Through my organization, Cross Cultural Adoptees (CCA), I have been connecting with others adoptees and sharing my experiences as well as hearing others' as well. CCA exists to create a community and safe space for adoptees to meet each other and discuss issues with a focus on transracial and cross cultural struggles. By being part of the Multiracial Heritage Month planning committee, I was able to raise awareness towards adoptee issues and gain visibility. 

I am glad I was able to tie the adoptee perspective into the cultural appropriation topic due to confusion regarding our identity and not feeling "worthy" to wear cultural garments due to not being raised or accepted into our birth culture.

Theme for Multiracial Heritage Month 2020

For Multiracial Heritage Month 2020, we chose the theme “No Offense.” Knowing that racial stereotypes lay the foundation for systemic racism, we hope to tackle the issues of microaggressions and “-isms” toward multiracial people and communities. Accepting offensive language, however well-intended, strengthens the foundations on which offensive behavior, slurs, and hate crimes stand. We want to address the fact that although most offenses are not intended, and often good people can say bad things, these offenses are still harmful. By examining intent versus impact and implication, we seek to eliminate seemingly harmless and non-offensive racial jokes and assumptions, creating inclusive spaces and dialogues. 

The phrase “No offense” often precedes a sentence that someone knows may be racist, sexist, or otherwise offensive. We rely on “No offense” as a disclaimer to shift blame by separating ourselves from our opinions and assumptions. Relying on this disclaimer, however well-meaning the speaker may be, is a toxic protection against accountability for the speaker’s words. We believe people should be aware of the implications of their words, and if they feel the need to begin their sentences with “No offense…” maybe those words aren’t worth saying. We invite you to contribute to the conversation and add your events to our official Multiracial Heritage Month calendar, which we will promote across campus and on our social media.

Multiracial Heritage Month 2021 had the theme "Coloring Outside the Lines" which pays homage to the fact multiraciality exists on a spectrum without defined lines dictating who belongs to which race(s). Given that one of the main areas that multiracial people struggle in is feeling "___ enough" I wanted to create a theme based around dispelling that myth. Rather than educating the public about how to view/treat multiracial people this year's MHM was targeted specifically towards multiracial folks themselves to communicate the message that they can find validation from within because no matter how much we try, there are going to be people who won't see us for who we are.