Mixed-Race Toddlers Leave Viewers in Hysterics After Fighting Over Genetics

Newsweek

9 hours ago

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
A mom from Ontario, Canada, has shared an unexpected conversation between her two young children trying to understand their heritage.
Antoinette Maaskant (@antoinettemaa) posted a reel on Instagram where her 2-year-old son Wolf said, "I'm white." Her 3-year-old daughter Isolde replied: "You're not white, you're Asian. Mama's Asian, Cici's Asian, you're Asian, I'm Asian. Only daddy's white."
The mom of three (Maaskant also has 15-year-old Lourdes, whom Isolde refers to as "Cici") told Newsweek she was caught off guard by the conversation.
"I was thinking, 'Where are they even getting this from?' It definitely wasn't something we'd taught them, and I really didn't expect that kind of conversation at their age," Maaskant said.
From left: The two toddlers sit in the back in child seats.
From left: The two toddlers sit in the back in child seats.
@antoinettemaa
Maaskant and her husband Levin—who is Dutch—have always tried to nurture both sides of their kids' heritage at home.
Maaskant, who was born in Indonesia but raised in Canada from 2 years old, celebrates Chinese New Year, and her mother always shared traditions and stories from Chinese culture.
While she explained their Chinese and Dutch heritage to Isolde shortly after filming, Maaskant told Newsweek that the conversation didn't quite stick.
"She still didn't fully get it—she's only three—but that's OK," she said. "We'll keep having these conversations as they grow. I think it's about creating a home where they feel proud of both sides and where those identities are just a natural part of who they are."
The reel, which has been viewed over 22 million times, resonated with other users from mixed-race backgrounds who saw their own experiences reflected in the toddlers' conversation.
One user, who is white and has a daughter who is half Korean, wrote, "We teach her the Asian way and she always says her skin is so delicate because it's 'Asian'. She says I don't understand because I'm white equally so that they grow up feeling fully seen in both parts of who they are."
"My daughter is a quarter Thai and we live in Thailand. We CONSTANTLY have this conversation," another added.
Maaskant told Newsweek she was grateful to the people who shared their stories.
"Some shared what it was like growing up not feeling 'enough' of one thing or another, or what they wish they'd heard as kids," the mom said. "I'm navigating this for the first time too … they're helping me understand what matters in raising mixed kids."
Ultimately, Maaskant hopes her children grow up knowing that they don't have to choose.
"This whole experience has also made me realize we probably need to put even more effort into building their connection to their Dutch heritage," she said.
"We've naturally leaned more into the Chinese side so far because it's more present in our day-to-day, but I see now how important it is to create space for both equally so that they grow up feeling fully seen in both parts of who they are."