Thoughts on Race - A Piece By Mei Millie

What exactly is “race” and how does one define it? We all know the typical

“black”/”caucasian” etc, but how about those of us who find ourselves either unable

to answer, or having to tick the rather ominous “other” box when asked the simple

question of defining our ethnicity?

In the past, “race”- a term coined from pseudo-scientific colonialism was easier to

define.  People could not travel as far as now and thus tended to stay within their

countries of origin. Therefore, the idea that your race and country of residence

naturally coinciding seemed to make sense.

However, nowadays, with the mixed-race community being the fastest growing within

the World, what meaning does “race” even have anymore? Is the idea that we can

all fit into separate ethnic categories even valid in the 21st century?

Let’s see why this term is becoming less and less valid.

“Tick the box which best describes your ethnicity”

The ominous question which can be found on nearly every survey or registration

form. How easy is it to answer? For some, this is straightforward, but for others,

there may not even be an applicable answer. My Mother is Taiwanese and my

Father British. Therefore I am neither pure “Caucasian”; nor pure “Asian”. But then,

what does the term “Asian” even mean? In the US, one usually pictures someone of

East Asian descent when hearing the term “Asian”. On the other hand, in the UK,

one thinks of someone of South Asian origin. With Asia being the largest continent

on Earth, how is it that every person of “Asian” origin, whether Indian, Russian or

Chinese can somehow be put into one single category? Therefore, I usually find

myself with no choice but to tick the box labelled “other” and am subsequently made

to feel rather “other” with a touch of displacement.

“Go back to your country”

Ah, the classic. With the UK battling the world-famous turmoil known as Brexit, some

good old- fashioned racism disguised behind the ambiguous word

“sovereignty” seems to have come back into the picture of modern day Britain. While

I like to take the optimistic route by taking pride in belonging to and keeping touch

with two cultures, some people cannot seem to accept the idea of someone

belonging to more than one place. Therefore, they feel the need to choose for us

purely based on their personal take on our physical appearance. In the UK, I am

“;Chinese” or “Asian” and in Taiwan, I am “American” or “European”. I am neither and

both. But why not both? Why can’t that also be an option? When I am ignorantly told

in the UK to go back to your own country, I realize no such “country” exists. I am as

British as I am Taiwanese. So I guess if we go by the system of these xenophobic

people, mixed people like me simply don’t fit within their ideology. We are the

anomaly. We break their system.

Maybe it’s time that we break this old-fashioned, out-dated system. Celebrate your

amazing, multi-cultural heritage. We are ever-growing and we are citizens of the

World. We are mixed and proud.