“What are you?”

It goes without saying that culture is a complicated word that many people have different definitions for. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary itself offers six different definitions for the word culture. Not even our trusted dictionary can simplify the definition for this complex word, so we must learn to acknowledge the significance it holds. Many people live their lives confined by the walls of their own culture, unaware of the intolerance that surrounds the people outside of their culture. This seclusion has left many people with an undeniable urge to define those whose appearance is different from their own. I recognize and appreciate that I benefit from certain advantages as a result of my appearance, but there are times in which I face circumstances that some people do not have to face.

“What are you?” For what feels like countless years, I have been asked to label myself. I always wondered what about me made so many people want to ask me this question- my tan skin and curly hair? I could never really make sense of it. This question is not based on my language, history, culture, or values. It is simply based on my appearance. This question continues to be asked with such ease in the most casual situations, sort of like it’s an icebreaker. Why is it that we know not to ask other personal questions, such as ‘How much money do you make?’ or ‘Who are you planning to vote for in the election?’ yet many people find it acceptable to casually ask “What are you?”

Whenever I am asked this question, it feels as if my worth is tied to my cultural background instead of all of the other important things that make me who I am today. It feels like someone is trying to put me in a box so that they can better analyze me. This question is challenging to answer because people form and cultivate their identities over the years and are so much more than just their race. To me, asking this question communicates that you care more about satisfying your curiosity than you do about truly understanding who I am.

Even though I have trouble accepting that this question will only continue to be asked of me, I do recognize that I owe a lot to this question because it inspired me to explore my cultural history. I now know more about my cultural identity than I ever have before. I have spent countless hours conversing with my dad about his cultural identity and how it made him who he is today- and, also, how it makes me who I am today.

My greatest goal in life is to be as cultured as anyone can possibly be, and I plan to achieve this goal by remaining open to learning about various cultures and, hopefully, spending much of my adulthood living in many different countries. I have spent every summer traveling the world and learning about the unique beauty that each culture holds. Without being asked this question so often, I might not have the desire to travel which has become such a crucial part of my life. In a way, a question that I once gave the power to bring me down, has now become an immense part of my life.

I still have a lot to learn about myself, which is why I plan to continue saving up to travel, learning new languages, and experiencing new cultures. We must recognize the significance the question “What are you?” holds, and begin to construct new ways to better understand and get to know the people in our lives. So, what am I, you ask? I am a twenty-one-year-old college student who is slightly obsessed with traveling, The Strokes, and Van Gogh’s art. Was that not the answer you were expecting?

Written by Rachel Mohd