It’s Complicated

“Where are you from?”

Whenever we get asked this question, there is always a pause. Since the answer is just too complicated!

If its a Chinese kid on the playground asking Kyle in Chinese, Kyle insists that he is from China. After all, he has lived in China since he was 3 months old, he goes to school in China, and his little brother was born there. Which usually starts an argument in Mandarin that I can only half follow in which the local kid insists Kyle is a foreigner and Kyle rejects this idea.

If its someone asking in English, Kyle will tell a different answer—one that is more accurate.

“Mommy, Zaki and I are from America. Daddy’s from Kenya. We live in China.”

At which point usually the person who asks looks baffled and makes an awkward comment about how my husband isn’t black. (My husband’s ethnic background is Pakistani.)

No matter where we live we are different. We are a multicultural family whose members were born in three different continents. We’re Muslim expats who identify with different areas of the world-depending on the context of the conversation. We will always be different and honestly I like that. I’m raising my kids to be proud of their ethnic backgrounds as well as their religion and their life experiences. My kids are unique. I haven’t met any other Native American Pakistanis (whose dad insists are also Kenyan) who run around singing songs in Mandarin. If you know of any, let me know!