I (15F) am biracial my dad is Mexican and my mom is white. I take more after my mom physically I’m pale, have light brown/blonde hair, and green eyes. People usually assume I’m fully white until I tell them otherwise. I’ve always been proud of my heritage, and my dad has worked hard to teach me about our culture, food, and language. I’m not fluent in Spanish, but I’ve been learning.
This past weekend we went to a cookout on my dad’s side of the family. I don’t see them often, but I was excited to go. As soon as we got there, a few of my cousins (ages 16–18) started making jokes at my expense. They kept calling me “Becky” and “snow bunny,” and asked, “You sure you’re one of us?” One of them laughed and said I looked like I “walked out of a Target ad.” I laughed it off awkwardly, but it kept getting worse.
They also started teasing me about my life. My dad and mom have good jobs, so we’re financially comfortable. I go to a good school, and I have nice clothes and a decent phone normal stuff, I thought. But my cousins made fun of it, saying I lived a “rich white girl life” and didn’t know what real struggle was. One of them said, “Must be nice to pretend you’re one of us when your dad married up and gave you the suburban fantasy.”
Eventually, I couldn’t take it anymore. I left the group and went to find my dad. I just started crying and told him everything. He was livid. He confronted his siblings and said it wasn’t okay for his daughter to be mocked for how she looks, talks, or lives. A big argument broke out, and we ended up leaving early.
I didn’t mean to cause drama. I just felt attacked, and I wanted comfort from my dad. My mom says I did nothing wrong. My dad told me he’s proud of who I am and that what they said came from jealousy and ignorance. But I still feel guilty for “ruining” the day and making a scene.
AITA for crying to my dad and starting a family fight after my cousins made fun of me for being white and privileged?