Whether you're white-and-Chinese, white-and-Egyptian, white-and-Native American, or some other combination with a white parent and a nonwhite parent, grandparent, or ancestor, you've doubtlessly heard some, if not all, of these things over your life. If you're not a mixed-race person, take a look at this list as things not to say to mixed-race people you meet.

1. "You don’t look [insert race that person may not look like but is]!"

Wow, OK. Maybe it’s because I’m not? There we go. Aside from people coming up to us and trying to guess our ethnicity, the number one thing we hear the most is "You don’t look [blank]!" -- blank meaning whatever we’re mixed with. That’s kind of the thing about being a mixie, a halfie, hapa, or any variation of that word. We’re not one or the other. We’re both at the same time, and something completely different, too. Some of us might look more one way or another, but just because we do or don’t look like a certain ethnicity, it doesn’t mean you have any right to single out our identities.

2. "You’re lying, you look so white! / How can you be [insert mixed race] when you’re obviously white!"

The way of genetics is that some of us are more white-passing than others, and some of us aren’t. Just because we look one way doesn’t mean we are solely a certain ethnicity. I can’t believe it’s 2016 and we still hear things like this. It’s the equivalent of saying, "No way your bright blue hair is your natural color!" to a complete stranger who wasn’t even trying to tell you what his or her hair was. Granted, there may be some people who use their ambiguously ethnic looks to lie to you. Any of us who are tired of hearing this comment are definitely not. We get ostracized enough from the other cultures we’re a part of, we really don’t need to hear it from you, the "ethnicity police." So how can we be mixed race, you still ask? Well, from our parents.

3. "Prove it!"

This doesn’t need much of an explanation as to why we’re tired of hearing it. What do you want? My birth certificate? A DNA test? Why do you think I should have to defend myself and my identity to you?!

4. "Are you two related?"

Some people aren’t related biologically to one or both of their parents; however, just because we don’t look exactly like ours, it doesn’t mean necessarily that we aren’t. What’s more uncomfortable than having your parentage questioned is when people assume you’re some sort of very young spouse with your parent. Yuck.

5. When we're hanging out with anyone of a similar mix, "Are you guys siblings?"

Here’s the kicker, most of us mixed-race kids don’t look like our siblings, either! That’s genetics, again. I’ll point you in the direction of these twins who look the exact same -- except their skin color. There’s a bunch of these cases, which is actually really cool! But, oddly enough, we mixed-race kids get these kind of questions even when we’re with mixed-race peers that we aren’t related to. We don’t think we look alike, but apparently we do to other people. Additionally, we also get comments like “I saw a [insert your mix here] person the other day and they looked exactly like you. Do you know them, are you related?” Odds are, no.

6. "You’re only half [insert cultural stereotype here]!"

Half good at math? Half good at basketball? Half good at gambling? As if! We can do other things besides fill in your stereotypes and microaggressions. We’re very much very tired of that.

7. "I ate at a [insert nonwhite culture] restaurant and I thought of you / wished you were with me!"

You wouldn’t do this to your non-mixed PoC friend, why would you do this to us? Totally unnecessary. Would’ve been cool if you’d brought us with, as we love our cultural cuisine, too, but like … wow. We’re not your token nonwhite friend.

8. "How did your parents meet?"

This is something cool to ask a good friend, maybe. A best friend, if they’re volunteering it. But the sheer number of times we get it from strangers is ridiculous. And the rudeness of asking if our white parent had "yellow fever" or various other fetishes, especially if we’ve just met! My parents are not me. And are definitely none of your business.

9. "You’re not acting [insert one race of the mix] enough."

By whose judgement? Never say this. On the majority, we hear it from ourselves plenty enough. We don’t need to hear it from you. Goodness.

10. "Do you identify more as white or your other race?"

We’re so tired of this. This is an answer that’s different for everyone! But the answer belongs to us. Not you, nor do we have to tell you if we don’t want to. Our identities belong to us and are ours alone.