About the problems of mixed-breed children in Russia

On March 2, 2005, the newspaper "Megapolis-Novosti" published an article about the activities of the "Metis" charitable foundation, created to help children born in interracial marriages.

The head of the Fund, Emilia Tynes-Mensah, the daughter of a native of Ghana and a "Russian beauty", faced with the problems that arise in Russia for small mestizos and mulattoes: her daughters in the late 1980s. were forced to emigrate to the United States, "escaping from daily humiliation and insults . "

According to statistics, 70,000 Africans were educated in Russia. Every second of them left a child here. These children are experiencing serious problems in Russia today due to everyday racism, which is periodically associated with a threat to life (attacks by skinheads).

In addition, mestizos face racial discrimination, for example, when trying to find a job: “A mulatto girl graduated from college with honors, knows English and French. She is hired by phone for any job. But when a girl comes for an interview, she is immediately refused. And the aspiring black singer Diana was told: “You sang the best, but can you count on anything at the Our Home is Russia contest?”

Surrounded by white children, little mulattoes from the age of 3-4 begin to experience an inferiority complex, consider themselves freaks with burnt skin: “The worst thing is that the teachers themselves set a bad example. In one kindergarten, the teacher told the kids that the new dark-skinned boy was just dirty. to look at the mulatto Anya, children from all over the village near Tula were taken on an excursion.Another dark-haired girl was expelled from school because she "dared to dye her Negro hair white. "

Ms. Thains-Mensah is sure that in order to prevent the complexes that arise in mestizos, it is necessary first of all to acquaint the child with those like him: "We organize special ethnic holidays where mestizos and mulattos can dance, listen to the stories of African students and national music" . In order to form attitudes of tolerance and overcome xenophobia, the Foundation opened two educational centers where white children study together with mulattoes.

Sources

• Okuneva D. Russian tears of chocolate children // Megapolis-News. 2005. No. 9 (414). March 2-8.