I think part of the reason I may be trace (I’m still questioning and go back and forth) is because I’m autistic.

I’m part of a hereditary group with a distinct culture and status in society. Autistic people. We also get recognized quickly by others (usually not explicitly, but studies show we are recognized as different within minutes). I come from an autistic family. Basically, one side of my family is autistic and one isn’t. These two sides are so different from little cultural differences to wealth disparity. The differences between autistic and allistic people feel like the differences between racial groups.

I suspect I have this desire to be recognized as a racial minority because I kinda am. But neuroraces aren’t treated the same because they’re harder to see explicitly.

I’m sick of autism being treated as an isolated thing, seeing autistic family members acknowledge neurodiversity in others but not themselves, and autistic people having overly individualistic ideas of what it means to be autistic in society. We are a people with a long history and direct blood ties to each other.

It makes me wish autistic people really did have a distinct look so it would be easier for us to recognize each other and ourselves, band together, and be recognized as large, interconnected cultures and subcultures.