Mixed Identity Anonymous

A big part of my who I am is my racial identity. All of my life, I have dealt with unwarranted phrases directed towards me like "you look nothing like your family" and "are you sure you're not adopted?". It has been an occurrence during all 18 years of my life. It is a difficult situation to handle, and on many occasions the people that ask are not sensitive to feelings. They have no idea how much their words can impact someone. When people first see me, most immediately think that I am Mexican. I have also gotten things like Middle-Eastern, Native American, and Mulatto. Biologically, I am 50% Mexican, 25% Italian, and 25% Irish. However, I look completely of Mexican descent. I live in a completely white home, in a heavily Caucasian town. It is hard for me to accept this Mexican part of me because I never met my biological father who gave me the part of my identity that I struggle so much with. I was never a part of the culture which I most resemble. My (half) brother is 15 years old with blond hair and blue eyes. He is the total opposite of what I look like. Of course, my family does not see me as different than them, but I know I am. Race is such a prevalent issue, especially today. The whole situation is sensitive because,...