EmilyMy name is Emily and I am 20 years old. My mother was born and raised in Ghana (West Africa) and my father was born and raised in Arizona. When my father finished college he joined the Peace Corp and moved to West Africa where he met my mother. They got married and moved to Nigeria, where my brother and I were born. In 1988, when I was 7, we moved to the United States. Transitioning from Nigeria to the United States was especially difficult for me because not only was I from another country, but I was biracial. We lived in a small town in Illinois that was mostly white. I was confused about who I was. Since the town was mostly white I didn't like being with my mother since she was black. A year later we moved to Baltimore, Maryland, and I gradually adjusted to American life. In 1995, I went to a multiracial march and I learned so much. For the first time I felt comfortable with who I was. There were so many speakers that put all of the feelings that I could never express into words. Every speaker there influenced who I am now. Ever since that march, I have been very proud of who I am. I get insulted when people label me, especially when they label me as one race. I no longer allow space in my life for people who do not respect who I am or where I come from. I love every trait that both of parents gave me. I love my African background and my big brown eyes that I got from my mother. And from my father, I love my freckels and my light brown hair that he gave me. I feel like I have experienced so much already and I am only 20. I am still living in the Baltimore area and I am going into my third year at Towson University. I am majoring in Early Childhood Education. I am also the assistant coordinator of a day care center. I have a boyfriend that I've been with for almost four years. I feel like I've really influenced his outlook on race and different cultures. When we finish school, we hope to get married and eventually adopt a biracial child. I joined this group to hear other people's stories and I always enjoy getting to know other people. Please feel free to get in touch with me! I love to e-mail and chat!