LibraryScenariosWhy mixed race identity can mean never belonging anywhere completely
Scenario

Why mixed race identity can mean never belonging anywhere completely

I am mixed race and Black friends say I am not Black enough while white friends see me as their Black friend, and I feel like I am constantly performing different versions of myself.

Juana
Online
The coach is replying

More people experience this than they realize.

What we've seen

Your racial ambiguity creates pressure to prove authenticity to multiple communities that each see you as partially outsider.

Ideas that help explain it
Worth thinking about

“Where Are You with Intersectionality in practice?”

If this sounds familiar, the Library can help you find the bigger picture.