I'm not EXACTLY sure if I am a minority or not, but I have a white dad and a black mom, so I am kind of mixed. Most of my friends, my community, and my school are white. I am very proud of my African-American heritage, and sometimes I feel a little defensive.

For example, if someone tries to do an impression of a black person, it makes me uncomfortable. Or even when some people define a person as black when that's not part of a story. Their color doesn't make any difference, but if it's about a white person, they don't say that. They do the same with Hispanics. I am extremely against racism, and I wish people would quit defining a single person by their skin color only, as if that makes them act a certain way.

Even some of my close friends, when introducing me to someone, will say, "So-and-so, this is my friend. SHE IS MIXED." So what!!! Who cares? What difference does that make about my personality? And then sometimes someone will tell me a story about something having to do with black people, and they will get all embarrassed when they say the word "black" in front of me. Why?