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kianamai — Multiracial Identity
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Published: 2017-03-23 04:43:08 +0000 UTC; Views: 59300; Favourites: 2488; Downloads: 76
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EDIT: Hey! I made a kind of extension of this comic on tumblr using a little dog cat named Puppittykianamaiart.tumblr.com/post/16…
Being mixed race is an interesting experience and the experience definitely shapes who you think you are. Because I arguably look more black, despite being 50/50, and it's easier for people to categorize me as such (African American), I just kinda accepted that over time. I started identifying myself as just African American. But that's not who I am. I'm mixed. Both of these things at the same time. Also I'm not even African. I'm Jamaican/Afro-Caribbean. NOT ALL BLACK PEOPLE ARE AFRICAN AMERICAN FYI.
But even when I tried accepting that identity, it didn't feel right. I grew up in Hawaii with primarily Japanese traditions and a Japanese American way of life. So I always thought I identified with being Japanese more than anything. But because I didn't look the part, it was never really okay with other people. Same thing on the other side. I don't "sound black" or have black features other than my hair and skin tone (which is also debatable).
The world is so set on being black and white and people having to fit into specific categories. Apparently, it wasn't until 2000 Census that multiracial people could fill in more than one category for race. I remember that always being stressful during SAT tests. Having to either pick Asian or Black. Anyways, I think it's important that you don't have these black and white stereotypes of people and how they're supposed to be whether it comes to race or gender or sexuality or occupation or anything. All people are different. Yes certain stereotypes exist for a reason but don't be surprised when people don't fit them.
Also just... like don't tell multiracial people the kind of things mentioned in the comic^^^ One, it perpetuates a lot of racially charged stereotypes. And two, it just fucks with us lol. It messes with our sense of belonging and identity and for the most part we'll just take it because it happens all the time and what are we gonna do, y'know? Don't try to categorize us. We just are what we are and that's all we can be
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Comments: 653
I also grew up in Hawaii and I spent 5 years there. It gave me a greater appreciation for mixed race people and talking to them. I am just white, but I was always very curious what people were (people I encountered were often 2 or more groups mixed together, and people were always very proud of each part of that mixed heritage in hawaii) but generally feel like I am pretty polite about it. I generally never assume someone is just "black", but I am also no longer able to just ask people what they are since Ive moved off the island and its ok to ask that kind of question any more.
I lived there as a pre-teen/teen and often had a fun time coming up with "races" for my friends (like blasian (black-asian), wasian (white asian)). That would probably be offensive now that I'm an adult ... but as a kid it was ok. It sort of solved that identity crisis you talk about. You aren't Jamaica, you aren't Japanese you are blasian. That term was ok and kinda cool for 10-15 year olds.
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well for mexicans we dont judge by your color of you skin more like how many money you have and everthing is a joke or can be joke Like someone who does not walk well or big imprefection of his face and if that person say he dont like what you say Just ask forgiveness
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now that explain a lot in your drawing style. still you should not think about that topic that much cause you are the only one that can say who you are. greeting from Peru
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I relate to this so much! Especially the appearance bit. I'm not biracial (I'm multiracial with emphasis on multi), but being a mix of all these different features and people judging you because of it is really hurtful and makes you hate yourself. You're either too this or too that. Your message really hits home and I hope it not only helps other mixed people feel less alone, but brings awareness to non-mixed people that they shouldn't try to box us in!
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Wow, that's one long comic u added... It's also funny that you came up with a catdog for that... cuz just the other day, I thought of myself as a catdog too (but in a different matter than racial identity).
Anyway, you have a point. I feel sorry for you that you have to deal with ppl teling you who/what to are and if you're experiencing identity crisis and a missing sense of belonging :/. I feel you about the latter one.
Feel gently hugged.
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There is sooooooo much truth is what you say!! Dx it makes me sad...
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This made me feel better, I today had such an experience as well.
In Congo I'm too white, in Belgium I'm too black, and I never belong to any place with mixed race people being so hard to find.
Thank you though, it feels nice to be reminded we're not that rare or alone XD
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I'm the sage as you I'm Mexican and white I kinda grew up the same way but I don't speak alot of Spanish
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You are a squishy cinnamon roll and you must be protected.
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Don't regret it! You should let this be known :3 cause you actually sound super interesting. It doesn't matter who you are and who made you and what you look like and who made you looks like.
Just be you and keep making great art 
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Should it matter? Seriously, who cares what race you are? Honestly, people make a big deal that you NEED to know your heritage, but you really don't. Sure it could be fun to know but, at the end of the day it doesn't amount to much. I'm far more interested to learn who Kilalaaa is by not the color of her skin but by the fabric of her character. Who she is as a person is what truly matters. The only identity you have that truly matters, is who Kilalaaa is.
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This really does make you think. Some of the stuff seems pretty obvious to me like don't stereotype people, but it makes you look at your behavior. My best friend kind of has a similar issue since she's a first generation American so she complains about Taiwanese people saying she doesn't sound Taiwanese and Americans being racist like saying "you're English is so good! (no shit, she's lived her whole life in this country!)" It makes me realize that little things like being surprised that she didn't grow up with Disney movies might have bugged her. I try not to do things like that anymore.
