"It really is a tired old problem for children of immigrants and kids of mixed race, constantly trying to explain yourself. Eventually, you give up and say, 'Okay, what do you think I am?' When you're in the midst of it, you come to understand that 'race' is a loose social construct, a series of visual impressions, and that your identity can be whatever the hell crazy thing you want it to be, you just have to grow a sense of humor and cultivate selective deafness."

Appreciated this interview with author (and Portland resident) Diana Abu-Jaber in Guernica Magazine.