JC
UCBerkeley News follows up on their article of last week about four mixed students in order to highlight some additional thoughts from other members of the Berkeley community.

Thus, for me, race is an artificial construct, which isolates me from those unknowledgeable of the biracial experience. At the same time, my races help me to partially define my identity and feel unique. Nonetheless, I hope for the day when people will instead focus upon their numerous similarities.’ —Heidi Mason, Geography ‘04

From my exposure to both my parents’ cultures, I have become aware of some of their respective strengths and weaknesses. Like most mixed-raced people today I do not see one as superior to the other and refuse to elevate one of them. ‘ —Leon L. Tsao, executive assistant to the director of the Electronics Research Lab

Actually, I don’t think consciously about being multiracial most of the time. It’s when people assume I’m only white that I feel offended — though I really shouldn’t be, since I do look white. Even though I haven’t been exposed very much to Chinese culture, I can’t deny that it’s at least a part of me. And I don’t like it when other people deny me my right to be mixed.’ —Adina Honniball, third-year EPS (Geology) major