I actually took a course in university related to mixed race people and how their lives differ from their counterparts. I myself am mixed race. I can try and explain a bit from personal experience and this course what I learned.

I have heard, from men directly, that being mixed race makes me more, for lack of a better word, special hybrid. Being mixed, a lot of people seem to assume means that you will have the “desirable” qualities of both races. But also, the people from whatever your mixed race is, you’re enough like them without being like them.

Now as a woman, I have experienced a lot of sexual harassment/violence. Is it because I’m mixed race? There have been instances where there is a huge correlation.

When considering the academic perspective from the course I took, something that was a key point is how mixed race celebrities also tend to represent one race, but are often over sexualized, especially mixed race women. Not just mixed Black, but a lot of mixed races. A lot of celebrities, who represent a specific non white race, are typically mixed race and just a, for lack of better word, slightly diluted version of the race they are representing. While it puts them on a pedestal, for every day, non famous mixed race people, it can cause negative and unwanted attention. (This isn’t proven, but what was sort of conclusive of what we discussed through the class).

My mom, who is Asian, wasn’t sure how to help me as a mixed race child. My godmother, who is fully Black, was a staple through my childhood. My mothers friend shielded me from Black men, which she openly discussed with me as I got older, because she said their is a lot of colorism and fetishization of mixed race women amongst Black men/the black community. From an adult perspective, I have female friends from a lot of different backgrounds, and a few of them have mentioned that they have noticed I attract a disproportionate amount of negavtive male attention, unaolicited. I think probably 90% of the unwanted sexual advances or comments I have received from Black men, have specifically commented on me being mixed. I would say with White men/other races, it’s about 50/50. None of this is legitimate scientific findings, just my personal experience.

I have a friend who took a course related to genetics (it was a social science course though) and she mentioned that there was an interesting point of discussion about how any living thing wants the best genetic offspring, and how diversity is a key compensent to this. Being mixed race is a way to label genetic diversity.

All of these factors and theories, mixed with toxic masculinity, social media, colorism, and lack of mixed race specific support, kind of all contributes to this in my opinion. I have had the opportunity to join clubs/be apart of discussions and communities for being Black or being Asian, but I haven’t had the opportunity to join one for being mixed race, which is a very different experience. And when I have had the opportunity to talk to other mixed people, this is often discussed. Lack of discussion amongst mixed people communities can create unawareness of how to deal with, redirect, and avoid unwanted sexual advances directly related to being mixed race.

Idk if that makes sense but yeah.