Scrambled Eggs: A Study of My Biraciality

Abstract

Throughout this project, I go through the process of researching, analyzing, and examining my identity as a biracial, half Asian and half white, woman living in Canada during the twenty-first century. I use a research creation methodology in order to combine academic research with autobiographical narratives and visual pieces. I begin by investigating the ways in which Western academia has historically conceived of multiracial individuals, often as dehumanized objects for study rather than people with subjectivity and important lived experiences. Next, using genealogical research conducted by two of my aunts, I trace the histories of both sides of my family. Here, I examine the migration of my maternal family to and from Hong Kong, and the immigration of my paternal family out of Europe to North America, in order to consider the personal and societal circumstances that brought together two families from very different backgrounds. Finally, I document experiences, emotions, and encounters from my own day to day life that have had a significant influence on both my identity and my relationships with my self and my biraciality. Overall, by examining my biraciality from a variety of perspectives and while writing and creating through this process, I seek to gain new insights into my identity and a better understanding of my experiences with trying to navigate the world in a racially ambiguous body.