Maimuna Memon: “Cultural heritage and skin colour are just part of who you are”
The actor on Lancashire, Muslim representation and mixedness as purgatory
Hi, welcome back to Mixed Messages! This week I’m speaking to actor Maimuna Memon, who is of mixed Irish and Pakistani heritage. Maimuna’s multi-award-winning show Manic Street Creature is on at Southwark Playhouse from October 19th, where she explores mental health, love, connection and music. It’s a typically personal piece from Maimuna, who brings her experiences wholeheartedly into her work. I was excited to hear more about her background, so enjoy her story below.
I’d love to hear about your family background.
I say mixed-race or dual heritage. My mum’s Irish and my dad’s Pakistani. He moved to Ireland in the ‘80s where he met my mum. She was from a small town in the South of Ireland in Tipperary. They broke all the rules getting together back then. My mum converted to Islam when she married my dad and they moved to Lancashire in the UK. That’s where I feel my roots are.
What was it like growing up in Lancashire?
There was a big South Asian population, but I felt embarrassed of my heritage. There was quite a lot of racism growing up – our fence was vandalised, that kind of thing – but I really respect the town and don’t want to speak badly about it.
I used to lie about my background because I felt like I didn’t fit in. I’ve never understood where I belonged in terms of my cultural identity. I remember reading about the term Third Culture Kid, and finally being like ‘that is me,’ having that clash of cultures. Now, I’m incredibly proud of my background.
How has being mixed impacted your acting career?
Theatre and television have been very different. I’ve always had a diverse range of parts thrown at me in theatre, whereas I’ve found television to be a slog. I can’t help but feel like what I look like has played into that because I don’t fit into a box. That’s been really hard and upsetting.
I want to be put up for all roles, not just South Asian characters. It’s important for me to represent that side of myself, but also the other parts of my upbringing that influenced who I am: Lancashire, the Northern landscape, my friends… Cultural heritage and skin colour are just part of who you are, the people you meet along the way are just as important.
There’s a lack of understanding about the mixed-race experience, especially the mixed-South Asian experience and other mixes that aren’t the ‘common’ ones, so to speak. I’ve been in situations where they’ve cast someone in a Muslim role who looks more Muslim to them, even though they’re not [Muslim,] whereas I’ve had the experience of growing up in a Muslim household. Stories of mixed heritage need to be told more – there are so many of us! That’s why I write stories with mixed-race protagonists.
People often expect that the non-white heritage is the biggest influence on you, but your Irish mum had a huge impact right?
Yeah, my mum is a musician and I have strong ties to Irish folk through her. I use the harmonium a lot, and I think that’s where my composition comes from.
We had a very musical house and also listened to a lot of Pakistani folk music too. They have so much more in common that people think. I think Pakistani singers have influenced the shapes in my mouth too.
Did you ever speak to your family about being mixed?
I speak to my brothers a lot. Me and my dad have a pretty difficult relationship, one day he said ‘do you think you're Brown? You're not brown, you're white.’ It was the worst thing anyone could ever say to me, because I’ve spent my whole life trying to understand my background, what it meant and who I was. I felt like I’d gone back 20 years.
Sometimes people don’t understand that when you’re dual heritage, there’s judgement from both sides. It’s like purgatory, especially if you can’t speak the language, the mother tongue. It’s like I’m letting that side of the family down.
Can you speak Urdu?
No, when my dad came to the UK he never spoke to us in Urdu – he actually speaks Memon – I think because of integration. I was sad not to have that, I feel embarrassed that I don’t speak it. I can teach myself, I have no excuse.
I’ve not even been to Pakistan and I feel guilty for that. I feel afraid of travelling by myself because I don’t feel like I’ll fit in. As artists, writers and creatives we already seek that validation – we sit at a desk or stand on a stage so that other people can tell us whether what we’ve done is good or not.
What’s the best thing about being mixed for you?
I love that I’ve been exposed to this incredible clash of cultures and used all of those things to influence who I am as a person. I’m so proud to represent both sides of myself. It’s also taught me to read more about the complications of cultural representation and identity and speak more about it. It’s forced me to ask difficult questions to myself and other people.
Can you sum up your mixed identity in a word?
Loud.
Get tickets to Manic Street Creature here. Next week, I’ll be talking to poet Sarala Estruch. Subscribe to get Mixed Messages in your inbox on Monday.
Enjoy Mixed Messages? Support me on Ko-Fi! Your donations, which can start from £3, help me pay for the transcription software needed to keep this newsletter weekly, as well as special treats for subscribers. I also earn a small amount of commission (at no extra cost to you) on any purchases made through my Bookshop.org affiliate links.
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.