Her Name Is Mary

Today’s society is populated with thousands of people paying money to websites and corporations to find out who their ancestors are, and where they come from. DNA testing has become more accessible, and people are eager to learn more about their roots. It is amazing how much, as a society, we take stock in everyone’s ethnicity. Almost all the questionnaires and censes I have come across ask the question, what are you? Sometimes the ethnicity even becomes the main focus of one’s identity. My life has always been filled with questions regarding where I come from. I am adopted. Therefore, certain details regarding my identity are unknown. Growing up in a Caucasian family, I self-identified as white. At the age of nine, I was asked, “Why don’t you look like your mom?” From that moment on, my self-image and appearance became an issue. During this time my adoption and appearance became the focal point of bullying. I looked very Asian, and kids noticed that I didn’t look like the rest of my family. I fantasied of looking like and being someone else to fit in. From high school conversations to college applications, answering the ‘what are you?’ questions, I honestly did not know what to say. However, as I matured through the years, questions began to emerge regarding my ethnicity. Her Name Is Mary presents the various cultural possibilities given my skin tone, hair color and physical appearance. However, it is because I am adopted that I have grown into the person I am today-- knowing who I am instead of getting wrapped up in the what I am.​