Being biracial had never been something I thought about growing up until I moved to the United States. This is not to say I was unaware of it, but I never saw the importance of emphasizing it. To me, my mom wasn’t Dominican and my father wasn’t French. They were mami and papi. It never crossed my mind while I played with cousins and friends that I was different from them or that they were different from me. They were my cousins and friends. Although this is something that most kids don’t think about in general, I think it’s an American thing. Race is talked about differently all over the world, but in the United States, it tends to be a bigger topic of conversation.

I never personally felt like I had to “choose a side,” but it did oftentimes feel like I should feel that way. This is not to say that others don’t tend to assume my race or ethnicity, I’ve just always known no one can invalidate my blackness or my whiteness. I’m both. They are not mutually exclusive. I very much so grew up in a Dominican household but that doesn’t make me any less French. Do I wish I was more immersed in that culture? Absolutely yes. But sadly that was out of my control. Kids know what their parents teach them and I cannot live my life regretting something I didn’t have a choice in.

It’s important to realize that everyone’s story is unique. Not all biracial kids have an existential issue with their identity and I don’t think its a bad thing either way. I know that the fact that I’m white passing is a contributing factor and that this may sound ignorant but it’s my truth. I’ve never had to fight for my position at the table because when a person is sure of themselves, it leaves no room for doubt from anyone. I wholeheartedly believe that you are what you preach. If a person is constantly feeling victimized by being biracial, it is only up to them to change the narrative. I’m obviously not speaking about uncontrolled external factors. That is a whole different topic. It doesn’t matter what anyone thinks because opinions don’t pay the bills.

Looking back at childhood pictures is when I noticed just how much I stuck out. It’s a bit comical. There’s a meme out there that says “who’s goddamn white baby is that?” and that pretty much describes me. It just makes me wonder how different my perspective would be if I never moved to America. I truly don’t think I would ever even have to write anything similar to this topic. It doesn’t have to be a bad thing though. I enjoy speaking about things that involve critical thinking.

All in all, any form of embracement towards oneself, however that may look, is a positive. We can’t control the fact that race will be a topic that follows us for the rest of our lives but we can control how we respond to it. It’s has given me a different perspective socially and academically and I will always be open to conversations.