"LEILA MOTtLEY IS IN HIGH SCHOOL LIT ARTS AND SHE HAPPENS TO BE ONE OF THE MIXED STUDENTS OF OSA: HER MOTHER IS WHITE AND HER FATHER IS BLACK. I ASKED HER SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT HER CHILDHOOD AND LIFE AS A MIXED PERSON."
- Cecilia Fontaine
Interviewing: Leila Mottley
Leila Mottley is in high school Lit Arts and she happens to be one of the mixed students of OSA: her mother is white and her father is black. I asked her some questions about her childhood and life as a mixed person. I asked Leila which race she felt more comfortable with she said her dad’s side because she doesn’t think she has white privilege and she doesn't think she looks white enough, but she is comfortable with both most of the time.
I asked Leila if she was ever judged with one side of her race by a family member or friend, she responded with a story about how her grandmother on dad’s side was critical of her father marrying a white lady at the beginning, but her grandma moved past it and was happy for her son.
Afterwards, I asked if she liked being a mixed person, She said that she doesn’t know any other way to be, and that it helps her be open minded. However, she said she notices herself always trying to mold into another person when she is with the different sides of her family. I asked her if there was a time she felt uncomfortable and she didn’t feel like like she looked much like her family, and she told me that her hair made her feel less like her white side because they mostly have straight hair and she has curly hair--plus her mother didn’t really know how to treat it so she was left to do it on her own.
I asked Leila a little bit more of an uplifting question to make the interview a little less serious:has she ever invented a country made up of both of her races?, She laughed and said she hadn’t but that it was a good idea. Lastly, I asked her which race she felt had the best food, culturally, and she said her grandmother on her dad's side was not the sharpest cook, and that there was not much food tradition from her dad’s side cause they live kinda far from Oakland. Her mom cooks well, but pretty basic food but it was still good . She came to the conclusion that neither of her cultures’food had much competition and she was more used to restaurants in Oakland.
It was a joy interviewing Leila, she has such a positive attitude about everything and she is a very nice person to talk to.
Leila Mottley is in high school Lit Arts and she happens to be one of the mixed students of OSA: her mother is white and her father is black. I asked her some questions about her childhood and life as a mixed person. I asked Leila which race she felt more comfortable with she said her dad’s side because she doesn’t think she has white privilege and she doesn't think she looks white enough, but she is comfortable with both most of the time.
I asked Leila if she was ever judged with one side of her race by a family member or friend, she responded with a story about how her grandmother on dad’s side was critical of her father marrying a white lady at the beginning, but her grandma moved past it and was happy for her son.
Afterwards, I asked if she liked being a mixed person, She said that she doesn’t know any other way to be, and that it helps her be open minded. However, she said she notices herself always trying to mold into another person when she is with the different sides of her family. I asked her if there was a time she felt uncomfortable and she didn’t feel like like she looked much like her family, and she told me that her hair made her feel less like her white side because they mostly have straight hair and she has curly hair--plus her mother didn’t really know how to treat it so she was left to do it on her own.
I asked Leila a little bit more of an uplifting question to make the interview a little less serious:has she ever invented a country made up of both of her races?, She laughed and said she hadn’t but that it was a good idea. Lastly, I asked her which race she felt had the best food, culturally, and she said her grandmother on her dad's side was not the sharpest cook, and that there was not much food tradition from her dad’s side cause they live kinda far from Oakland. Her mom cooks well, but pretty basic food but it was still good . She came to the conclusion that neither of her cultures’food had much competition and she was more used to restaurants in Oakland.
It was a joy interviewing Leila, she has such a positive attitude about everything and she is a very nice person to talk to.
