Census figures shows that interracial relationships are gradually increasing in Canada. The number of biracial and multiracial children can be expected to be increasing, too.
According to Statistics Canada, a 2011 National Household Survey reported 4.6 per cent of all married or common-law couples in Canada were a mixed union. That continued a trend: In 1991, only 2.6 per cent of couples were in a mixed union, in 2001, the percentage had climbed to 3.1 per cent, and it became 3.9 per cent in 2006.
Anjonette Copon, Jennifer Banh and Roderick Baldwin are of mixed racial backgrounds.
Anjonette Copon
What is your ethnic background?
My mom is Filipino and my dad is from St. Vincent. It’s in the West Indies. I think they’re called Vincentians.
How do you identify yourself?
I don’t really know. I think I’ve spent most of my time with the Filipino side of my family because my parents separated when I was young. So I think I identify more with that side, but I always say I’m mixed.
What ethnicity do you often get mistaken for? What is your reaction to that?
I get Fijian a lot, or Sri Lankan. A lot of people look at me and know I’m mixed but they can’t tell what it is. I’ve even gotten Hawaiian before. I’ve also had some people that get it right on the nose!
Have you ever had an identity crisis?
No, not really. I’ve always been really comfortable with who I am and my mixed background.
What’s the hardest moment you’ve had to endure due to your background?
I actually had my first racial attack happen to me last year. It was a stranger. Elderly, white, male who randomly came up to me to tell me that I wasn’t pure and that we society needs to start doing what Hitler did with the Jews. It was extremely scary. He eventually just walked away from me.
Do you celebrate any traditions/speak the language(s)?
I know some words is Tagalog (Filipino), mainly family terms and random words for household things.
Is there something you wish people wouldn’t assume about biracial people?
I don’t know about biracial people in general, but I get a lot of assumptions made about me because I’m half black. [For example] that I speak a certain way, or that I’m really good at sports or that I can sing really well or rap.
Jennifer Banh
What is your ethnic background?
Chinese and Vietnamese. Parents born in Vietnam but Chinese history from dad’s side.
How do you identify yourself?
Asian and, in depth, Chinese and Vietnamese.
What ethnicity do you often get mistaken for? And what is your reaction to it?
Filipino. My reaction is, “How do I look Filipino?” I also get the comment, “You don’t look Chinese” when I tell people my mix but it’s understandable because I’m a mix of Chinese and Vietnamese.
Have you ever had an identity crisis?
No.
Hardest moment you’ve had to endure due to your background?
When I was in elementary school in Aldergrove, I was the only Asian kid. The contrast was vast from Vancouver and I felt different from the Caucasians. Thankfully, later on in the years, the Asian population grew in Aldergrove.
Do you celebrate any traditions/speak the language(s)?
I celebrate most Chinese and Vietnamese holidays and am exposed to the cultural superstitions. I speak Cantonese to my parents, my patients at the hospital and in places where I need the language.
Is there something you wish people wouldn’t assume about biracial people?
The assumption that biracial kids are adopted or the denial of the child’s parents because of the obvious differences.
Roderick Baldwin:
What is your ethnic background?
I am African American, Japanese and Native (Blackfoot and Arawak)
How do you identify yourself?
I identify as African American or “brown”
What ethnicity do you often get mistaken for? What is your reaction to it?
Guessing my background usually never happens and I’m not fazed by anything anymore.
Have you ever had an identity crisis?
Nope.
WHat’s the hardest moment you’ve had to endure due to your background?
Getting police called on me because I “had a gun to my head”, escorted off a bus at gunpoint and searched only to have the accusations to be unfounded.
I used to sit at a bus stop to go to college, and it’s kinda in visible sight of a crossroad and a main road, so you can see houses from there. I didn’t like using headphones a lot, so I would keep my phone near my ear so I could listen to them. I guess someone called saying I had a gun to my head, and I was mentally unstable or something.
I get on the bus, heading to school and about halfway there, the bus gets pulled over, I didn’t really know what was going on until they pulled us over.
By that time the officers get on the bus, there’s one at the door, and one coming on with a full-on Remington aimed at me; the other one’s aiming at the outside, so he tells me to get off, and I do, calmly and not arguing or anything. There were others waiting outside for me with AR15s, and Glocks as well. They ask to search me, I say sure, with no hesitation or anything.So, they find nothing, and they apologize, we shake hands and i talk to them about all my ambitions.
Do you celebrate any traditions/speak the language(s)?
Not that I know of.
Is there something you wish people wouldn’t assume about biracial people?
That you’re not only what you appear to be.
