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mixed roots stories

Black Coral : A Daughter’s Apology To Her Asian Island Mother

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“Why the title Black Coral? “Locating my family has been like finding Black Coral. Black Coral lies deep within the coral gardens of the tropical deep waters and sea. It is exotic and rare, most precious in color above all other varieties, and often threatened by harvesters wanting to exploit it. Black Coral is often found embedded within the warm waters of the Philippines, the Caribbean and Africa—Black Coral grows in caves under ledges where light is dim; it thrives in the darkness. It grows like trees up from the ocean floor as precious as ivory and pearl.””

Find out more about author C.D. Holmes Miller and her book on her website http://cdholmesmiller.com.

 

Does your family “match”?

NPR’s Code Switch blog does it again.

This story was hitting the headlines across the country.  Journalists were interviewing families whose children had disappeared, thought to be kidnapped, asking them if they thought this could be their child.  Meanwhile, they were showing pictures of the couple that this little girl was found with…and she looked like them…other than the fact her skin and hair was lighter.  Then we find out…they ARE her parents!!!

Code Switch brings to light that this is not the first time that this has happened to a Roma Child.

This happens in America too…Families do not always MATCH!  Interracial families and families who have transracial adopted children are who first come to mind of families that might not visually always look the same. But families come in a variety of different sizes, shades. and make ups.  We must be cautious with first impressions on our ideas of what is a “family” and what “family” looks like.

 

http://www.npr.org/blogs/codeswitch/2013/10/25/240865629/roma-children-removals-make-us-wonder-what-family-looks-like?sc=ipad&f=1001

Growing Up Mixed in San Francisco

Julie is scheduled to publish her book Growing Up Mixed in SanFrancisco by the end of 2014. Julie believes positive words, thoughts and actions leads to success.  Those are the things she can control and she chooses to have a positive response to situation, challenges and obstacles she faces.

Find out more about her story through her book and read her blog posts on her website http://www.juliegramlich.com/about-me/

 

Watermelon Sushi

Yayoi L. Winfrey filled out our ‘promote your story link’ to promote her film Watermelon Sushi. Let us know if you have any projects you’d like us to promote!

“Michiko Johnson looks Asian. She says she’s black. A hip-hop head, soul sistah who greases on greens and cornbread, Michiko is outspoken about her African roots. She adores her younger sister, April, whose physical features are more African than hers. But April speaks fluent Japanese and eats only vegan meals with chopsticks.”

“Told against the backdrop of the rising rap music scene of the early 1980’s,Watermelon Sushi plans to feature old school rappers like Chuck D, Kool Mo Dee, LL Cool J, Afrika Bambaataa and newcomers like Japan’s superstar enka singer, Jero-san.”

In addition to being in film production Watermelon Sushi is an art exhibit series, a blog, and book of photos/poetry/illustrations “Watermelon Sushi: The Story of a Black Girl and Her Japanese Mother.”

http://www.watermelonsushi.com/

Eartha Kitt – Never Finds Her White Father

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The beautiful Eartha Kitt!

Did you know: She didn’t know her actual birthday until she was 71? She never knew who her father was?

Once she finally discovered her birth certificate she was allowed 15 minutes with it and her father’s name was blacked out.

Kitt died in 2008.  Her daughter said:  “She carried the scar of her rejection with her all her life. She was rejected for the colour of her skin ironically by both black and white.” Her daughter goes on to say: “To some extent, I think my arrival completed her because it gave her a family that she never had.”

Our mixed roots stories might have rejection, secrecy, and pain…telling and sharing our stories can provide healing.

http://www.theguardian.com/music/2013/oct/19/eartha-kitt-suffered-over-identity

Black and Latino

This mini-documentary, assigned in the Mixed Race Experiences course at Arizona State University, speaks to being mixed Black/Latino in America.  Actors, singers, and journalists share their story on topics of language, skin tone, hair, and familial pressures (i.e. Laz Alonso, Tatyana Ali, Gina Torres, Judy Reyes, Christina Milian, Soledad O’Brien and more).  They also speak about difficulties they have had in being cast due to their mixed heritage.

Black and Latino

http://www.mun2.tv/watch/shorts/black-and-latino

 

Many Wonderful Quotes to Ponder: Coming Out as Biracial

From medium.com/human-parts/c25d6ae8f2af

From medium.com/human-parts/c25d6ae8f2af

We’re very moved by this new blogpost written by Stephanie Georgopulos (Twitter handle: @omgstephlol)

Some quotes to pique your interest in clicking the link below and joining the conversation:

“Even with my white skin, I didn’t know the white experience entirely. I didn’t know it because when people use that poisonous n-word, I instantly think of my mother—and how people have used that word to hurt her simply for lack of time and effort. I think about the things my parents sacrificed to be together, things bigger than letters can spell…When #shitblackmomssay trended on Twitter, I laughed. I was on the inside of something, for once.

“[Being biracial is] witnessing one of the most exciting conversations about race since the civil rights movement, and wondering whether you’re the white voice that should shut up and listen, or the black voice that should speak out, or the mixed voice that should ???.”

Click here for the rest of this insightful post: https://medium.com/human-parts/c25d6ae8f2af

From medium.com/human-parts/c25d6ae8f2af

Aaron Samuels: Yarmulkes & Fitted Caps

from amazon.com

from amazon.com

Aaron is another performer that we got to meet at the 2012 Mixed Roots Film & Literary Festival. His spoken word piece left the audience mesmerized. We are certain that this collection of poetry will have the same powerful impact on you.

From the Amazon website: Aaron Samuels, raised in Providence, Rhode Island by a Jewish mother and a Black father, is a Cave Canem Fellow and a nationally acclaimed performer. In this ground-breaking collection of poems, Samuels examines the beauty and contradictions of his own mixed identity with gut-wrenching narratives, humor, and passionate verve.

Here’s the Amazon link to purchase the book: http://www.amazon.com/Yarmulkes-Fitted-Caps-Aaron-Samuels/dp/1938912381

3rd Annual What Are You?

The Brooklyn Historical Society will be hosting the 3rd Annual What Are You? – A Discussion About Mixed Heritage event Saturday, November 9, 2013 at 2:00pm.

This year they will be discussing questions like: “How do we perform and display our identities? How does media, film, art, humor and photography shape and mediate mixed-race identity?”

Check out their great panel (including Toasted Marshmallows which we have featured on HERE‎). They will even have a special dance performance.

http://cbbg.brooklynhistory.org/blog/3rd-annual-what-are-you-discussion-about-mixed-heritage

This event is FREE! If you are on the East Coast…this is an event worth attending! It will be held at:

Great Hall, Brooklyn Historical Society
128 Pierrepont Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201