I am half White and mostly grew up in a white family. I recognize the feeling of White shame within myself and surround some of my white family members. Growing up some of my white family members would say racist things about Brown and Black people. I would be offended because I considered myself as a Brown girl due to my Mexican side and thought it was mean to say racist things about other people just because the color of their skin. Due to my families behaviors I set a boundary early on not allowing some of my friends to meet them, and got into a lot of arguments with them. I was ashamed of some of my family's behaviors and was frustrated how much I had to call them out even as a little girl. I was suppose to get married this year and dreaded having a wedding because of some of my families racist comments on the white side and on the Mexican side of the family who has essentially 'adopted' me through my best friend (that's for another discussion). My COVID-19 silvering lining is I am not having a wedding anymore and convinced my partner to just have a courthouse wedding.
Overall, it has been frustrating growing up as a person of color and having a family who did not really acknowledge my Mexican heritage and thought it was okay to say racist things around me.
