![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/77508e02517e44b64b3ced0e6afc5bca.jpeg\")
<\/p>\nFor years, KA Rung has felt like she existed in a “middle space” as a person of Filipino heritage living in Australia.<\/p>\n
When the 37-year-old from Perth\/Boorloo was recently questioned about the colour of her skin, it led her on an unexpected journey in connecting with a community of other biracial Australians.<\/p>\n
These are KA’s words.<\/p>\n
People would ask my mum if we were her kids<\/p>\n
My mum is Filipino and my dad is white and British.<\/p>\n
Obviously, I don’t look Filipino.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
KA says she grew up feeling like she didn’t have a space to exist in. (Supplied: KA Rung)<\/p>\n
I have known that my whole life and I have spoken openly and honestly about my experiences about what it’s like to be biracial.<\/p>\n
Recently, somebody left a comment on one of my social media posts saying, ‘you look beautiful, but brown skinned, really?’<\/p>\n
She was a darker-skinned brown girl.<\/p>\n
My initial response was to be really disappointed, upset, angry, frustrated and quite defensive.<\/p>\n
There was nothing wrong with her point of view at all.<\/p>\n
I think where she failed to understand me was that my point of view was never ever going to erase her experience as a brown-skinned person.<\/p>\n
After all those initial feelings surfaced, it has now settled into a point of sadness that has kind of stopped me in my tracks.<\/p>\n
My whole life I’ve felt that there’s nowhere for me to exist.<\/p>\n
I’m not brown enough to be in brown spaces and I’m not light-skinned or white enough to be in white spaces.<\/p>\n
![\"Three](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/97d2c296b0dc8ddd8a922df0169dc661.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
KA (right) with her mother and sister. (Supplied: KA Rung)<\/p>\n
My sister made the valid point that the only time we’ve ever been identified as Filipino is when we’re with our mum. And even then, it was questioned.<\/p>\n
There were specific points of discomfort when people would ask my mum if we were her kids.<\/p>\n
I remember being in a shopping centre once and Mum ran into a work friend, and she asked, ‘where are your kids?’.<\/p>\n
And Mum was like, ‘these are my kids’.<\/p>\n
Knowing that I could be in a crowd of my family and be seen as not a part of my family is a troubling space to occupy.<\/p>\n
The biggest act of reclaiming my culture<\/p>\n
My parents separated when I was 11 and we moved to live with my dad.<\/p>\n
We were stripped away from our mum’s culture overnight.<\/p>\n
The transition for me was like a chaotic shift that I wasn’t prepared for.<\/p>\n
It caused a trail of destruction.<\/p>\n
I was a brat.<\/p>\n
I danced with addiction.<\/p>\n
I didn’t have any Filipino mentorship.<\/p>\n
Now I’m clawing it back, trying to dig through the emotions and trauma, and finding the puzzles that my ancestors have left.<\/p>\n
I know that although I’ve let them down in so many ways, the reason I’m here is because I allowed myself to listen to their songs.<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/b2d562a36beabce695e5b37f1033b6c2.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
KA says her cultural markings show her proud Filipino heritage. (Supplied: KA Rung)<\/p>\n
I had cultural markings done last year and it’s been the biggest act of reclaiming my culture.<\/p>\n
Now it’s a way for people to see me and know that I’m from the Philippines and that I carry the islands on me so proudly.<\/p>\n
My sister has a beautiful collar piece, and I look at her and I just see the warrior in her.<\/p>\n
What I’m doing now is realising that in hard moments where my identity is questioned, the Philippines whispers my name.<\/p>\n
It reminds me no matter what my skin colour is, I will always be Filipino enough for the Philippines.<\/p>\n
It’s not beautiful. It’s a tough journey<\/p>\n
Ever since openly admitting the difficulties around being biracial and being a light-skinned Filipino, I have opened the doors to a community that I never knew existed.<\/p>\n