Danielle Carter

Danielle Wei-Tsung Carter

Your ethnicity is: Chinese and African American.

Tell us a bit about growing up as a Swirl Girl?

As a young Swirl Girl, my mom would pick me up from high school and the other kids would ask if I was adopted. The first time it was alarming, but as the question kept recurring, the shock factor turned into feeling like my family and I were unique.

Still I’ve always been empathetic to the challenges that my parents faced as an interracial couple. It wasn’t until recently that I understood how courageous they had to be. Fortunately, my maternal grandparents opened up to the idea of my parents being married. Otherwise, it’s possible I would not have had the chance to develop a close relationship with my grandparents.

Today, I enjoy the benefits of my family’s love and support. I feel blessed to share two different cultures and perspectives down to the root of my curly swirly hair. As an artist, I especially want to remember my parents’ trailblazing efforts in fusing two seemly opposing cultures together.

Source: swirlgirlarmy.com