Dylan Farr Racial, Ethnic, and Cultural Roots

Ethnic Ancestry:

Mom’s side: Grandmother – Swedish

Grandfather – unknown

Dad’s side: Grandfather – Jamaican

Grandmother – Unknown

Religious Affiliations:

Myself: Atheist

Younger sister: Buddhist

Older sister: Unknown

Mother: Unknown

Father: Christian (ish)

Holidays Celebrated:

Thanksgiving

Christmas

New Years (is that a holiday?)

Fourth of July

Mothers/Fathers Day

Identification:

All of the holidays we celebrate stem from an excuse to set aside time to see relatives we otherwise don’t get to see during the year.

Family ever been harassed or victimized:

I personally have been subject to verbal harassment from ignorant children back in Pennsylvania. There was no serious persecution beyond racial bullying which certainly diminished, as I grew older.

My mother and father definitely sustained substantially more harassment and abuse throughout high school and college. Along with my grandparents whose victimization was much more severe and life threatening

Identify with a different culture:

In all honesty I don’t know what culture I identify with the most. My family frequently celebrates Swedish traditions but our Jamaican heritage is definitely something we take pride in. I honestly have never taken the time to “culturally identify” myself since, in my experience growing up, I’ve often seen it used to elevate ones self over others. This sort of prestige centering on a definitive cultural identity is one I’ve grown to dislike.

Friends that cross ethnic, race, religious, gender or cultural barriers:

It’s funny when I think about it because most of my friends are white but I think it’s because where I grew up wasn’t particularly diverse. I didn’t really have too much of an opportunity to make friends with people who well…weren’t white. Most of my friends cross at least one of the race, cultural, religious, and/or gender boundaries

Situation of tension:

I think the two things that draws out the most tension of the questions provided above were what type of racism I’ve been subject to (although minimal relative to my mother and father) and how important a cultural identity really is.