Yasmin Pallan,
Canada
As a half Indian, half white person growing up in Vancouver and later Toronto, I was and still am tired of always being asked the question “where are you from? I mean, where are you REALLY from?” People like absolutes and obvious answers and mixed race is never that. To add to my story, I spent many years living in Barcelona, so speak Spanish. And my late husband was Jewish so I converted. Funnily enough I have felt the most relaxed in my 2 adopted worlds because I look like everyone else and people just assume I was born into them. But culturally I’ve often felt like an interloper. I’m old enough now that I’m past the point of caring what others think and of trying to fit in. But shockingly I am still asked on a fairly frequent basis where I am from. Even after everything that has happened in the world. And I still answer the same way. “From Vancouver. Where are you from?”
