Growing up in a mixed race family isn’t always the easiest. Mixed race people are often asked to explain who they are by strangers and this can be pretty stressful, especially for those still working out their cultural identity. Parents of mixed race children often get asked whether they are the babysitter, apparently the general public still struggles with the idea of family members not looking identical even in 2016. There may be a few negatives, but on the whole, growing up in a mixed race family is pretty awesome. Here are just five of the amazing things about growing up in a mixed race family:
- Twice the traditions
Children in mixed race families are often lucky enough to enjoy traditions from two different cultures as part of their family life. These cultural rituals and family traditions can be strongly linked to our childhood memories, sense of family and even our sense of identity. A child with parents from two very different cultures gets to enjoy more culturally significant traditions and that can be a pretty special thing.
- A world view
You know that school project where you had to ask your grandparents about what life was like when they were younger? Well, when your grandparents have different heritages, the project becomes a lot more interesting. Instead of just finding out what your village was like 60 years ago, you can find out about a slice of history in a different country and that’s pretty damn interesting.
- Biology
The less closely related your parents are, the better this is thought to be for your genetics. Two people of different races are thought to be less closely related than two people of the same race, thus allowing for a better mix of genes. Researchers found that genetic diversity was linked not only with improved cognitive ability but also with a higher level of education.
- Identity
We all struggle with our individual identity and many people look to their cultural heritage as a way of seeking answers about who we are and where we fit in. For mixed race children, this allows for a deeper web of cultural understanding. Having parents of mixed heritage gives children the opportunity to learn more about each culture and to determine which aspects of each culture they strongly identify with.
- Vacations
When you have family on opposite sides of the globe, you simply must go to visit them sometimes. And yeah, that makes for some pretty amazing vacations. If you have family across the globe, you may be provided with more opportunity for travel and that can only ever be a good thing.
What do you think the best thing about growing up in a mixed race family is?
Written by Fiona (@Fiona_Peacock), mother, writer and lover of all things baby related.
This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.