I’m adopted. Born in Tehran. Not a fun year for me in 1979. Unfortunately, a full blown racist antisemite pro militia made his way into my family by marrying my mother in law. He was sly and hid his real self until after the wedding. First off, I get a call from the police to come get my infant and kindergarten daughters. He’d been driving like an idiot and neither of my precious children were even in a seat belt my daughter was actually standing on the seat hanging halfway out the open window.

Next day blow up. You cannot ever drive my children anywhere. Period. Warning grandma, I have zero tolerance. Same day. Idiot says, “Can I show you a ‘veedeeoh’ I assume video? It’s a full antisemite anti Latinix, anti black crap. I am furious. I know that I have a Persian father, but not just any Persian, Zoroastrian Persian. Not Muslim and not an ‘A- rab’. I didn’t have a clue about my biological mother beyond American. I will gladly admit to this lie. I stood up said you have just put a half gold star on me and my kids. You don’t think my husband would have burned for marrying me?? I slapped the restraining order after he entered my driveway and slapped the basketball out of my son’s hands and said “find a white sport.” It was two years of pure hell. After 23 and me, I’m not Jewish, but my mother appears to have originally lived in Scandinavia. I think under those incredibly narrow lines, misappropriation is appropriate. I drove it home. I have a multinational interracial family and you are not welcome. I really didn’t have a clue what my true maternal ancestry might be, so in this moment, I was wondering if she was Jewish. Either by birth or conversion. It was a real possibility. Now? I’m not Jewish, so those are not my stories to share beyond telling you my children and grandchildren are not raised this way. I’m a first generation American and I don’t want to see my adopted homeland in chaos. Kindness is free.