User:Mappychris

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Mappychris (born July 19, 1988) is an American student and geographer. He also enjoys music and performs occasionally as a vocalist.

A native New Englander, Mappychris has traveled and lived in many parts of the United States.

[edit] Biography

Mappychris was born to a Marine mother and a Navy father in Springfield, Massachusetts. His mother has African American, Canadian, and Native American ancestry while his father has African American and Native American ancestry.^[1] His maternal grandparents were born in Alabama and North Carolina, while his paternal grandparents were born in Tennessee and Massachusetts.

Due to his mother's military service, he went on to reside in the American South from 1991 to 1993 in South Carolina and Virginia.^[2] Following his father's entry into the military, he moved to California in 1994, residing in the San Diego metropolitan area. He initially lived in San Diego's Paradise Hills neighborhood near National City. His experience in the diverse military district influenced his decision to study geography.^[3] He later moved to Rancho San Diego, a community outside of El Cajon in 1995. He began performing music publicly at age 7 shortly after moving there. His parents and his father's friend formed a group that began to play at local coffeehouses in the San Diego area. Influenced by his eclectic upbringing and his interest in multiple musical genres, Mappychris has delved into a variety of musical moods and tastes.

He left San Diego in 2000. His parents divorced and he subsequently moved to the San Francisco Bay Area where he was able to cultivate his geographical and anthropological interests. After three years in Berkeley, Mappychris moved to Treasure Island in San Francisco, California. He later resided in Richmond, California and Oakland, California. Spending time in multiple locations in the United States has given Mappychris a unique experience, especially in regard to his cultural research. He holds two associate's degrees in geography and liberal studies from Contra Costa College.

Newly relocated to Worcester, Massachusetts, he is now studying at Clark University pursuing a degree in geography and a minor in international development and social change. Following the tenets of his holistic rearing and education, Mappychris has interests in multiple subjects and tries his best to be somewhat knowledgeable on an assortment of issues. Most of his undergraduate research has been varied in focus. He studies different cultural spheres and international events. International relations and diplomacy are two things that he enjoys analyzing from the geographic and cultural standpoint. He continues to pursue music as a fulfilling hobby and artform.

Mappychris' mother tongue is English. He is conversational in Spanish and knows limited French and Cherokee, both of which he is learning.^[4]

[edit] Personal Quotes

• "Never forget who you are."
• "Positivity will triumph over negativity."

[edit] Footnotes

1. ^ Both sides of his family have Black Indian ancestors with Cherokee roots. His Canadian-born great-grandmother is Mary Matilda Winslow and his uncle is musician Tony MacAlpine.
2. ^ Specifically in Beaufort, SC, Burton, SC, and Norfolk, VA.
3. ^ More precisely, Mappychris was exposed to dynamic elements of Mexican and Filipino cultures in Paradise Hills.
4. ^ Growing up in areas with a considerable amount of Spanish speakers, Spanish was his second language. His acquisition of Cherokee has been recent; no one in his immediate direct ancestral line spoke any Amerindian languages.