I know people have many expectations on what a mixed girl is supposed to look like, how they should act and that they should be different than the average person. But in my case, that isn’t true. I’m just a multiracial teenage girl, and I’m not just saying this to make myself seem more diverse or exotic.

Apparently, in today’s society, it’s “cool” to say you’re mixed with something, even if it is only ⅛ of you.

Although it may seem cool to say you’re of mixed heritage, many don’t know the struggles of being a biracial teenage girl in the world today There is a constant struggle of racial identity amongst ignorant individuals, feeling of isolation, people’s assumptions about my racial background, and countless other problems I’m faced with.

All my life, I’ve grown up with identity issues. I never knew where I could fit in. I always had problems making friends with people of other races because I never knew how I should act around them. My personality would change to fit the personalities of others around me.

There’s also the conflict of having to walk through the halls feeling the stares of people trying to identify me on my back. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been approached with “are you fully black?” or “what are you mixed with?”

I know people never have bad intentions when asking these questions, but it just gets old having to explain my racial background after a while. I feel like I need to put a sign on my forehead saying “I am mixed.”

Now let’s deal with the issue of my hair consisting of literally three different textures. Trust me, having different hair types is not okay when you go into a store and find products designated for only one specific hair type.

When I was a kid, I used to constantly get criticized for going natural. During my transition stage, I never really knew what to do with my hair.

Braid-outs, twist-outs, Bantu knots, different products from Shea Moisture to Cantu: all of them never seemed to work for me. It was only when I actually learned how to use the products and perfect my twists that my twist-outs would turn out bomb.

I would go to school with a big afro and kids would bully me, asking what was up with my hair or just throwing shade to other students about my hair.

Yes, I am mixed. Yes, I have wild hair. It’s my life, and I have had enough of people coming up to me bombarding me with questions and trying to touch my hair.

Let us now discuss the issue of me “talking white.” When I was elementary school, many kids managed to also find fault in the way that I talked. Apparently, I was too proper and I talked “too white.”

Last time I checked, white doesn’t have a sound. Nor does black.

So the question remains: why was I constantly faulted for talking a certain way? What’s wrong with talking properly anyway? Why is it a crime if I can pronounce my words correctly and finish my own sentences?

People should just learn to not to be so ignorant and obnoxious when it comes to my race. I feel like people are scared of what they don’t understand, and I’m something that not everyone understands.

Now being grown up and more aware than I was when I was younger, I realize that the opinions of others don’t necessarily matter. I should just stay true to myself and accept who I am, a mixed child, and love myself regardless if anyone else does or not.