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I always thought of this, it's really sad when you feel that you don't belong to neither sides.
I am kind of multiracial too, it can get confusing.
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The large comic on Tumblr just made me cry a little... Okay a lot. It deserves every good thing said about it, and hopefully one day in the future things like this will become less of an issue to people out there than it is today. As long as we as people are willing to speak out and talk about it, we will continue to go farther as a society.
So a toast to the future when race is no longer an issue.
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Loved the comic~
please make more. it's so special in it's own way~
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you are you my dear, and youre a wonderful person. I personally see people with multiracial identities a the person who has the best of both in them. Dont let them get you down you are awesome!
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I find this a dying problem, actually. I believe that it's a matter of time before we all around the globe interbreed and end up AT LEAST with the same skin tone.
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I get that... I am Cree/irish × Algonquin / Scottish... but if I claim to be biracial people tell me off for not being whatever enough...
Light brown wavy hair, hazel eyes and cream skin + with a big booty, 6 foot 2 height and almond shaped eyes - but hey, my grands all smile on me knowing I love myself so ef em all.
Your old ones love you, and you get the best of it all. It's okay to be a unique blend... that's the one they all remember best!
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You are who you are and nobody but yourself can tell you otherwise.
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The funny thing is it doesn't even matter what you look like sometimes ;_;
I'm a Korean, and look like one, but I used to get racist jokes about me being a 'foreigner' and was beaten up a lot just because I lived in America, (Also because I act 'american'?)
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Don't sweat it I'm Nicaraguan/Caucasian, but people never believe I'm really part Central American, don't let people tell you what you are, you tell yourself what you are.
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Great comic. So I'm very curious because I've never seen you address it, how do your parents deal with your multiculturality (lol not a word??)? Like do you go to them for advice/help and how do they feel/react when other people dump their expectations on you around them? That's a dynamic I'm interested in seeing.
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They don't really know what I go through actually. I've never voiced it. They're very good about being like, "Hey, you're Japanese AND Jamaican. Don't let people make you choose." And that's cool, but they sometimes perpetuate the notion that I should be good at things that black people are good at and good at things Asians are good at. Like being black and being athletic for example. Or being smart because I'm Asian. And I am both of those (I like to think) but it's obviously not because of my race. But for them the expectation is there because I'm mixed and they say I have "the best of both worlds".
So it's kinda interesting
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Wow, that's rough, although it could just be parents being parents too and expecting the best from their kids. Love your comics though, I'm going to follow you on Tumblr. ^^
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Gee, that sounds like a hard thing to go through just because of your origins...I hope they're treating you better now?
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The puppitty comic is super cute! I've never understood the need to put people in boxes. One of my best friends in college was mixed and it didn't occur to me to ask her what her heritage was until I met her family. The only reason that occurred to me then was because she was olive complexioned and she had three red headed sisters, a red headed mother, and a very caucasian father. I assumed she was adopted (which I was a little let down when she just told me that her sisters were her half sisters because I've always had this weird fascination with adopted kids). She often mentioned to me that she felt like she didn't belong to one race or the other, but I couldn't understand why she felt she had to choose. You are who you are, there's nothing wrong with being both.
Also, I'm thrilled that you also realize that the term "african american" is ridiculous. It's so limiting and inaccurate (unless you're actually describing someone who has dual-citizenship). I actually have two cousins that live in Kenya (they run an orphanage) and they have dual-citizenship as Americans and Kenyans...which would make them African American and they're white. Equally strange is that they've adopted two Kenyan children who, because they were adopted by American parents, are also African American. I'll never understand people's need to put all these weird labels on each other. Unless someone has robbed you and you need to describe them to police, what do you care what other people's skin color is?
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The puppity comic makes me so happy oh goodness-
I'm mixed race as well White(for lack of better terms i guess)/Filipino... A lot of people tend to think i'm mexican though and will try to speak spanish to me- A lot of my new filipino friends question me when i tell them i haven't tried these certain filipino foods or like some things they do....I was raised more on the white side so i didn't have the same upbringing they did ;-; I do identify more with my white side cause I didn't get a lot of filipino culture in my life.
I really loved your comic. So inspiring
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Ooooh I love the Puppitty comic! It relaly shines a light on the issues and assumptions people can have with/about multiracial people. You did a great job on it!
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I like your comic and think it makes some very nice points in a really cute way. My favorite part is the census-taking cat. It's bound to make others more tolerant or feel less alienated.
I do want to say 'Don't get too caught up in racial identity', since I feel like you might be obsessing about it. Although it can play a large part in how many people act toward others at first glance, it isn't and shouldn't be a factor in long-term relationships with reasonable people. It's far more important who you are. I can't say for certain reasonable people are the majority, but that's the ideal at least.
