Multiracial in America

My name is Haze Christopher Lyndon and I was born in Madison Wisconsin, to an African American mother and Irish American father. Do I have an identity crisis? Nope, I know exactly who I am and what I stand for. Growing up I had a great life in the confines of my parent’s home. Outside that, life was different…

When I was a kid, going out with my mom, people often mistook her for my nanny. On the other hand when I went out with my dad, he was met with sympathy or admiration for adopting a black kid. At school I was either not “black” enough or “white” enough. I never understood what that meant, I’m 22 now and I still don’t understand what that means. As a result I never fit into any groups. I thank my parents. Why should anyone have to fit into a group?

Mom never thought me what it meant to be “black” and dad never thought me what it was to be “white”. My parents wanted me to make my own choices, they wanted me to like what I like, not because it belonged to a certain group or what society say I should like.

I am very thankful that my parents have allowed me those freedoms. Because of that I am a strong, independent thinking man. Growing up multiracial in America is funny because to some groups I am white, and to another I am black. I don’t care to choose. I say be yourself, march to the beat of your own drum, toot your own horn and be proud of who you are, black, white, or both. Don’t allow society to put you in a box. There is no shame or disadvantage of being multi-racial, or any race. The only disadvantage is in the minds of people who have created the box they try to fit you in.

Learn more about Haze in The Family Portrait series: Changes (book 1), The Banovic Siblings (book 2) and Bastard’s Brew (book 3).