Boxed In

Christopher Berretta always knew he was a little different. Since the age of six he noticed the odd looks given to both him and his family. No, Christopher is not disabled, and his family is not eccentric. He is bi-racial, as are many of the members in his family. He comes from a very diverse background. His father is Italian and his mother is African-American. Growing up, Christopher found himself longing for a playmate or an idol who looked the way he did and knew what it felt like to grow up mixed-race. His wishes were finally answered with a brother. No longer would he be misunderstood and alone, but life did not get any easier for him.

This difference came to a head at one of the most difficult times for an adolescent: high school. Those years are stressful enough; your parents and teachers keep telling you how important your grades are to get into a good college, you are struggling to figure out who you are, and you plunge into dating. Try to imagine the added pressure of walking into the school cafeteria and being forced to choose sides: White or Black? It is hard enough trying to come to a decision on whether you want the hamburger or the pepperoni pizza let alone which group of friends you want to sit with and which ones you want to avoid. Because of this, Christopher often ate lunch outside to avoid segregating his friends.

Test taking was not any easier. He was often forced to choose a race when taking such test as the T-CAP. There was not "Mixed-Race" or "Bi-Racial" bubble to fill in so what guidelines was he given to choose? Should he go by how he was feeling that day? What exactly is feeling Black or Italian in the first place? He found it unfair that he had to conform and be sectioned off daily.

Although growing up mixed-race has been a difficult task, Christopher says that he would not have chosen another family or life if he could. He is proud of his bi-racial heritage and the openness it has brought him in the many aspects of his personality. Society tries to put him and his family in a box, but he refuses to give into its rules of engagement. After all, everything in the world is not always apples and oranges.