Coming to terms with our racial identity can be a journey of celebration and struggle. Our racial identity can be tied to our physical appearance, the way we speak, our customs and beliefs, and both the recent and historic political history of our ancestral peoples. Like many other public aspects of our identity, there can be a disconnect or tension between how we see ourselves and how others see us. And for those of us in multicultural or immigrant families, we may feel like we need to choose or constantly switch between identities, never fully belonging anywhere. Figuring out how we fit in as part of “my people” can be an internal and external struggle of belonging, recognition, and respect, but it can also lead to authenticity, wholeness, and joy.
