As parents, we must be careful how we teach our kids about the concept of ‘normal’, and what we model for them about the weight and meaning of this subtle and powerful word. I want my kids to know that what they are, and their family composition, is normal–because it is. They do not have to (nor should they) change any part of themselves to feel they belong.

Belong where? Belong to what? First and most importantly, I want my children to belong to themselves, to be comfortable in their own mind and skin with who they are. I also want them to feel they belong to our immediate family, our extended families, their birth families and ancestors, their local community, their ethnic communities, and the world.

~written by Natasha Sky @ multiracialsky.com

 

Thanks Emily!

Saturday was A's chut-tol (first birthday).  In the ancient Korean tradition, the Halmoni (grandmother) offers a prayer for the child's life.  Although this tradition is not practiced in modern times, we decided to revive it.

 

This is the blessing my mother gave:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Amen, indeed!

If you’ve been following the Jena Six story, you’ve undoubtedly heard references to the “white tree”. These are references to a tree on the Jena (Louisiana) High School grounds under which white students typically congregated at break times, and on which nooses were hung after black students chose to sit under the tree, against unspoken rules.

 

Media attention on the Jena Six story seems to obsess about whether or not an appropriate response was made toward the students who created the nooses, and on speculation about what the nooses symbolized (Do we even have to go there?).  After the student who allegedly hung the nooses was severely beaten, was the legal response toward the supposed perpetrator(s) of the assault appropriate?

 

It seems things have not changed much since I attended school.  When I was in high school, aside from the jocks, Christians, and the punks, the school was largely divided by ethnicity and then subdivided by interest.  Respective groups sat in the same areas every day.  I can actually recall one incident (Isn’t one enough?) where someone was assaulted as a result of sitting somewhere other than their ‘designated’ area.  It may or may not surprise you that the assault at my school was perpetuated by a white student on a black student.  At the time, I did not think of the racial implications of the attack.  I just felt sorry for my friend (the victim of the crime).  I’ve learned a lot about racial inequality since then, and have a new understanding of the underlying implications of what happened at school that day.

 

The thing that strikes me about the Jena Six case is not the events following the original incident of black students sitting under the ‘white tree’.  It’s that the white students felt such ownership over the tree in the first place.

 

Reportedly, Jena High School is a small school comprised of approximately 85%- 90% white students, and only about 10% black students.  (I assume these statistics mean there are virtually no Asian or Hispanic students at the school.)   Why did the white students, clearly in the majority, feel the need to claim ownership over a tree?  Does not nature belong to all?

 

In my mind, this is a classic case of white privilege.  The white students, already in the majority, felt the tree could, and did in fact, ‘belong’ to them.  They had clearly designated the tree as their turf, and no other population of students would take it away- No matter what.   What threat did the small population of black students actually pose to the white students in the school?  Why were the white students so afraid of losing power on the playground?  Why, when the sacred ground surrounding the tree was ‘invaded’ by black students, did white students feel the need to respond with a threat of violence?  Nooses hanging from a tree can be considered in no other way.

 

The problems in Jena didn’t start with a school wide understanding about the color of a tree.  The problems in Jena started long ago; when powerful forces in our society starting claiming ‘white’ is best and nature- a thing belonging only to God- can belong to men.

 

The tree, it seems, has been cut down.  If only it were so easy to 'cut down' the racism which prevails in cities across our great nation.

When I began writing this blog, I didn’t realize how powerful it would be.  I originally intended the website only as a means to help far away family and friends follow our journey to Aricin.  I suppose, given my personality, I always knew it would be a bit of a soap box for me.  I’m an opinionated person and (right or wrong) I often feel entitled to share my opinion.

 

The great thing about a blog is it’s entirely passive.  People have to type in the web address in order to read and view it.  It doesn’t just rudely show up in one’s inbox.  It’s a completely voluntary exchange.  I guess I am surprised at how many people read my blog, and then feel free to criticize the contents of it.

 

I will make it clear once and for all…  This blog is not a journal.  It does not represent our entire lives or our worldview.  I think in order to put the blog into perspective for other people; I need to define the direction of my writings.

 

This blog was originally intended to communicate our adoption plans.  It was to be focused on our family life as it pertained to adoption and parenting.  It will remain so.  I believe along with parenting and adoption come issues of race, privilege, culture, ethnicity, immigration, children’s and birthparents’ rights (and occasionally, politics).  Henceforth, I will only write about these subjects.

 

This website has had almost 7000 visitors since I started it in January.  Clearly, I am reaching a wide audience.  The time has come for me to claim responsibility for the influence I have via the internet.  I will focus my writing efforts and edit my links to include only those sites pertaining to my chosen subject matter- adoptive families, multiculturalism, race and ethnicity.

 

I will continue to write about the subjects I feel passionate about, with a good dose of AJ mixed in.  I will not respond to criticism about what people choose to read.