“The wind swoops down, God breathes and across the lake a million flamingoes rise, the edges of Lake Nakuru lift, like the pink skirts swollen by petticoats, now showing bits of blue panties and God gasps, the skirts blow higher, the whole lake is blue, and the sky is full of circling flamingoes.” – Binyavanga Wainaina, One Day I Will Write About This Place (2011)
I am pink, blue, and purple. The pink is thousands of flamingo feathers in the blue expanse of Lake Nakuru and the blue of the sky as flamingos rise from the edges of the lake. The pink is Japanese cherry blossoms. The purple is puffed-up Jacaranda flower heads lining the streets of Nakuru. I am pink, blue, and purple. I am Kenyan and Japanese. This work explores my complex identity as a woman with mixed heritage. It is a conversation between my gathered experiences and how I identify and perceive myself.
The skirt illustrates my experience. Lake Nakuru has river inlets, and like the moving water defining the larger lake, I am continually defined and confined by others’ perceptions of my multicultural background. This influences my sense of self. The skirt represents what people’s perceptions of me are at face value, or at first encounter. Yet, beneath the skirt lies a deeper truth—a glimpse into the concealed layers of my identity. It signifies an intimate yet complicated encounter, revealing hidden truths that define me beyond mere appearances.
The kangas are a response to those who seek to impose on my identities. They are like Lake Nakuru’s river outlets expressing moments when I rebel against the impressions and gathered experiences imposed on me. The kangas articulate my experience filtered through my biracial identity. They are a proclamation of empowerment in my personal narrative.
– YoungSoon Takei, Class of 2024
