Laura N. Weston,
Baltimore, MD.
About 80% of the time people assume (mostly men) I am Puerto Rican even though I am half Caucasian and half African American. I stress to everyone who thinks it is important enough to ask me what I am that I am Mixed or Biracial and I state with what. Most white people accept that answer and then question my hair texture and most black people respond “oh, you’re black”. I don’t believe in the “one drop” rule. Yes maybe “one drop” of it may have made my skin color darker. But it doesn’t erase only growing up with your white mother and brothers and identifying with them.
I tread lightly on racial issues and now that I have a daughter I question everything I do or say in regards to it. My daughter came out lighter than me and her father is black. To me she’s mixed. That’s what I have to pass down to her because I will not claim just one. I am not sure how it will affect her view of herself in the future but the best example I feel I can give is being sure of myself and accepting of the multiply facets of myself.
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