Andrea Thompson: “I don’t need to choose one heritage over the other”
The Marie Claire Editor-in-Chief on why she loves being mixed-race and having two places to call home
Hi, welcome back to Mixed Messages! This week I’m speaking to Andrea Thompson, who is of Barbadian and white British heritage. Andrea is the Editor-in-Chief of Marie Claire, and spoke to me about her experiences as a mixed-Black woman – both the good and the not so great. But overwhelmingly, Andrea owns her mixed heritage as a hugely positive experience. Share her joy below.
How do you define your ethnicity?
I describe myself as mixed-race or bi-racial. My father is from Barbados, he came to the UK when he was 19. I see myself essentially as Black, but my English heritage from my mother is deeply and equally important to who I am. I don’t want to deny that.
My mother instilled a love of English literature and the arts in me, which led me to where I am today. My father taught me about the history of Barbados and the Caribbean, the Civil Rights movement and slavery, but he also taught me about the joy of Carnival, rice and peas and sweetbread.
Has your sense of identity shifted over time?
In my home, I wasn’t aware of my colour. At five, I realised that I was different to my friends, but I didn’t have the words for why. As I grew older, I became aware of the different ways my parents, and increasingly I, were treated by the outside world.
Did you always feel such an affinity with your Barbadian heritage?
While I did visit Barbados as a kid, it was a trip aged 21 led me to identify strongly with that side of myself. Looking at people’s faces and physiques, I became aware of my roots. If you’ve always thought you were different, you can see you’re actually not.
The first time I went, I didn’t know if I felt Black enough. It felt like coming home, but I was treated as English. I still get treated like a tourist when I visit with my family. It’s a strange and horrible experience to be in the middle, to not feel like you belong.
I felt similar visiting my mum’s family in the Cotswolds. I was very aware of my difference, when I just wanted to be like everyone else.
Now, I feel lucky that I have two places to draw on that both feel like home to me. I’ve grown into my identity and I don’t feel the need to choose one over the other – I can be both and have both.
Does feeling comfortable in yourself come with age?
Just like coming to accept your body, I think the same happens with your racial identity. For years, I felt the need to straighten my hair in professional environments, but you get to a certain point where you accept who you are and both of your heritages. Now, I’m much more likely to wear my hair natural at work, but might straighten it for special events.
Today, I don't care what anyone thinks, this is who I am.
But as mixed-race people, we’re not a homogenous group. We’re individuals with different cultures that make us, so the parts that I embrace of my heritage might be different for you. We pull on different things.
Do you think the media is responsible for stereotypes around mixed-race people?
About 10 years ago, there was almost this craze for using mixed-race people in adverts, but they were all the same mix. They all looked like my brother! There’s quite a sinister underbelly to that, this acceptable face of diversity. It’s often a lazy interpretation.
Social media has shaken up and democratised media, giving people the platforms to express themselves as individuals. Even doing this interview, five years ago I don’t think I’d be speaking about being mixed, I’d be speaking about being Black or a woman in the industry. But now we’re breaking it down further and seeing that everyone is individual.
If you could define your personal mixed experience in one word, what would that be?
Positive. I love being mixed-race. I love looking at the contrasts and similarities between the two cultures (Barbados is a British colony, so it does have a lot of British traditions) and knowing I'm a part of both.
Next week, I’ll be talking to Dr Remi Adekoya, author of Biracial Britain: A Different Way of Looking at Race. Subscribe to get Mixed Messages in your inbox next Monday!
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Mixed Messages is a weekly exploration of the mixed-race experience, from me, Isabella Silvers. My mom is Punjabi Indian (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.