Multiracial Icons: Inspirational Stories of Successful Multiracial Individuals
Living in America, there are thousands of reasons to feel grateful.
It’s a place where people from all walks of life come to live out their dreams, big or small. The amazing level of freedom we have here is part of what contributes to the diversity the United States has. Still, sometimes that diversity isn’t appreciated the way it’s supposed to be.
Mixed-race people struggle with issues of identity and belonging because they identify with more than one racial group. For example, what side of the fence do you sit on as a biracial Black person (half-Black, half-white) if there’s an issue between Black and white people?
The American Psychological Association, also known as the APA, is one of the largest organizations that focuses on psychology—everything related to your mind, how it works, how to keep it healthy, and ways to improve it. The APA found out that multiracial youths have higher rates of serious mental illness when compared to youths who come from one racial background[1].
Once you become aware of the challenges that being a multiracial person faces, embracing your mixed-race identity isn’t easy. I know this because I’m one of you. I’m a biracial woman. My mother is Jewish, and my dad is Taiwanese. Growing up, it was hard to find mixed people I could look up to, so I thought I’d make all of your lives easier by putting together a list of successful mixed-race people who claim their ethnicity. We cover:
- Black biracial success stories
- Asian multiracial success stories
- Inspiring stories from other mixed-race communities
- My own success story
Read on!
Black biracial success stories
When you hear the phrase “people of color,” what jumps into your mind?
If you’re thinking about Black people, you aren’t wrong. Some might say Mexican, Indian, or Latinx people as well. Those are all quality responses. Going a little deeper, it’s more than just skin color. I know many mixed-race people who are light-skinned, often getting mistaken for white.
Being a Black biracial person comes in many forms. If you identify as one, think about these examples so you feel more confident in your own skin.
Barack Obama
Barack Obama is a biracial Black man. His father is from Kenya. His mother is a white American woman.
From a very young age, Obama was made aware of his dual heritage. He grew up in Hawaii and Indonesia with his mother. The two places were very different. This helped Obama develop a healthy worldview that wasn’t limited to America.
He eventually returned to the United States, attending Columbia University in New York. It was here Obama realized his biracial identity was a blessing, something he could use to bridge gaps between people who didn’t understand one another. He was the in between!
Obama’s half-Black, half-white identity served him well when he ran for president. He used his racial background as the foundation for his campaign, unifying individuals from all walks of life with his message of hope. It served him well. In November 2008, for the first time in U.S. history, the president was a Black man, even if he’s only half.
Meghan Markle
Meghan Markle is one of the most popular mixed-race women on the planet. She’s the daughter of a Black woman and white man.
Growing up in California, Markle often talked about the struggles she faced as a biracial woman. Because she didn’t fit into any one category neatly, she often felt isolated and alone, negatively impacting her mental health at times. As she grew her influence and stardom, she started to use her platform to advocate for racial equality and women’s rights, mostly through her humanitarian work.
Once she met Prince Harry, everything changed. She became the Duchess of Sussex. For the first time in Royal Family history, someone who wasn’t completely white was a member! Her presence in the family is a testament to the importance of diversity and inclusion..
Zendaya
Zendaya is one of the most well-known actresses in the world.
The daughter of an African American father and white mother, she’s navigated the challenges being mixed presents with style and confidence.
Zendaya grew up in Oakland, California, surrounded by various cultures. Her parents, who are both educators, made sure to teach her about the importance of appreciating her heritage. Through their guidance, she learned to view her biracial identity as a way to connect people from different backgrounds.
That perspective is what landed her breakout role in Disney’s TV series “Shake It Up.” From there, she’s gone on to star in “Euphoria,” and all of the Tom Holland Spider-Man films. More importantly, she continues to use her platform to advocate for social justice, racial equality, and diversity and inclusion.
Asian multiracial success stories
I love a good Black biracial story as much as anyone, but being mixed-race goes beyond being half-Black and half something else.
Asian people have positively contributed to American culture for a very long time. If you’re a mixed-race person who identifies as Asian, think about these examples next time you struggle to appreciate your background.
Kristin Kreuk
Kristin Kreuk is widely known for her role as Lana Long on the hit TV show “Smallville.” If you haven’t heard of it, don’t worry—it’s definitely way before your time.
Before she was Lana Long, Kreuk was a multiracial youth struggling with her identity growing up in Vancouver. She’s the daughter of a Chinese mother and Dutch father. Because she’s a mixed-race person, she found it difficult to fit into any one community.
Over time, Kristin learned to embrace her roots, even letting them become part of her professional identity as an actress. Her point of view helped her stand out in the acting business, an industry that’s known for appreciating diversity.
Without this change of heart, she never would’ve landed the role of Lana Long—a role that some could say helped open the doors for more diversity in Hollywood storytelling.
Naomi Osaka
Naomi Osaka is one of the best women’s tennis players in the world.
Her rise to stardom started back in 2018. That was when she played, and defeated, her idol Serena Williams. Osaka’s mother is from Japan and her father is from Haiti. Osaka is originally from Osaka, Japan (look it up if you doubt me) but moved to the United States later with her parents.
Mixed-race people already face challenges when it comes to fitting in as Americans; I can only imagine how much more difficult her adjustment was as a half-Black, half-Japanese person from the other side of the world. This made fitting in anywhere seem impossible for her.
With the help of her support system, she learned to embrace being a biracial person from another country, continuing to perfect her tennis skills until she shocked the world and Serena Williams. Since then, she’s used her platform to break negative stereotypes and advocate for more Asian and multiracial representation in sports and media.
