Essay On Hybridity And Intersectionality

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Recently, in class, we discussed hybridity and intersectionality. Hybridity is defined as having two or more cultural identities where as intersectionality is defined as an overlapping of different cultural identities. At the beginning of the discussion, I was not really sure what the difference of the two were, until I realized hybridity was specifically two or more different identities within the specific culture. These topics really interested me because I, personally, can relate to hybridity since I am of mixed race. In class, we watched a video on those who were mixed race. This video really spoke to me because when I meet new people, the first thing they ask me is “what are you?” People usually ask this question before they even ask my name and before, this question had not bothered me, however now, this question is starting to get irritating. I understand that my race may be hard to pick out, but asking such a question without truly getting to know me can get aggravating, because it seems like …show more content…

The fact that we brought this up in class makes me realize that I am not the only one who does not feel 100% “comfortable” with my race, since I am a mixed race. It seems like I always have to choose between my black side or my white side, and although this can be convenient at times, I wish I could be both at the same time, all the time. I am glad that we took the time to study this, because I think it is important for people to be aware of hybridity. Because I am black or I am white, does not mean I have to “act” a certain way. And because I act “more white” or “more black” at times does not mean that I am more than another. Opening people’s eyes to hybridity can also get rid of stereotypes that are involved with the certain kind of race. It is important to understand hybridity because being mixed in a culture is becoming a more common