Ethnic Identification: Pakistani and Irish descent
In a 2017 interview with the Night Commonplace, Malik shared: “I take a fantastic sense of delight — and accountability — in understanding that I’m the primary of my form, from my background. I am not at present training however I used to be raised within the Islamic religion, so it can at all times be with me, and I establish quite a bit with the tradition. However I am simply me. I do not wish to be outlined by my faith or my cultural background.”
He described his early experiences with racial profiling whereas touring with One Path: “The primary time I got here to America, I had three safety checks earlier than I bought on the aircraft. First, they stated that I would been randomly chosen, after which they stated it was one thing to do with my identify — it was flagging one thing on their system. It was like a film. They stored 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 aircraft, confused.”
In a 2018 interview with Vogue, Malik mirrored on his childhood in Britain: “I did see the segregation. That was complicated for folks, 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 folks be taught extra about race and society progresses: “It’s pure. There are extra mixed-race folks round now.”
On his relationship with faith, he elaborated: “With my mum and pop, they have been at all times there to coach us – I did go to mosque, I did examine Islam – however they gave us the choice so you might select for your self. There’s positively lovely 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 at all times clarify it to me: ‘That is simply the best way it’s, that is some folks’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 folks respect you in return.'” 9 instances out of 10, Malik stated, he bought into brawls as a consequence of racism.
He clarified: “I by no means actually dwelled on this prior to now, however I do imagine it’s one thing that folks ought to know — that is who I’m, that is the place I’ve come from. It isn’t a lot that it hurts — it is what builds you as an individual. What you be taught from that. I’ve an understanding of sure points. … Simply because I do not dwell on these points, does not imply I do not know. I’m conscious of what issues go on. I’m conscious that folks develop up in racially segregated communities.”