since it’s also #mixedboymonday, here’s an excerpt of an article for @verygoodlight by @kaiproschan called “11 Guys Talk About What The Hashtag #mixedracebeautiful Means To Them”. here’s james’s story: “When I was younger, some white family members of mine would make fun of my tan. My legs and feet get especially dark and I remember my cousins would say “Look at these dirty #Syrian feet” in a joking way. I completely bottled it up, didn’t think anything of it, because at the time I was very much drinking the Kool-Aid of white culture. Or in middle school especially after 9/11 and learning that I was #Arab, people would instantly joke, “terrorist.” They would say, “Well, if anyone is gonna get arrested here, it’s you, James.” Looking back, I would have simply stood up for myself more. At that young age, it’s so delicate and strange. I would have tried to tell them to not hate a skin tone. Or, I would put them in their place. I’ve removed myself from those certain family members, not because of that one instance, but for many different reasons; they’re missing out. They’re missing out on a whole different perspective on the world. It’s my homework assignment every time I go home and interact with them to make one light bulb go off, one change. It starts at home. It starts with those communities that you grew up in. I was this brown spot in a sea of white and I felt like an outcast. I couldn’t name a feeling to it when I was younger, but now I know I felt ashamed. To remember those traumas, it only just makes me love my skin even more today. I wish I had been proud of it because I am today.” 🇸🇾🇮🇹 #mixedboy #mixedboyproblems https://www.instagram.com/p/B8Z4G4kF7IB/?igshid=h04r390hlj6h
