I am a child of mixed races. If we were in America I would call myself biracial but then again we are not. My mother is Xhosa and my father is coloured and, in essence, they are both black. So why can’t I say I am black?
As I was growing up I had to defend and justify who and what I am. I was too black to be coloured and too coloured to be black. Sounds weird, nuh?
Well, the thing is when I was with coloured people I was this "kroeskop" girl and they felt the need to speak English to me and would be amazed at the fact that I could speak Afrikaans.
As I grew older and I met Xhosa people they would look at me and ask “Sorry, are you Xhosa”? I would say yes and ask why and their response would be: "It's just that you look coloured.” Then they would add: “You must have a bit of colouredness in you.”
So my experience has been that upon meeting someone for the first time, I have had to tell them my life story. I tell them about my parents and that it has resulted in a "beautiful cocktail", which is me.
But why should I have to explain and justify my blackness? I have found that if I say that I am Xhosa, the next question is "ungumni" (what’s your clan name)? As I don't have one, they say I must be coloured.
Why can't I just be me? Why should I justify my blackness by putting an ethnic label before it? Why can’t I say I am black and be accepted. Better yet why can’t I say I am an African because in essence that is what I am?
I am 24 years young and still have to explain myself. At technikon my friends named me a "mix", so they now refer to me as Mix. I don’t care what they call me, I know who I am. I am Zora, black, bald and butted. I am my own person and don’t need anything or anyone to validate me.
So, call me what you want to call me, Xhosa, Coloured or mix, but I will remain the beautiful cocktail that I am.
As I was growing up I had to defend and justify who and what I am. I was too black to be coloured and too coloured to be black. Sounds weird, nuh?
Well, the thing is when I was with coloured people I was this "kroeskop" girl and they felt the need to speak English to me and would be amazed at the fact that I could speak Afrikaans.
As I grew older and I met Xhosa people they would look at me and ask “Sorry, are you Xhosa”? I would say yes and ask why and their response would be: "It's just that you look coloured.” Then they would add: “You must have a bit of colouredness in you.”
So my experience has been that upon meeting someone for the first time, I have had to tell them my life story. I tell them about my parents and that it has resulted in a "beautiful cocktail", which is me.
But why should I have to explain and justify my blackness? I have found that if I say that I am Xhosa, the next question is "ungumni" (what’s your clan name)? As I don't have one, they say I must be coloured.
Why can't I just be me? Why should I justify my blackness by putting an ethnic label before it? Why can’t I say I am black and be accepted. Better yet why can’t I say I am an African because in essence that is what I am?
I am 24 years young and still have to explain myself. At technikon my friends named me a "mix", so they now refer to me as Mix. I don’t care what they call me, I know who I am. I am Zora, black, bald and butted. I am my own person and don’t need anything or anyone to validate me.
So, call me what you want to call me, Xhosa, Coloured or mix, but I will remain the beautiful cocktail that I am.
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