“Where are you from Laura?” “Which country do you feel you belong to?” “Do you miss your country at all?”. Being from a mixed-ethnic background I often get asked these questions. It’s impossible to explain in such detail what I have been trying to work out for many years. I have always struggled to give a straightforward answer to these questions. It’s only now that I realise the questions surrounding identity and culture have many answers, which are unique to each person. Perhaps your identity isn’t just defined by the country you originate from. Do we have to pick sides? Do we have to choose one way of living? Do we have to conform to the traditions of our native country? Is it possible to have the best of both worlds? Our childhood and adult life experiences affect the way we naturally think and behave. If toddlers and young children can learn two, three or even four languages simultaneously, how much more can our thoughts, ideas and perspectives on life be formed from a young age.

I am half Peruvian, quarter French, quarter British but born in Hong Kong. I used to call myself a “mixed-up girl”. I enjoy dancing salsa, marinera and huaynos, as well as chilling out to some smooth French jazz, and yes, I have danced the odd cha cha slide at a British disco. I adore the brightly coloured streets of Peru and the booming music coming from noisy motor taxis, yet I couldn’t think of a cosier Christmas than sitting in front of a roaring fire, sipping at a creamy hot chocolate. Who doesn’t love a good Chinese on a Friday night, but I wouldn’t mind some bread and cheese before a sharp, late night Pisco.

So, who am I? Why are my customs so mixed and diverse and never consistent? After many years I have now come to realise that I don’t need to stick to one way of doing things. I haven’t grown up speaking one language, eating certain food, dancing to one tune. These experiences have formed how I live, my likes and dislikes and even my beliefs, as a result this has created my unique identity. I have my own way of doing things, as any native person does. My traditions are mixed as throughout my life I have been exposed to multiple cultures, even before the age of 3. It is almost like I have made my own culture for myself, which no-one can share in because no-one is the same as me.

Having a mixed background left me troubled for some years as to which country I truly belong. I don’t cry for Peru, France, England or Hong Kong, yet I have a unique connection with each one. What’s helped me is the fact I know I carry my identity with me. This is not just for people with mixed backgrounds but for anyone. Our home country doesn’t define what we eat, how we live, how we dance or what we should think. Identity is about what’s inside you and what things in your personal life have made you who you are. For this reason, I am not saddened by the fact I don’t have one country to which I can say I belong, I created my own! People may not understand the way I do things all the time, but that is because I really do get the best of multiple worlds. Having lived and been raised in a few different countries, I have grown to see the best and the worst in each. The constant ‘switching’ allowed me to naturally select the way I wanted to live my life. Again, this is my personal experience but I hope it will serve as an encouragement to those who are native to one country, you can still choose the best of your own culture!

I have had the privilege of viewing the world in so many different ways. As the world is becoming smaller it is important to have an open mind and be understanding of different situations around you. As I see more and more children being born into mixed race families, I feel as though this world will become a very different place. Perhaps traditions and customs will develop and change, or new ones may even be invented. Having more mixed-race people in this world has brought with it a whole bunch of new skills such as more people being multi-lingual. The prospect of this has given me hope that the people will be able to better understand each other and work together to resolve the ongoing challenges of today.

Most importantly because of my faith in God I believe that first and foremost my identity comes from Him, I am a child of God. Therefore, despite physical or cultural differences, there is one thing that unites me with my fellow brothers and sisters – the fact that we are all citizens of God’s Kingdom.

We are all Kingdom Citizens.

Author: Laura M Galarza

Editor: Marc McBride