Hines Ward
Hines Ward is another inspirational multiracial Asian American story.
Ward’s mother is Korean, specifically South Korean. His father is African American. Ward was born in South Korea but grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, a city that’s been mostly Black for a long time. You’d think that would be good for him, but because of his biracial identity, finding his tribe seemed impossible.
Playing football provided an outlet for him to embrace his unique ethnic background positively. It was hard to ignore the half African American, half Asian American kid making others eat his dust on the football field. Ward turned into a standout player, going to the University of Georgia to play wide receiver.
From there, the rest is history. He got drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers, playing 14 standout seasons. He’s a four-time Pro-Bowler, Super Bowl Champion, and Super Bowl XL MVP. All of that means he was really good as a football player.
Outside of football, Ward advocates for anti-bullying against multiracial youths in South Korea. His work centers around fighting the discrimination and prejudice mixed-race youths face, using his personal story as a source of motivation.
None of that would be possible without him being comfortable in his own skin.
Other inspiring mixed-race stories
All of these stories are inspiring, but you know what they have in common?
They all focus on one person! When you come from a mixed-race background, you know it took two people to make you. So, why not include stories of successful multiracial families? This section focuses on interracial marriages and mixed-race families.
Keep reading for more inspiration!
Interracial marriages & mixed-race families
These couples make interracial marriage and mixed-race families look amazing. There really isn’t that much of a difference between the two—interracial includes more than one race. That’s what being mixed-race is.
Ellen Pompeo and Chris Ivery
Ellen Pompeo and Chris Ivery are a great example of a happily married interracial couple. You may know Ellen from the popular medical TV show “Grey’s Anatomy.” It’s been on the air for longer than most other TV shows last.
Her husband, Chris, used to be a music producer in the entertainment industry. Ellen is white, Chris is Black. The pair met in 2003. Four years later, they got married. Because they’re an interracial couple, they’ve had to deal with negativity from people who don’t approve of their relationship.
When they had kids, that negativity got even worse. Ellen and Chris refused to allow it to get the best of them. They work hard to make sure their three gorgeous children embrace both sides of their identity.
When you see the entire family together, you can’t help but appreciate the beauty that mixed-race children—and interracial marriages—bring to the world.
Chrissy Teigen and John Legend
If you don’t know about this power couple, most likely, you’ve seen Chrissy and John’s faces somewhere—like on TV as a celebrity judge, or on the back of a cereal box, or TikTok.
Chrissy Teigen is a famous model, author, and TV personality. John Legend is a world-famous singer/musician. Chrissy is biracial, coming from Thai and Norwegian parents. John Legend is Black. They’ve encountered criticism and rude comments from people who don’t understand their relationship, but that hasn’t gotten in the way of them embracing who they are or loving their kids.
Together, the couple parents four children and go out of their way to make them aware of and proud of where they come from. The kids are still pretty young right now though—they haven’t got to the age where they’re aware of being mixed-race youths.
But I bet when that day comes, they’ll be ready to handle it well. Why?
Because of the way their parents are raising them.
Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz
Alicia Keys is an amazing, Grammy-winning musician. Her husband, Swizz Beatz, is a hit record producer. He makes the beats; she sings on them.
Alicia Keys has an African American father and an Irish and Italian mother. Swizz Beatz is also African American, but he’s Puerto Rican as well. That’s a lot of diversity! The pair initially met as teenagers, then reconnected years later through the music industry in 2008. By 2010, they were married.
Alicia and Swizz, whose real name is Kasseem Dean, have two lovely, mixed-race children together. They parent them well, exposing them to art, music, and plenty of culture.
All of this is great because they’re around what I call the age of awareness. That’s when you begin to recognize your multiracial status and allow it or make or break you.
The Keys-Dean household is doing well to make sure their kids fully embrace every side of who they are.
My own success story
Talking about other people’s stories is great for inspiration, but things really hit home when I hear from someone I know or feel I can relate to deeply.
That’s why I’m going to share my own success story and how I overcame struggles with being biracial. Like I mentioned at the beginning, I’m the daughter of a Taiwanese father and a Jewish mother.
When I was really young, I loved everything that had to do with my Jewish heritage. As I got older, I started to feel like two puzzle pieces that didn’t fit together. Once this happened, I’d only appreciate the Jewish parts of me privately. Outside of the comfort of my home, I was only Asian.
Going to college changed things for the better. I joined a few groups for mixed-race people, then started a couple of my own. I fell in love with how I felt around other multiracial people—that’s why I talk so much about connecting with others who have similar experiences (link to blog five when live).
Spending time with other mixed-race people helped me learn to accept and appreciate all of who I am. I stopped looking at myself as two puzzle pieces that didn’t fit together and started viewing myself as a whole person with a unique background.
That’s why I’m so passionate about helping multiracial youth. If I hadn’t met other people like me who were comfortable in their own skin, I never would’ve learned how to be myself—and I definitely wouldn’t be able to help you.
I hope reading this offered you some guidance. I have some more tips—like ways to improve your self-esteem (link to blog 1 when live), but I don’t want to overwhelm you with reading now.
Until next time, remember—being a mixed-race person is something to be proud of!
[1] American Psychological Association (n.d.). Mental Health Disparities Among Racial and Ethnic Minorities. Apa.org. https://www.apa.org/pi/disability/resources/mental-health-disparities#:~:text=URL%3A%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.apa.org%2Fpi%2Fdisability%2Fresources%2Fmental,100