In light of Meghan Markle and her husband Prince Harry's recent interview with Oprah, issues centering around racist institutions have come into the spotlight. However, it was the duchess's comments about some in the palace being concerned about her son Archie's potential skin color that truly struck a chord with viewers.
While emotions continue to run high, one Twitter user, Kemah Bob, reflected on the fact that many mixed-race people like Meghan and Archie often experience racism within their own families.
I don't think the racism mixed race kids face from their own families is discussed enough.
Many who identify as biracial or mixed race replied to the tweet with stories of their own experiences, and the responses speak for themselves:
1.
Someone on my white side knitted me a gollywog and brought it to the hospital when I was born https://t.co/upAo8yniuE
2.
@kemahbob_ My Nana called my father "that black bastard" When I pointed out that I'm Black too she said "I know honey but it's not your fault" I was 6. She was raising me
3.
@kemahbob_ When I was younger and I used to visit my mums side they were so ashamed to have a half black grandchild they kept us locked in a room and we wasn’t allowed to go out for guests to see us. From as young as 3 they kept telling my mum to bleach my skin. We never spoke to them again
4.
@kemahbob_ my jewish russian grandma said i looked like her mother as a baby to her siblings. They laughed at her and told her” if mona heard you say that she’d roll in her grave.” my great aunt told me this story straight to my face as if it was this hilarious memory.
5.
@kemahbob_ This hits hard. I was never allowed to bring up race because my family "don't see colour" and I'm not "really" black. A lot to talk about but there's never space to do so without wading through hurt white people's feelings first. Thank you for bringing this up.
6.
@kemahbob_ I remember my (white) dad took me to visit some of his family. His aunt took him aside and told him not quietly to never bring his ch*nk children ever again. I think about that alot
7.
@kemahbob_ I was completely rejected by my dad’s parents because they didn’t like the thought of someone who was part black taking their last name
8.
@kemahbob_ I'm mixed race and my sister is also (both adopted). One of my aunts seemed aghast at the fact that my parents were going to actually tell people my sister was half Pakistani and half Greek. Aunt suggested saying she was Spanish or 'Mediterranean' to make it more acceptable...
9.
@kemahbob_ If I had only counted how often the n-word was dropped in front of me by my relatives, well knowing my father is Black. "But you're not really black, you look like you've been on vacation/exotic" Dismissing the racism I experienced in school... my oh my.. 🙄
10.
My white grandparents wrote me out of their will. My white cousins got houses and cars. It’s weird to be white passing in some spaces when your white family was clear from day one that you were NOT white enough for them. https://t.co/zDWQXRKHwv
11.
The comments to this hit fucking hard, because I am mixed yet white-passing, and I had to completely cut off my Latino family because they treated me like shit due to being "the white girl's kid". They literally made me hate who I was, made me hate being Latino https://t.co/oUHcNKTnNc
12.
Some parts of my Caucasian dad's side basically disowned my Filipino mom, my sibling and I until my early teens. One of my grandparents used to randomly call my home phone and MY CELL and would say "fuck you" then hang up. Those calls always brought me to tears. https://t.co/lOUkVyu3LP
13.
A couple years ago my white aunt told me to my face that colonization was a good thing. Shit like that you never, ever forget https://t.co/BKVbKo2p6r
14.
I remember my white mother gossiping with her friends and slut-shaming women from her social circle for having sex with black men. I didn’t often speak up, but I did then. I played dumb and asked her what she meant, she just ignored me and continued. We have to talk about this. https://t.co/ABr8qURlQk
15.
the amount of times i get family members telling me they’re catching up when getting a tan is tiring https://t.co/5m32qpEZ3M
16.
My nana use to give me and brother $5 on our birthdays and Xmas but my white cousins would get $20-$50 lol https://t.co/IfGUt2yeq4
17.
my white grandma gave me this doll when i was a kid and said that "she reminded her of me" https://t.co/XGcSYtTs4l