Mitski's Parents & Their Life Paths Influenced the Formation of Her Identity

Mitski's parents raised her in a multicultural household that left her struggling with her identity for years, and due to her father's job, she relocated frequently. But after writing her first song as a teenager, the singer expressed her experiences with self-alienation and identity.

While Mitski does not share much about her personal life, the singer/songwriter revealed that she had differing experiences throughout high school as she was always the new girl, moving from one country to the next.

When her family moved to American shores, the singer admitted to grappling with her Asian roots in the States, which shaped her as a person.

The Nomadic Life of Mitski's Parents

Born on September 27, 1990, Mitski's parents were living in the Democratic Republic of the Congo before they hurriedly flew to Japan for her birth. Once her mother's hope of Mitski obtaining citizenship was fulfilled, her parents left Japan just as quickly as they had entered it.

Throughout her life, the singer lived in Turkey, China, Malaysia, the Czech Republic, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo before settling in the United States. She said:

"We moved to a different country every year or so when I was growing up. So the question, "Where are you from?" is actually quite complicated for me."

Mitski's father was a Foreign Service Officer in the State Department, and as a result, Mitski revealed that her answer to "Where are you from" differs daily.

Sometimes she says she is Japanese when she feels Japanese. She lived in Malaysia for three years and would sometimes playfully say she was Malaysian. But the most uncomplicated response was to say she was from New York.

Whenever she enrolled at a new high school, Mitski would adopt a new persona. Sometimes she would be the party girl, and at a different school, she was the quiet girl who never spoke to her classmates. She sang in a choir in high school and was 18 when she wrote her first song on the piano.

Once famous, she left her retired parents and sister– who has a degree in International Studies– in the States. She would visit them and her family in Japan and leave a few of their belongings in their home.

Mitski released her first two albums, "Lush" and "Retired from Sad, New Career in Business," in 2012 and 2013. After her career took off, she released four more albums. She said:

"I always had fantasies of being on stage and playing guitar and singing and kind of rocking out, just like any young kid does. Now that I can play guitar and I get to do that, childhood me is air-punching right now."

Mitski Feels Sorry for Her Mom

Because of the frequent moves, Mitski had a problem with self-identification. She believed she did not spend enough time in Japan as a child to be considered Japanese, but she worked hard to learn the Japanese language.

She identified most with Malaysian heritage but knew she could not claim it as she did not have Malaysian roots. Her constant internalized conflict made her an angsty teenager, one her mother had to deal with.

Alongside feeling sorry for her mother, Mitski knew her karma would be to have a child who would be just as much of a handful. The songwriter shares glimpses of her upbringing in her music, with one line from one of her songs reading, "Your mother wouldn't approve of how my mother raised me."

Mitski's Father Played "World Music"

Mitski's career in music and collaborating with the likes of Harry Styles seemed written in the stars as she revealed that she grew up listening to have father play "world music."

Little is known about him or his relationship with his daughter– although her music hints that their relationship is not in a great state. In one of her tracks, "Townie," Mitski sings, "I am not gonna be what my daddy wants me to be."