As a person of mixed ancestry, I have had experiences on all continents where the locals think I am a native (until they see how badly I speak the language). I have been mistaken for Sicilian, Ethiopian, Brazilian and a Japanese man swore that I must be at least half-Japanese. What interesting to me is that my "race" changes in some countries - in Brazil, I am considered white, while in the United States, I am never seen as white. I see a little bit of myself in every country I have been to.

My sister, a fellow anthropologist who is a tiny bit more fair than I, looks just like the women in Amsterdam (tall, blonde) with a slight tan. She often has people complimenting her on her tan (ha! It's natural, our mother is African-American) and often has people make derogatory remarks to her about other races assuming that she is 100% white. I love when she recounts their looks of shock when she pulls out a family photo.


T