by Adam Abd-Rabbou

Created on: December 12, 2006   Last Updated: April 30, 2007

This article is written based on my own personal views and experiences as a mixed race man, however it is a view shared by many of my friends who are also mixed race. I strongly believe that it is a theory that could be confirmed by many mixed race people across the world. This is not by any means a scientific article as my knowledge in that field is too limited for me to feel confident enough to discuss it comfortably. This is the first of a series of articles focusing around this topic that I intend to write.

Identity. It is exceedingly difficult for most people to imagine living out their lives without an identity. For the bulk of people in this world regardless of their status, identity serves as the core structure which is subconsciously draw upon almost every second of their lives.

For thousands of years we have identified identity traits which are distinct in particular races, through to subdivisions of these traits that are present in individual family trees. It is these identity traits that make all people unique but at the same time still grounded as part of their particular race.

Over recent years scientists have been able to link these traits to our DNA and we now know that it is considerably more than just physical traits that get passed down through the generations, but almost every aspect of our identity. It is these traits present in genetic coding that make people African, American Indian, Asian, Australian, Pacific or European.

Take for example a situation where two European people conceive a child. The child may inherit hair colour from his mother, height from his father and so on, but regardless of these particulars, the child's underlying base coding or programming is European. The child will obviously develop his or her own personality and this is likely to be heavily influenced by his nationality and environment. If the child's parents are from two different European Countries he or she could display traits from both nationalities possibly swinging in favour of one more than the other depending on where the child grows up and his or her mother tongue etc.

Internally however the root of the child's coding is inherited from the European Race and to this end the child will feel at peace within his or herself; racially the base codes from both parents are in harmony and the
child when older will have a clear cut European identity.

Now consider a different scenario where for example and Asian and a European person conceive a child. As per usual the child will inherit physical attributes from both parents; the child will develop his or her own personality which again is likely to be heavily influenced by his or her nationality and environment. The child is likely to display traits from both nationalities possibly swinging in favour of one more than the other depending on where the child grows up and his or her mother tongue etc.

Internally however, the childs is in "turmoil" two radically different base codes have been thrown together and are desperately to take control with neither winning for extended lengths of time. To this end, some mixed race children and indeed adults will constantly feel "identity-less" or lost. This can prove to be a seriously testing experience that is almost impossible to overcome.

For people who are not mixed race, this can sometimes be extremely difficult to understand, but it is a struggle that is taking place for ever increasing numbers of people all across the world.

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