My dear friend Rayme Cornell and I had the great opportunity to visit a Santa Monica middle-grade school where we got to talk to kids about the upcoming Mixed Roots Film & Literary Festival, June 11-12, 2011 in Los Angeles. www.mxroots.org.
People often ask me whether I think things are changing for kids who are mixed. Unfortunately, the answer is no. In a big city like Los Angeles, you’d think that the kids would encounter a lot of diversity, that they wouldn’t find themselves feeling so lonely because of their dual identities. Here are some excerpts from the kids’ writing. We asked them to write a few sentences about themselves using this prompt: When I think about my roots, I think . . .
- “I am Swedish, Finnish, Native American. I have Viking blood and much more. I am Christian, and a pinch Catholic. I think of my roots when I’m bored, sad, or curious about me. I think about mixed roots when I’m walking on the street and when I’m at school. I feel curious about where people are from.” –O.
- “I see the world as a blend making a nationality smoothie!” –O.
- “I think of my roots when people make fun of me because of my eyes. My mom’s mom is Chinese and dad is Chinese. My dad’s dad and mom are Korean. So my mom is 100% Chinese and dad is 100% Korean so I am half and half.” – A.
- “I think about my roots all the time because in second grade one kid said to me ‘Why are you black?’ so that scared me, so when I I with my friends I think ‘Do I fit here?”– B.
Some of the responses just broke my heart, but also helped me realize that we really have to carry forth with the Festival — the young folks still need a place to be heard. If you’re reading this post, you are someone, know someone or love someone in the Mixed experience. Won’t you please consider donating to the Festival? Every little bit helps.
