Making Space for Mixed-Race Identity with Meagan Kimberly Smith and Jazmine Jarvis | #63

Click here to access a written transcript of this episode.

As a mixed-race person myself, I am familiar with the unique pain and privilege that comes with being mixed. Growing up, I struggled to understand and embrace who I was, how I was perceived, and where I belonged. I wish I'd known more mixed folx at that time to help me grapple with my identity.

The good news is that the kind of community I would have benefited from then, exists now. Mixed in America, an organization co-founded by Meagan Kimberly Smith and Jazmine Jarvis, is empowering the mixed community and leading nuanced conversations about mixed identity. It was such a delight to speak with Meagan and Jazmine about the many shades of the mixed experience, and I hope you enjoy listening to our conversation.

We discussed:

• Who Meagan and Jazmine are and how they know each other.
• What inspired them to create Mixed in America.
• The otherness and lack of belonging that shapes the experiences of many mixed folx.
• Code-switching in the context of being a mixed person trying to fit into two or more cultures.
• Common assumptions about mixed folx.
• The frequency with which people try to determine the identity of mixed folx instead of letting them self-identify.
• The objectification and fetishization of mixed folx.
• Colorism and the experience of holding both pain and privilege when you're mixed.
• The mental health impact of being mixed.
• Meagan and Jazmine's recommendations for ways that mixed folx can learn how to embrace their mixed identities.
• What Meagan and Jazmine's favorite parts of being mixed are.
• How Meagan and Jazmine define health and wellness for themselves at this moment in their lives.

Mentioned in This Episode

• The Mixed in America community on Instagram

Featured in This Episode

Jazmine Jarvis (she/her) and Meagan Kimberly Smith (she/her) are the co-founders of Mixed in America. Mixed in America is an organization dedicated to empowering the mixed community and healing the mixed identity. They aim to have nuanced conversations about race in America through the mixed lens. You can find out more about Mixed in America on their website and Instagram.

Did you benefit from this episode? You can show your appreciation by supporting Mixed in America's work. Join the Mixed in America community on Instagram and sign up for the free Intro To Mixed Identity Workbook on the Mixed in America website.