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False Friends And Finding Myself: Being Mixed Race in Leicester

Content warning: racism

Growing up comes with its challenges, but growing up mixed-race surrounded by white people who have only ever really experienced white people is an added mountain to climb. I grew up in a small town just outside of Leicester. Throughout my school years, I experienced many different types of racism and microaggressions that it almost became normal. During primary school, I was called names on multiple occasions and this led me to resent not only the colour of my skin but my whole image as a person. If I told my mum about the things that were said to me, she would confront the school about it, but all I got was an apology and it would most likely happen again in a few weeks. Due to this I stopped telling her and just dealt with the comments by myself. Looking back, I think more could have been done to prevent some of the things that were said to me, but I think the school put it down to the fact that ’kids can be cruel’ and left it at that.