Identity – Siobhán Kangataran

I Am Brown.

I am brown. I used to call myself “mixed race” but now that I know that race is a construct, it feels like that term is no longer accurate. I am half-Indian, half-Irish, born in Malaysia, raised in Ireland, living in England for nearly 10 years. My mother was white and Irish, my father wasContinueContinue reading “I Am Brown.”

Escaping Discomfort

I used to think I was a fat girl inside a skinny girl’s body. I trained for so long in a weight-controlled sport that I was always aware of my weight – usually accurate to within a 100g. But I never felt I belonged in it. At my skinniest, I would feel the absence ofContinueContinue reading “Escaping Discomfort”

Irishness

How do you define someone’s Irishness? Is it by their accent, their passport, their residence, their parents, their birthplace, or is it their appearance? I recently took part in a social experiment by Una-Minh Kavanagh to capture images of those of us who are Irish, but don’t look Irish, and are regularly asked “where areContinueContinue reading “Irishness”

Leaving Ireland To Gain Perspective

I was asked by an English friend nearly 6 years ago “if you got pregnant now, would you keep it?” I was 27 at the time, single, and had been in London less than 6 months, in a temporary job, and a stack of student debt after finishing my Masters the year before. And yet,ContinueContinue reading “Leaving Ireland To Gain Perspective”

Learning how to make (authentic) friends

I remember being a teenager and having this breakthrough realisation that if I was just really nice to everyone then they would have to like me and be my friend! Genius! I was obviously a lonely teenager, with very few friends. I didn’t know who I was, or who I wanted to be. I surroundedContinueContinue reading “Learning how to make (authentic) friends”