Re: mixed backgrounds
I dont know how to answer that to be honest with you. I guess I identify more with Canadian culture given that I was born and raised here. I have visited Pakistan and absolutely loved it, but I never actually lived there. My father and I are Muslim and my mother Christian. BUT, as Canadian as I feel, I have always been questionned by people as to where I am from - I look more Pakistani than Canadian- and therefore always had to talk about my Pakistani heritage. So I think other people identify me with being Pakistani more than myself in some ways. I speak very little urdu- something I resent my dad for because he should have made more of an effort to teach it to me, so I am learning it myself now. One thing I do remeber growing up is my parents fighting all the time about everything (money and finances, friends…) BUT never religion or anything about ethnic backgrounds, which is why I always find it weird when I see some of my friends being in conflict with their SO because of those reasons. There was an unspoken but strong respect and understanding for differing religious or cultural views in my household between my parents. My mother would encourage my father to bring me to the mosque when I was young to meet other kids from the Pakistani community there, my father would attend baptisms/weddings at the church with my mother, we would celebrate EID and go to my mom’s relatives for their christmas celebrations. Never any hate or conflict, and I grew up to know who I was and respect anyone different. I grew up wearing western clothes, but my mom would always get a salwar kameez or two made for me every year so I could wear those too on special occasions. She also knew some urdu so I would hear my parents speaking it and both my parents would cook desi food a lot. As a child, we lived in a completely caucasian neighborhood- I was the only brown kid- and was made to feel different very often. But as I grew up, being mixed is something i really cherish. ON a side note, I went to Pakistan when I was 23, and all my cousins were freaking out saying things like “We were expecting this little Canadian girl, but the way your talk, express yourself, look, you are ssoo south Asian!!”.