Tag: multiculturalism

georgia multicultural school, many students refugees

Georgia School Melds a World of Differences – New York Times:

“The fact that we don’t have anything in common is what we all have in common,” said Shell Ramirez, an American parent with two children at the school….

“The mission,” Ms. Thompson [one of the founders of the school] said, “was never to create an enclave for refugees only because that would just separate them more.”

…

”

Harvey Clark, whose son Zade is in the fifth grade, is a veteran of the first Gulf War and a hard-core Nascar fan.

“They’re getting exposed to cultures that they normally would not be exposed to except in National Geographic,” Mr. Clark said of the American children. “Instead of my boy having to go off to war to meet foreign people, he can do it here in town.”

This reminds me of Ryan being stoked by What is the What, which I believe is partially set in Atlanta, hearing Kara Walker on Art 21 talking about moving from California to the Atlanta area and realizing what it meant to be a black woman in America, and thinking about multicultural education with regards to Florence and Oona.

who i am …

Who I am is a transcultural, multicultural, interracial, hybrid, bridging worlds, being. I am Hollee McGinnis also-known-as Lee Hwa Yeong. I have an Asian face, an Irish last name, a blond-haired mother.

But who I am is not just about who I know myself to be, but who I want to also be known as in this world. At its best, intercountry adoption demonstrates to me the greatness of our human spirits to love across race, nationality and culture. But I also know that it takes a lot more than just love to make a success; – it requires courage, honesty, and commitment.

This means we must be willing to talk about the hard stuff – the discrimination, inequalities, and prejudices that exist in the world. We must also be willing to change and challenge our societies so that the gift we give our children – adopted or not – besides the love and security of a permanent family is a world that values them for who they are and who they will be – regardless of race, nationality, culture or circumstance.

This is from a great NYT op-ed piece about intercountry, transracial adoption, race, and complicated identities.

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