Mmmmmmpathy

(titles are not my strong suit)

I agree that there's a thing as a genuine and fake empathy. When it comes down to it, you either have empathy with someone by going through similar experiences, or you don't. That part's simple. And like Rachel, when somebody mentions that they're mixed or biracial, my eyes light up because, hey buddy, me too, we're not alone in our situation. A few months ago I was going through some identity issues regarding the subject, and aside from my brother, I had nobody to talk to about it. My best friend—even when I've known her for years and can vent about anything—just didn't really get it. But then I met somebody who was in the same position that I was, and within six minutes of introducing ourselves, we were having a heartfelt conversation about our identities by the end, it all just felt very freeing.

However, I'm not sure if this means my other friend's endeavors to make me feel better are less valuable. There was attempted empathy, sure, and it wasn't the real deal, but her intentions were good. She tried to connect with me as genuinely as possible, but simply had no similar experience to branch off of. 

I'm not entirely sure what I'm trying to say. Maybe that while people can try their best to empathize, it won't actually help unless you truly can empathize.