Yara Shahidi Says 'Black-ish' Helped Her Embrace Being Mixed Race

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“Black-ish ” star Yara Shahidi  sat down for an interview with Build Series  on Wednesday and shared how being on the ABC show taught her about her own blackness. 

“Being on a project like ‘Black-ish’ finally gave me a term to describe myself,” she explained.

As an individual of African-American and Iranian descent who is “proud of both sides,” Shahidi felt the term “black-ish” perfectly encompassed her mixed identity. “So many times, if you are of any race, there is a certain feeling of this meter of like, ‘How black am I? How Iranian am I?’” Shahidi said.

“It’s hard, when you’re both, to feel as though you can coexist as both and be fully both,” she said.

In addition to her acclaimed performance on “Black-ish,” the actress has earned high praise from co-star Tracee Ellis Ross — and a college recommendation letter from Michelle Obama .

Check out the full interview below!

”Black-ish” airs Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m. ET on ABC.