MEET ERIC MARCEL SCHIESSER, AGE 21
WHAT MIX ARE YOU?
German and African-American
WHERE DO YOU CURRENTLY LIVE?
Germany.
IS THE COMMUNITY YOU LIVE IN NOW DIVERSE?
Pretty much, yes..
WHERE DID YOU GROW UP?
Growing Germany wasn’t too diverse. I was the only mixed kid in class, the others were all white. Getting older this changed, due to the change in Germany which happened, we are a far more diverse country.
HOW DID YOUR PARENTS MEET?
They met when my mom was 19 and my dad was 22. My dad was an American soldier and came to Germany because of his work. That’s where they met. Pretty happy he was stationed in the part of Germany my mother lives in ;D.
WERE THERE ANY SIGNIFICANT OBSTACLES IN THEIR RELATIONSHIP CORRELATED TO YOUR BACKGROUNDS?
My American grandma wasn’t really happy about my dad marrying a white woman in the first place, and some other things, but other than that not really :)
HAS YOUR EXTENDED FAMILY ALWAYS BEEN SUPPORTIVE OF YOU BEING MULTIRACIAL/BIRACIAL?
Mostly. One of my relatives, though, told my mother one day: “Well that thing with the black guy you had was a mistake, we all make mistakes!’’ That was insane.
DID YOU CELEBRATE TRADITIONS FROM BOTH SIDES OF YOUR FAMILY?
I grew up with my mom because my dad died pretty early (when I was 4). So I’m basically 100% German. I don’t really like America that much actually. The country itself I like. The way people are proud of their country, I don’t.
WERE THERE MULTIPLE LANGUAGES SPOKEN IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD?
Kind of. My German is perfect obviously. I do speak English better than most Germans do, I still don’t speak it perfectly. :D I speak French too.
WHAT DO YOU ENJOY MOST ABOUT YOUR CULTURAL BACKGROUND?
Basically everything (German). I’m proud of my dad and I love him but I don’t really celebrate American stuff (except for the music of course;).
WHAT ACTIONS DID YOUR PARENTS TAKE TO TEACH YOU ABOUT YOUR DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS?
This question doesn’t really work for me , because my dad died when i was 4.
DID YOU TALK ABOUT RACE A LOT IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD WHEN YOU WERE GROWING UP?
Not really, we were just children. I think we discuss this too much. Discussing it all the time, is making it matter. I see the thing about wanting to respect your culture and your background, I do that too!! Nevertheless, always discussing this doesn’t make sense to me.
DO YOU IDENTIFY AS MIXED OR SOMETHING ELSE?
I mostly identify as a black German. People often consider me mixed, but I prefer going with black German. The thing is I got a lot of features from my mom and also a lot of my dad. I’m pretty brown but also have very small lips, people just always struggle to put me in some box.
I’ve had black, black/white, Maori, Indian... and so on. I thought some time about how to consider myself, but in the end I thought it doesn’t matter at all, I am what I am. German and American. That’s it for me. As I said I’m living very German, yet I am American too genetically.
DOES RACE WEIGH INTO WHO YOU CHOOSE TO DATE? OR IF YOU HAVE A PARTNER WHAT RACE ARE THEY?
I don’t care at all. There are so many beautiful people out there, I don’t want to limit myself because of something like excluding someone. I don’t believe in the “taste’’ thing. If it clicks, not if she/he’s white, black, b/w, whatever
WHAT DOES BEING MIXED MEAN TO YOU?
It means that I’m me. I’m no different than a white or black person. We are all the same. (Yet I have to say that it comes with external struggles sometimes ;S)
DO YOU HAVE A LOT OF FRIENDS WHO ARE MIXED?
I don’t unfortunately. My friends are mostly white or Turkish . Most German people are. But I’m always up for new friends;)
ARE THERE ANY COMMENTS YOU ARE REALLY TIRED OF HEARING FROM PEOPLE IN REGARDS TO RACE/CULTURE?
Looooooorrrrddd yes!
· Are you adopted?
· You are so handsome, you can’t be just black?
· Is your mother only dating black guys?
· You are so handsome for a black guy
· Where are you from?
· No what are you really?
· Can I touch your hair? Or people just touching it without asking
· Wannabe nigger
· You mixed people always try to act black , but you are actually pretty nice (WTF??)
· Imagine having a child with a white girl with blue eyes… omg .. your children would be so cute…. Yeah, right… the whiter the better ????!!
· Chessboard
WHAT IS YOUR DREAM FOR THE FUTURE OF AMERICA IN REGARDS TO RACE?
That America understands that it is a country built up by immigration. We are all not just one thing. Just leave this stupid discussion about race and love each other, it shouldn’t matter. Not at all. But I really have to admit, that I think America’s not getting much better concerning this topic.
ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO SHARE?
You can follow me in IG
