The "Other" Box

Okay as you may know from reading my profile...I am mixed. Indian and African. As I call it the best of both worlds. The culture is real strong in both these nations. Its real interesting that these two individuals (my parents)for completely different backgrounds got married. Easily my father could have married an Indian woman through arranged marriage. Luckily he went to Zambia and met my mom. Otherwise there would be no me.
Itz obvious sometimes when Ppl stare at me wondering what I am. Wow especially when I go to Indian functions. In my mind I know very well that ppl think I'm black in an Indian chudithar. But then when I point out that I'm Kumar's child they understand the I'm Indian.
When I was in Zimbabwe about 2 1/2 years ago I could very much tell that my people new that I was mixed. I recall walking down the street one day and these dudes started shouting "India!" Oh but I remember very well when I was 9 I went to the park with my mom in Zimbabwe. We were walking past these street kids and all of a sudden I hear in my native tongue (Shona) "Murungu." I recalled that one of my grandmothers was called Gogo Murungu...I asked my mother what they just called me and she began to laugh saying "They called you white." HUH? White...As I got older I began to realize that that only ment that I was light skinned.
Alot of ppl think automatically that I'm Spanish...They see I have a long hair and my complexion is different. Wow especially here where I live I am literally accused of being: Venezualan, Chinese, Puerto Rican, Polonesian, Trinidadian.

But the thing that kind of bothers me is I can't just tell people I'm Indian or just African...Of course on my birth certificate I'm Indian or Asian...But when ppl ask me what nationality are you I have to say Indian and African. I made the mistake one time in telling this guy I was Asian and African. Out of amazement he thought Asian ppl were Chinese only.

The most annoying thing is when I'm asked to fill out what race I am...they ask for pick one. It takes me a while sometimes to put it...I mean I'm both. I can't be one without the other.

But I know that I check off the "Other" box.