Mariah Carey: I felt like an outcast

The singer is expecting her first baby with her husband Nick Cannon and is excited about the prospect of motherhood.

One of the main things that she is thankful for is that her child will not struggle with the same prejudices that she experienced growing up with an Irish-American mother and a father of African American descent.

The star believes that the election of President Barack Obama to the American government has helped to address racist attitudes in the country.

“Having Obama in office and bringing a child into the world at this point is totally different than me feeling like an outcast when I was growing up and not feeling like it was OK to be ethnically diverse, and I can’t believe that we have arrived at this point within society,” she told the British Pride magazine.

The star admitted that she didn’t expect her country to become relaxed towards ethnicity as quickly as it has, but she is glad that people’s opinions have changed so much.

The 40-year-old said that growing up not looking the same as either of her parents took its toll on her and she is glad her own baby will not have to go through that trauma.

“I think it’s a little bit easier now because the world has changed just in terms of identifying yourself. That always felt like a strange thing to me as a child, not looking the same as your own mother of father was a very different thing back then,” she said.