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Hi Lis...,
I just read your message and found it very very easy to relate to! My amum is actually a red headed american and I'm from Kiribati so I'm dark skinned and I seem to get funny reactions when I say to people for the first time..."This is my mum." some people don't question it but others kind of give that confused look then move on.
I've never been ashamed in calling her mum and love her so much for raising me! I actually grew up here in Australia - Tasmania and it's funny because when I was in primary school I never saw myself as dark skinned or different when I would be sitting in a class room full of lighter skinned people. And one day i remember being taken out of my class room with this other girl who had a birth mark to take these "Assertive Classes" I remember sitting in this little room with this teacher asking us if we had ever got teased for being different. It really confused me being in Grade 4 and especially as I thought, "I'm not different! I'm just like the other kids!" The other girl and I didn't really see the point of the class as we didn't have a problem at all with the other kids. We kind of saw it as a time away from class. The teacher did ask stupid questions and even being at that age I still thought it was a complete waste of time because I had friends who liked me for who I was and I NEVER felt different!!
With that said, I did get teased sometimes but being who I was I never got affected by it. I always ignored them or made their comments hit them back! A lot of the time the kids that did say something were so naive that they thought I was aboriginal but I look nothing like an aboriginal, I'm an Islander! One boy made a comment about my lips when I was in Grade 5 saying, "Gee you have luber lips!" and I said "All the better to kiss you with!!" Then he went running and never teased me EVER again! LOL It cracks me up remembering that!!!!
I love the fact that I have such a unique story and if someone shows interest in it I'm more then willing to tell them. Everyone's story is different though! I really enjoyed reading yours.
Crystal
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