Zine authored by:Laetitia Le Meillour

Excuse mestanding on one legI’m half-caste.

Explain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean when Picassomix red an greenis a half-caste canvas?explain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean when light an shadowmix in de skyis a half-caste weather?well in dat caseengland weathernearly always half-castein fact some o dem cloudhalf-caste till dem overcastso spiteful dem don’t want de sun passah rass?explain yuselfwha yu meanwhen yu say half-casteyu mean tchaikovskysit down at dah pianoan mix a black key

wid a white keyis a half-caste symphony?

Explain yuselfwha yu mean

Ah listening to yu wid de keenhalf of mih ear

Ah looking at yu wid de keenhalf of mih eye

an when I’m introduced to yuI’m sure you’ll understandwhy I offer yu half-a-hand

an when I sleep at nightI close half-a-eye

consequently when I dreamI dream half-a-dream

an when moon begin to glowI half-caste human being

cast half-a-shadowbut yu must come back tomorrow

wid de whole of yu eyean de whole of yu ear

an de whole of yu mind.

an I will tell yude other halfof my story.

John Agard

-When you just can’t catch that beat

-You believe that black people’s weave is their real hair, and are amazed when it grows 15inch over night

-You hear a noise and try to find out what is it

-You hear a serial killer/rapist is on the loose. mostly white

-You’re favourite liquor is vodka or wiskey

-You can find you name on pencils, rulers, coffee mugs and you dont have to get it specially made

-You think africa is a country not a continent

-You know you’re white when you recycle

-When you pay for songs on iTunes

-When you can blush

-You now you’re white when swearing in front of your parents or at them, doesn’t cost you a limb or your life

-You wear socks with sandals

-Your parents make you pay for rent once you have a job

-You are on time over 50% of the time

-Your parents are aware that you drink and smoke and do or say nothing about it

You know you’re white when...

-When you don’t eat anything raw

-When you carry vaseline everywhere you go

-When a love scene comes on tv and they act all disgusted

-When your watching a movie esecially with your mom, the questions are endless “who is he” “what is he doin” “what is his name” “who born him” “is he stupid”

-When they want you to be a doctor, lawyer or accountant

-Insults are a daily thing

-They make you regret ever knowing how to drive “go buy me this, (you come back), oh and I forgot this one too“

-They make every problem sound spiritual

-When something bad happens your mother feels like notifying your WHOLE family.

-They ask you for a favour and you know that “NO” aint an option.

-They always find the hardest way to do things when there’s an easier way out

-You have been beaten with a belt, shoes, wooden spoon,

-Everything is your (their child’s) fault

-Human right is a myth

-They don’t believe in rights exept for the right to woop your butt and take your money once you start working

-An A* in GSCE is not good enough

-You eat chicken EVERY SINGLE DAY..!!!

-Being a vegetarian is NOT an option

-they would say something like “why raise the bills using a dishwasher when we can give birth to one“

-over 70% of CDs and DVDs in your house are illegally owned

- they tell you not to talk back, but get angry when you don’t answer

You know your parents are african when:

Most people would describe mixed race people as good looking adding that they have the “best of both“ from their origins. Their hair is complimented as being “beautiful”, furthermore their skin colour seems to be the shade that all women aspire to attain; (some) black and asian women lighten their skin, while (some) white women tan it. Mixed race people are naturally good dancers and they all listen to Hip Hop and RnB. They have a very versatile physical appearance, due to the fact they look like neither race particularly, which could explain their popularity in the media and why they may be less prone to racism. This has led people to think that the increase of mixed race people in the world, will eradicate racism altogether.

Mixed race people are cocky about their looks and think that they are inaccesible. This has obviously led to the development of their arrogance and loose morals and so the girls are seen as hoes and the guys as “pretty faces”. They enjoy revealing flesh in skimpy, seethrough and tight clothing, claiming “if you’ve got it, flaunt it“, when in reality they’re probably just trying to make the rest of the world jealous. They don’t belong in any race, and we only really consider the term “mixed race” to describe someone half caucasian and half black. They’re seen as black by white people and white by black people, they are always drawn more towards one race than the other. They’re invisible yet stick out like a sore thumb at the same time. They’re an abomination to the human race, it is a morally wrong to mix races. People should stick to their own race in order to preserve their culture and tradition.

“I like a mix”

“that’s the colour that’s normally attracted to me”

“I feel more confortable with ethnic people, as I find we have more in common”

“I want all 3 (white, black and mixed race) so I’ll have a combination”

In a survey people were asked to choose a race they would prefer their future spouse to be if they

had the choice

of people asked what race they would prefer to marry into, chose

to marry outside of their race.

46%“I’ve grown up around black people, and have a black father as well as being used to the african culture”

“I’m generally more attracted to black girls”

1 out of 4asian

3 out of 10caucasian

6 out of 11 black

8 out of 11mixed race

Jamie

EnglandItaly

Trinidad and TobagoMonzerat

“When growing up people made me feel like I didnt have a race, with comments like “half cast, Half Breed, yel low, or confused”... But looking back now I’m happy to be mixed, I

wouldn’t change it for the world.”

Chris

GhanaIndia

Maryroma

FijiRotuma/Polynesia

North AmericaEngland

Christiana

MalaysiaChinaGhana

“It’s a blessing and a curse. Though I’m formed of both I belong to none, however I like my mix because people f ind it fascinating. People’s reactions can get a bit tedious but general ly

it helps as an ice breaker.”

“...” English people see us as being from Fiji even though we’ve lived here most of our lives, and Fijian people see us as being from England, but to be honest being mixed helps me appreciate both

cultures.”

Wentworth Miller

Afro-AmericaEngland Germany

Israel Native America

RussiaFranceHolland

SyriaLebanon

“Being mixed kind of makes me a racial Lone Ranger“

Thandie Newton

ZimbabweEnglish

“I used to feel - as neither white nor black, but as a bridge between both. Now I see myself as black. There is a side of me that would like to go back to how I used to feel. But then I was looking at my peers. Now I’m looking at

the whole world.”

Tiger Woods

ChinaThailand

Native AmericaAfro-America

Holland

Nicole Scherzinger

HawaiiRussian

Philippines

“A lot of people in the industy didn’t understand what race I was. So, they were a little confused on how to cast me or what my place was...people wanted me to be like the Puerto Rican girl, the Puerto Rican best

friend. I’m like, I’m not Puerto Rican. “

Refers to himself as

“Cablinasian (Caucasian, Black, (American) Indian, and

Asian )“