Aleesha Hansel: “I compartmentalised my identity – I was different people in different circumstances”
The wine writer on being a product of colonialism, the monolithic idea of mixedness and having seasoning on her plate
Hi, welcome back to Mixed Messages! This week I’m speaking to wine writer Aleesha Hansel, who is of mixed-Jamaican, white English and Indian heritage. In an industry that’s predominantly filled with white men, Aleesha brings a fresh and long-overdue approach to wine from an anthropological lens, influenced by her mixed heritage. Read her story below.
How do you define your heritage?
My father is of Jamaican descent, then my mom is half English and half-Indian. Her father is from Calcutta and her mom’s from Birmingham [editor’s note: in the Midlands, we say ‘mom!’]. What I think is shocking is my grandparents on my mother’s side in the ‘50s; this dark-skinned Indian man meeting this white woman, I always think that must have been so hard.
In terms of language, I’ve always said ‘mixed-race.’ It’s a new thing for me to say ‘of Black, white and Indian heritage.’ This understanding of where I’m from has been quite a recent journey. Saying ‘of heritage’ feels like I’m not taking away from the reality of the struggles of being fully Black or fully Indian, but still nods to the fact that I have that heritage.
I think I present as Black and white without the Indian a lot of the time, so I say I’m ‘the first and only wine writer of Black heritage in the UK’ as opposed to ‘of Black and Indian heritage.’ That’s not because I’m against the Indian side, but when you present a certain way it’s maybe easier to go along with that.
You’re from Birmingham, like me – I always felt like we held onto the term ‘half-caste’ longer than other places. Did you find that?
I did, that’s an evolution isn’t it. I guess I called myself half-caste because I didn’t understand the history of it. I studied a poem in school by John Agard called Half-Caste but we never learned the power behind those words. That just shows you the colonial structure of the school, that we didn’t talk about what this poem was questioning.
I actually met John a few years ago and I asked if he’d write the same poem now. He said ‘I would do everything again. I understand the word, that was the word that was used at the time and I needed to write it.’
You now live in London – how has your sense of self changed over time and place?
I think I’ve had an increasing awareness. Birmingham is so multicultural and I spent loads of time with my father’s side of the family. But what was more formative was school where I spent five days a week. My school was very white, with maybe two or three other Black people and a handful of Indian people. At a young age, I think peers are more impactful than family.
Looking back, I think I felt confused when I was younger. I was hanging out with lots of white people at school then Black people at home, not having so much of a connection to my Indian side even though I saw my grandad every week… I think I just compartmentalised and became different people in different circumstances.
Over the past few years, I’ve started to read a bit more and become more aware, so I’d say the change for me is less about location and more about the passing of time. I feel a bit ashamed to say that, especially because my white husband and his socialist family knew more than me about ‘my’ history at times.
Did you ever speak to your family about being mixed?
Never, I think it was a different time. My Indian grandad didn’t teach my mother or her brother anything about his culture, language or food. I spoke to my mom about it once and she said it was actually a loving thing, it wasn’t gatekeeping – he wanted his children to be as British as possible. These were the days of Britain as the Motherland. Maybe it was also because he went through so much racist abuse that integration was a naive way of thinking things would be fine.
Throughout your career, you’ve spoken about colonialism in regards to wine, as well as pairing wines with ‘non traditional’ cuisines. How do you bring your mixed background to your work?
I’ll preface this by saying that when I started writing about wine, the pandemic happened and Black Lives Matter kicked off. The wine world went ‘shit, we don’t know any Black people,’ so my first two articles in the UK were about Black-owned wines or wineries. Now, I write like any other wine writer and I’ve not spoken about my story because I didn’t want people to just think of me as ‘the Black wine writer.’
I started doing food pairings with Caribbean food and other cuisines on my Instagram, then wrote about how food pairings are so Eurocentric. It’s really to do with the Western palate. People don’t think about the fact that Goa has historical connections to the Portuguese, so Portuguese wines work well with those foods.
That’s the way I come into it. Indians and Jamaicans historically didn’t drink wine, so my family didn’t drink wine growing up. I come from a fresh slate – I was anxious coming in, but it’s a USP of mine, I don’t have this dogmatic idea of French or Italian wines being the best. I question those perceived norms. It’s all political. The Dukes of Burgundy were on the side of the English during the Hundred Years’ War, so it’s all about those ties and trading histories, not just what tastes great.
I’m also really excited about indigenous grapes. I am a product of the British Empire and colonialism, but I’m essentially a product of travel. Because my own connection with my ancestry is fractured, I’m fascinated by mixing grapes whose history I can trace back to one place. I’m currently writing a book which is essentially the anthropology of wine, indigenous drinks and the role they play in rituals across cultures.
How do you want to see the conversation around mixedness develop?
Mixed being different things, not just Black and white. I think the monolithic idea of what we experience needs to be broken down. Africa is a continent, not a country – someone in Haiti will feel different to someone in St Kitts, so don’t assume someone’s experience based on their background. I think that’s the trickiest conversation to have and I don’t envy it. I think colourism is something we’ll take some time talking about, and racism amongst ourselves.
What’s one of the best things about being mixed for you?
I love it. I think I love it more now. I appreciate what it’s given to me and I don’t think I really thought about it as a teenager. Now, I see what an amazing childhood I’ve experienced. Home-cooked Jamaican and Indian food! I’ve got seasoning on my plate. Flavour! What a dull existence just having boiled, unseasoned potatoes.
Family as well, I’ve been able to go to those places and really feel what it’s like to be there as a local. How amazing that I can see the world in a different way. Even with my book, I’m writing about 30 countries and I have found something I’ve been able to connect to in every single culture. I enjoy the diversity of it, I just think it’s fascinating and I can build a rapport with so many people.
Can you sum up your mixed experience in a word?
Feast. It’s been a feast for the senses, a feast of experiences.
Follow Aleesha on Instagram and Twitter. Next week, I’ll be speaking to author Cecile Pin, whose debut novel Wandering Souls is out on 2nd March. Subscribe to get Mixed Messages in your inbox on Monday.
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Mixed Messages is a weekly exploration of the mixed-race experience, from me, Isabella Silvers. My mom is Punjabi (by way of East Africa) and my dad is white British, but finding my place between these two cultures hasn’t always been easy. That’s why I started Mixed Messages, where each week I’ll speak to a prominent mixed voice to delve into what it really feels like to be mixed.
Wonderful story I love your passion about wine I watching you on TV I can see you re knowledge are high 🤗
Such a wonderful post. I love Aleesha’s word she chose - feast. 💗