Rhia #mixedmonday
Rhia is a content creator and writer and host of the Mixed Race Mama - the podcast. She lives with her husband, son and black Schnauzer in South West London. She trained as an actress at the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art and has worked professionally in the creative arts since childhood.
I was born in Cardiff, Cymru (Wales), raised in the West Midlands and have lived in London for the last 20 or so years. I am Punjabi, Cymraes (Welsh) and many things in between.
How would you describe your ethnicity?
I would answer this question differently according to who is asking. I even have a little catchphrase for this: context & company, because the intent behind these questions can vary a lot. However, if I’m just asking for myself I would probably say Mixed Race Desi Welsh. My Dad was born in Punjab India and came to the UK in the 50's. My mum was of Irish and Italian descent, born and raised in England.
Has your mixed-ness influenced your career in any way?
My mixedness has been a huge influence on my career as it has on almost every aspect of my life. I was a child actress and have been on stage since I was very young. After school I attended a prestigious London Drama School and spent some years working in the business. Being a mixed actress was extremely frustrating since I constantly faced casting directors who described me as too racially ambiguous and a host of even more problematic things. Times have moved on somewhat but being somewhere in between was not seen as a positive in my career.
Alongside this I always had other creative jobs for the quiet times. I think being mixed already helped me to accept the multi-faceted nature of a creative career. Since settling down and having a family I started activism work creating a community providing support to mixed people and claiming autonomy over our identities. Alongside this work I am also a co-host of the true crime podcast matchamasalamurder with my fellow mixed friend @sharmanefury and I am releasing a nostalgia podcast.
If you could describe your mixed identity in one word, what would it be?
Beautiful! But truthfully I have never described anything in just one word so you can read *all* my words on this topic on my website or instagram feed and listen to even more words on Mixed Race Mama, The Podcast.
What is the best thing about being mixed heritage?
Food! This is a running joke for me but food is a hugely important part of my life. As a Punjabi woman cooking for people is how I show love, plus we have the best food in the whole world! It’s how I've connected with my culture and ancestors on both sides of my family. Overall the best thing is how much empathy I naturally have, growing up with access to so many cultural influences meant I was automatically programmed to hold space for other people’s situations and feelings.
