"So what are you?" Chandra Crane knows what it's like to get that question. She has a Thai birth father, a European American mother, and an African American father who adopted her when she was five. With this mixed multiethnic and multicultural background, she has keenly felt the otherness of never quite fitting in. Where do people of mixed ethnicity belong? Those of us with multiethnic backgrounds may have pain surrounding our mixed heritage. But we also have the privilege and potential to serve the Lord through our unique experiences. Crane explores what Scripture and history teach us about ethnicity and how we can bring all of ourselves to our sense of identity and calling. Discover the fullness of who you are. Find out how your mixed identity can be a blessing to yourself and to the world around you.
"I think about multiethnicity a lot. I have beloved family members who are multiethnic, and I pastor a diverse congregation. And yet, as Chandra's book makes plain, I still have so much to learn about the experiences-the pains and the joys-of those who don't neatly fit into monoethnic categories. With the sure footing of one who has lived the experience, Chandra invites those of us who haven't to listen carefully and to imagine ways of following Jesus together that are hospitable to everyone. Mixed Blessing is required reading for anyone who wants a glimpse of the complex and hopeful future of the church in this country."
David W. Swanson, pastor and author of Rediscipling the White Church
"Mixed Blessing reminds us that people are not created for boxes but for God's glory. This book helps fill an inexcusable gap in our understanding of racial and ethnic dynamics. . . . Is Mixed Blessing an easy read? Certainly not. But it is an essential one."
From the foreword by Jemar Tisby, president of The Witness
"Integrating biblical narratives, personal story, and a variety of individuals' experiences, Chandra address the complexity of multiracial identity with nuance and insight. This book is everything I needed for the 'mixed' students, neighbors, and family members in my life. Most importantly I found a framework I need to parent my own biracial sons."
Sandra Maria Van Opstal, executive director of Chasing Justice and author of The Next Wors