Deanna
I AM A 16 YEAR OLD GIRL WHO IS HALF CHEROKEE INDIAN AND IRISH. I GREW UP WITH AFRICAN AMERICANS AND WHITES MOSTLY, I HAVE NEVER BEEN AROUND MUCH NATIVE AMERICANS. ALTHOUGH I MAKE A YEARLY VISIT TO CHEROKEE, NORTH CAROLINA AND I HAVE FRIENDS THERE.MOST PEOPLE ARE CURIOUS ABOUT ME THEY ASK WHAT ARE YOU AND I AM LIKE WHAT???, I AM A HUMAN BEING JUST LIKE YOU. I HAVE ENCOUNTERED SOME RACISM LATELY. PEOPLE AT MY SCHOOL COMES UP TO ME AND SAYS THINGS LIKE WE TOOK YOUR LAND AWAY HA! HA! HA! I'M LIKE WELL I AM HALF WHITE AND THAT JUST SEEMS TO MAKE IT WORSE. I AM LIGHT SKINNED AND I HAVE BLACK STRAIGHT HAIR AND NATIVE AMERICAN FEATURES. MY DAD IS REALLY LIGHT SKINNED AND MY MOM IS TAN, SHE IS THE NATIVE AMERICAN. I AM PROUD OF WHO I AM, I WOULD'NT HAVE IT ANY OTHER WAY. I WANTED TO DATE A FULL BLOODED NATIVE AMERICAN AND HIS MOM SAID NO BECAUSE I WAS TO WHITE. SOME PEOPLE I WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND, BUT OH WELL. AS LONG AS I AM A HAPPY PERSON THAT IS ALL THAT MATTERS.