| Abstract | During the 2016 election, journalists and political pundits dramatized the "deepening political divide" at every given opportunity, but the conversations I had with the communities around me exposed much more nuanced feelings about what had happened. Confusion along with conviction. Apathy along with anger. Hurt along with hate. Over and over again, I found that that ubiquitous feeling of being unable to check identity boxes that accompanies most biracial children pervaded into most of our lives, not just those of us who had always felt mixed. Whether it was anti-abortion liberals, Iranian Jews, or feminist Texans, everyone I talked to was, in one way or another, mixed. The election changed us, as individuals, as Americans, and only time will tell what kinds of scars we will collectively bear from this presidency, but I wanted to take the time to write down our stories before I forget them. My hope for this piece is that it will shed some light on the nuanced way that we all see our world and ourselves, and that we will remember our humanity, long after all of this has passed us. |
