Ethnic Id: Pakistani and Irish descent
In a 2017 interview with the Night Normal, Malik shared: “I take an ideal sense of pleasure — and accountability — in figuring out that I’m the primary of my variety, from my background. I am not at the moment working towards however I used to be raised within the Islamic religion, so it should all the time be with me, and I determine so much with the tradition. However I am simply me. I do not need to be outlined by my faith or my cultural background.”
He described his early experiences with racial profiling whereas touring with One Course: “The primary time I got here to America, I had three safety checks earlier than I received on the airplane. First, they stated that I would been randomly chosen, after which they stated it was one thing to do with my title — it was flagging one thing on their system. It was like a film. They saved me there for 3 hours, questioning me about all types of loopy stuff. I used to be 17, my first time in America, jet-lagged off the airplane, confused.”
In a 2018 interview with Vogue, Malik mirrored on his childhood in Britain: “I did see the segregation. That was complicated for individuals, they did not actually perceive. ‘Who’s the brown particular person? Is it your mum or is it your dad?’ That was no person’s fault, aside from studying these items.” He additionally shared his optimism towards the long run as individuals study extra about race and society progresses: “It’s pure. There are extra mixed-race individuals round now.”
On his relationship with faith, he elaborated: “With my mum and pop, they have been all the time there to teach us – I did go to mosque, I did research Islam – however they gave us the choice so you possibly can select for your self. There’s undoubtedly stunning components to each faith.”
In a 2020 interview with ES Journal, Malik additional famous: “I used to be fortunate that my mum and pop would all the time clarify it to me: ‘That is simply the best way it’s, that is some individuals’s perception, that is the best way that they have been introduced up. You are introduced up in another way so you have to respect all people and hope that individuals respect you in return.'” 9 occasions out of 10, Malik stated, he received into brawls on account of racism.
He clarified: “I by no means actually dwelled on this up to now, however I do imagine it’s one thing that individuals ought to know — that is who I’m, that is the place I’ve come from. It is not a lot that it hurts — it is what builds you as an individual. What you study from that. I’ve an understanding of sure points. … Simply because I do not dwell on these points, doesn’t suggest I do not know. I’m conscious of what issues go on. I’m conscious that individuals develop up in racially segregated communities.”
