Being isolated by other minorities.
This is me(on the left):
I’m Taiwanese, African-American, and Caucasian. Oftentimes people will assume that mixed races have all the benefits of their various backgrounds: the stereotypical athletics of a black guy, the stereotypical brains of an Asian, and maybe the stereotypical wealthy background of a white person.
It is these very assumptions that make life as a mixed race individual a special kind of awful. You’re the minority of the minorities.
Growing up, I only got bits and pieces of the cultural backgrounds for each race. Because of this, I never fully fit into any social circle.
White kids wanted me for my “dance moves”(which I have none of) and because of my athletics.
Black kids ostracized me for not being ABLE to dance and for sounding extremely “whitewashed.”
Asian kids wouldn’t even BELIEVE that I’m Asian, despite that culture having the greatest influence on my upbringing. It’s exhausting having to “prove” my Asianness just to feel accepted.
Of course there’s more to social interaction then just race, but being able to relate to people coming from similar backgrounds is a wonderful thing to have. Such a connection is something that many people take for granted.
As a mixed-race guy, I didn’t benefit from my diverse ethnicities. I experienced the stereotypes of each, without any group of people from a similar background to band together with.
Isolation, loneliness—these are the worst aspects of being a minority.
Edit 1) Thank you for the support! I never mention this to my friends or family—I didn’t think this Quora post would get so much attention and I appreciate it greatly:)
I’d like to add that this feeling can and does apply to ANY person who doesn’t conform to their stereotypical demographic. People have been bringing up what it would take to fix this, and my personal belief is this:
The experience of feeling trapped between cultures will always exist so long as cultural barriers exist. And these barriers will persist so long as ethnic groups look down upon other races. Whether you’re white, tan, black, or brown—it’s easy to feel like the culture we grow up with is superior. Even if it’s just subconsciously, or only joking around.
It’s fine to be proud of who we are(in fact it’s encouraged!), but oftentimes that pride turns into competitiveness. And that fun little competition is how we can find ourselves separated.