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Don't regret posting that, Kilala. Many people, including me, can definitely relate. I'm black, pacific islander, and Italian, and I run into the same issues. You're not alone.
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I read the extended "Puppity" comic - that was really adorable, and also informative.
I am an American living in Japan and I work as an assistant English teacher. I've noticed that students who are multi-racial are often considered "not Japanese" if they aren't 100% Japanese. I don't know what that feels like first-hand myself, so I try to be open and learn more about such experiences. It's cool that you put out such a simple and concise way of explaining what it means to be multi-racial.
Also, I don't think I say this enough, but I love your art!
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I think being a mix of japanese and jamaican is awesome.
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Unfortunately, humans love categorizing and grouping everything for some reason. While I'll admit that this doesn't apply to me as much personally, I would really love it if the world could just say we're all human and be done with it. Cultural identity is nice, and I'm not going to fault anyone for having pride in who they are, I just wish it wasn't constantly used as a tool for putting others down or judging them at a glance.
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I don't understand why this is even important enough to attribute value to it. Race does not intrinsically define character and so therefore it is up to the individual to make of themselves what they will. What other people think of them within the context of mere opinion is, in my opinion, unimportant.
Speaking as a Briton living in the US, being daily plied with questions and comments about my background and what I should or should not know, like, or feel, I think I have some small authority on the matter.
But then, some of the qualities that some people apply to their own character is their culture, something I certainly do. I'm fairly pleased with being English, so I can see why other people would place a value on their own culture.
Though as I said, I don't take the opinions of others regarding my culture to be important. Who are other people to me and my own impressions of my culture and personal character? Nothing. Until such a time as humanity becomes a Borg-like collective, where other people's thoughts and feelings are relevant to my own, they shall remain such.
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This reminds me of something that happened in middle school.
So, basically, I am a mutt of a bunch of European races, but technically I'm not all white. I am, in fact, a person of color. With that being said, here's some full details of how I am technically a person of color. So, my appearance is very white-dominated, so it's a given that people don't even know that I'm actually a small percent of Native American. My great grandfather was half white and half Native American, and he lived with an all-white family because his Native American mother abandoned him at the family's doorstep since multiracial couples and children were taboo back then. Long story short, I am descended from a largely white and small amount of Native American background.
Anyways, so one day I was in middle school talking with my friends about how I was Native American. Big shocker here is that they didn't believe me. I even told them that I had a Native American ancestor in my family tree, but they still didn't believe me regardless.
Guess the story is is that when someone sees you as one particular race, that means you aren't anything else besides that.
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.... So in other words... Society has taken away your sense of belonging...
YOU HAVE THE QUALIFICATIONS TO BECOME A PHANTOM THEIF!
.
.
.
Sorry didn't mean to make fun of the situation Q~Q
As a guy made up of 6 differen't races I can definitely relate xD
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I feel this. I'm the child of a Mediterranean/Middle-Eastern family, I'm part of the third generation born in the US, my grandparents were the first, born to immigrants. However, compared to a good portion of my family, I am one of the handful who are pale and can be mistaken for white.
A lot of people have tried dismissing me just because I have very little to show for it (especially because my family is Roman Catholic.. which...is really dumb because Islam isn't the only religion practiced in the Middle East). My family has lost a lot of it's own history because both sides came to the US in 1900, and so much of it was erased during Americanization. We're trying to rebuild our family genetic tree.
For me, it's been greatly confusing because I didn't even know my family's ethnic origins until I was well into my teens. Turns out, because of a lot of shit my family had to put up with, my father refused to really share it with my brother and I, even to where my mother had a hard time explaining a lot of her own family traditions. It gets complicated further on, but now, I just feel weird that others try and go around like they're a verification police to tell you what you are.
All I can tell you is, you are you and you are great. Thank you for making this relatable content.
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I'm Native american, French / Swedish, and hispanic. It's really annoying to have people asking me what I am alot because i'm so mixed. I have told many people that I'm Swedish and French among other things and they say "But you don't have fair hair or skin." It was especially difficult when I moved to very diverse area and everyone was usually separated by race so I just passed by as hispanic but didn't really speak any spanish and hated spicy food.
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I'm pretty much going through the same thing?? Except being asian and "White". I'm a Mutt I guess you could say. But, Us mixed people have a lot of talent and are able to do things most people can't! Mixed people unite!
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Ironically, as someone who is Caucasian I've been there a few times... 
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Hey I read your other comic about Puppitty!
I adore it and I'm sorry that you've had people react weirdly to you
I was wondering how that universe works? Because I've always felt like an outsider too. It makes me think that it's a universe with domestic pets as the predominant species. Maybe you have a wild animal who was adopted by domestics too! That's how I've always felt. Like a wolf among dogs
Just an idea because I really enjoyed reading it!!
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Its fantastic. I'm really glad you could convey this experience to us. I think that before, I probably had a glorified view of multiracial people. I hope that the struggle becomes easier for others as people become more accepting
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I just read your Puppitty comic and ah! I loved it!
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