How many of your friends are from mixed backgrounds and you look at them and think that they are really lucky to be from a mixed background, and the opportunities that it can offer, but that’s not always the case.

Personally, I come from a mixed background. My mother’s family comes from New Zealand and my father’s side of the family comes from India. From a cultural standpoint, both could not be more different.

Growing up, I never really noticed how different that I was from everyone around me on either side of the family. I thought that I was fitting in, just like how every kid plays and grows up. It wasn’t until I grew older that I noticed differences around me and the people on both sides of my family.

After talking to other people that are also from mixed backgrounds, I think it’s fair to make the observation that we never really feel like we fit into either side completely. Sometimes it feels like we stick out like a sore thumb because we’re not engrossed enough in the culture of one side over the other, other times it’s due to prejudice that we aren’t fully accepted.

From a culture standpoint, sometimes that makes it hard to embrace where you come from, and how it makes up who you are as a person. From my experience, I was never able to fully grasp one side of the family versus the other.

I could never fully embrace my dad’s side of the family with my Indian heritage, and I have never actually fully embraced my New Zealand side either, not knowing the cultures and pastimes of my family in the slightest.

Talking to others as well, they have shared the same sentiments. It never feels like we can fully embrace who we are and where we come from, and in my case, it has led me to more embrace who I am as a Canadian rather than where I came from.

Hockey, one of Canada’s biggest pastimes (Credit: Mark Mauno via Flickr)

I am more passionate about Canadian topics, pastimes, and cultures rather than my parent’s backgrounds. I tend to lean towards more modern events, like gaming or going out to events rather than what my family would have traditionally done.

Thankfully for me, my parents have seen this and accepted that this is what I want to do, but for others in the same boat, it can be hard to get to that point. The best advice that I can suggest to those that are going through the same struggle to embrace one culture over the other is to embrace what feels right to you, don’t sweat the small things and be true to yourself. Your personal culture will come to you with time.