We, the mixed-race: The largest and least noticed minority

In an opinion piece for Rzeczpospolita, Irena Lasota explores the identity and struggles of "mixed-race" individuals, whom she terms "mieszańcy" – a term encompassing mixed-bloods, mulattos, mestizos, and those of mixed heritage.

Lasota posits that this group constitutes one of the largest, yet least recognized and most persecuted minorities, or perhaps even a majority, worldwide. She notes that while individuals typically hold a single citizenship, passport, family, or religion, beneath this surface unity, diverse ancestries can coexist and either flourish or vanish rapidly.

The author connects contemporary issues to historical traumas, referencing the Jedwabne and Kielce pogroms against Jews and the Volhynia massacres of Poles. She observes a similarity in the language of propaganda, both in 1968 and today, which assigns collective guilt, demanding condemnation of figures like Israel or Zelenskyy, and holding individuals responsible for historical atrocities like Stalinism or the Volhynia events.

Lasota reflects on the personal experience of mixed heritage, acknowledging that even without genetic analysis, "various differences" can emerge. She contrasts this internal complexity with the external pressure to conform to singular identities, highlighting the challenges faced by those who do not fit neatly into predefined categories.