tumblr.com
“But like…before that, where did your parents come from?”
4. You’re thoroughly confused as to why the world makes such a big deal out of interracial relationships.
Paramount Pictures
It’s just been your reality from the get-go.
5. Most of your family has absolutely no idea what to do with your hair.
ABC
ABC
Which probably led to
you
not having any idea what to do with your hair growing up.
6. But you need way less sunscreen in any situation than your family members do.
Roc Nation / Via
giphy.com
(Note: You should still wear sunscreen.)
7. Some family members still think they know what being a PoC is like because they’re related to you.
8. And there’ll always be that one relative who thinks having a PoC in the family excuses all their racist comments.
Universal Pictures / Via
giphy.com
Nah, dude.
9. And also that one who you dread discussing racial issues with.
Comedy Central / Via
consultingpiskies.tumblr.com
Facebook is a battleground.
10. At least one person will casually refer to you as “exotic” in relation to your family members.
ABC / Via
fuckyeahcallietorres.tumblr.com
For real? I’m from
Portland.
11. And you’re intimately aware of what curious stares from strangers feel like.
ABC
ABC
Kind of prickly.
12. You’ve always had a complicated relationship with your racial identity.
Frederator Studios / Cartoon Hangover
I mean,
who doesn’t?
13. And you sometimes feel like you have to be the mouthpiece for all brown people anywhere.
Fox / Via
someheavylines.weebly.com
Which is literally impossible, especially considering the
massive variety
of people of color there are in this world.
14. You’ve had moments of wishing you looked like everyone else around you.
ABC / Via
sweatpantsandcoffee.com
Maybe even a lot of them.
15. And you know what it’s like to not feel “white” enough or “brown” enough.
NBC / Via
dailydot.tumblr.com
16. You’ve seen firsthand how privilege tries to make itself invisible.
Relativity Media
17. There are parts of you that your family will never be able to relate to.
Focus Features
And it’s both isolating and freeing.
18. And you know pretty intimately what it’s like to be the one who stands out.
19. In fact, you’ve had a pretty windy road to accepting yourself as you.
Michael Berliner/Nick Scott / Via
vimeo.com
20. But you’ve definitely got an awesome duality going on.
NBC / CityTV
Your Reaction?
REACT WITH GIF
