It’s always a pleasure to discover new writing and this book: "The Map of Me: True Tales of Mixed Heritage Experience" is a story of our times. Read fourteen true accounts from new writers who share their identity and self, and uncover the complex layers of being of mixed heritage.

"The Map of Me" will be published by Penguin in paperback on the 27th November, 2008, priced £8.99. This is the third and last anthology produced by Penguin in collaboration with Decibel, the ethnic diversity unit of the Arts Council. The fourteen accounts are the best and most searching picked from the many who submitted their honest and moving stories.

Mixed Race: Fastest Growing Ethnic Group in the UK

Consider the recent historic events across the pond when a mixed-race man called Barack Obama, the son of an African man and a white American woman, became the President-Elect. He will be sworn in at 12:00 noon on the 20th January, 2009 as the 44th President of the United States.

In a recent press conference when discussing the subject of getting a puppy for his daughters, Obama made a reference to his mixed ethnicity when he called himself a "mutt" and he's not alone. Mixed-race was first included as a category in the UK census in 2001 and is the fastest growing ethnic group.

Experts say mixed-race is set to overtake British Indians as the largest non-white minority category by 2020.

Meet Tina Freeth

“The Map of Me” is a glimpse of modern Britain from stories of being Irish and Muslim; half-English, half-Pakistani; German and Liberian and someone I can relate to a Chinese-Brummie. Meet Tina Freeth, a woman I had the pleasure of chatting to over a cup of coffee this spring when I went home to Birmingham to visit my family.

When you meet fellow British-born Chinese (BBC), there is somehow a connection, even if it’s only an acknowledgment of the hardship of growing up with a different culture in mainstream British society and, perhaps, a similarity of background and experiences.

With Freeth, her story and experiences are very different to mine because while she had two Chinese birth parents, she was given away to foster at twelve days old and was adopted by her white foster family in Birmingham. Her story called “Growing up on Lard” tells of her experience of being British and Chinese, and of course the central place of food. Watch out for Freeth as an up-and-coming writer who is currently working on her memoir.

So, if you’re looking for your next read or thinking of gifts to buy for Christmas then consider “The Map of Me”.

Your Views

Do you have a mixed heritage? Are you like Tina Freeth of Chinese descent, but have been adopted by another ethnic culture? Are you a new writer of British Chinese descent? Or maybe you just have a recommendation for a good read for Christmas. Please share your thoughts, experiences, suggestions or story below or email me direct at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it

SUSAN S. CHEUNG

 

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Valerie Chang - Diverse upbringing Posted 1:11 on 27 November 2008 Hi Susan the subject of mixed race is very interesting. I am British Chinese and overseas born in East Africa. I do feel that I have many influences in my life, living in a culturally diverse city like London, mixing with all types of people. It is easy to be stereotyped and put in a box. People's perception changes when they get to know who you really are. We are richer as human beings when we are open to wide influences. Reply | Quote

Susan S. Cheung - Diverse upbringing Posted 20:37 on 27 November 2008 Hi Valerie, Thanks for sharing your experiences. That's why many people are wrong to put Chinese people into a homogeneous box. The Chinese within China are many people and each different and likewise the Chinese diaspora. It's like we are many strands of a rainbow and I for one love the variety of experiences and thoughts. As Chinese, we can't always assume we have common experiences. Take Tina Freeth, her experiences are different to mine because she was brought up exclusively as English within a white household and likewise living in East Africa must have influenced you at a young age in a different way to me. Reply | Quote

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