Represent! (2020-) #11

AMERICAN MONGREL

As the child of Mexican and Arab parents during the early 1990s, in the wake of the Gulf War, Gabe grows up bullied. He’s called a “half-breed” and feels like he doesn’t fit in anywhere. He doesn’t speak Spanish or Arabic and doesn’t know much about the lands and cultures of his heritage. He doesn’t feel Mexican, he doesn’t feel Arab, he doesn’t feel white…the isolation is immense. But when Gabe takes a moment to stop and actually listen to his grandfather (no small feat for any teenager), perhaps there’s a chance to learn that home is more than the land you inhabit…home is your culture. And by embracing the traditions and all sides of his past, perhaps he could find more acceptance in his future…