Comments on: behind the struggle http://american-family.org/2008/05/15/behind-the-struggle/ Mon, 15 Mar 2010 20:08:51 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Lisa F. http://american-family.org/2008/05/15/behind-the-struggle/comment-page-1/#comment-82355 Lisa F. Fri, 16 May 2008 00:19:55 +0000 http://american-family.org/2008/05/15/behind-the-struggle/#comment-82355 zoe: I think the issue is that she has a high percentage of kids of color in her preschool, but next year she is going to kindergarten in an entirely new setting and will no longer have that diverse of classroom. (Correct me if I'm wrong, Amber.) With Chinese School, your connections in the community, and perhaps some of these preschool kids can remain connected, I wonder if that will be enough. (I'm just rhetorically thinking, not making any kind of statement or judgment.) I guess I'm wondering, if a parent has no choice but to send their kid of color to a school with very low percentage of other kids of color, can it be compensated for in other ways? Or is just the mere hours that a kid spends in that setting predominate their experience as a kid of color. If there is a way to compensate for new school, I'm sure you will find it, though. zoe:

I think the issue is that she has a high percentage of kids of color in her preschool, but next year she is going to kindergarten in an entirely new setting and will no longer have that diverse of classroom. (Correct me if I’m wrong, Amber.)

With Chinese School, your connections in the community, and perhaps some of these preschool kids can remain connected, I wonder if that will be enough. (I’m just rhetorically thinking, not making any kind of statement or judgment.) I guess I’m wondering, if a parent has no choice but to send their kid of color to a school with very low percentage of other kids of color, can it be compensated for in other ways? Or is just the mere hours that a kid spends in that setting predominate their experience as a kid of color.

If there is a way to compensate for new school, I’m sure you will find it, though.

]]> By: Lilian http://american-family.org/2008/05/15/behind-the-struggle/comment-page-1/#comment-82331 Lilian Thu, 15 May 2008 19:53:25 +0000 http://american-family.org/2008/05/15/behind-the-struggle/#comment-82331 I hear ya. I know we're white, but we are from another country and speak another language at home. That's why I'm really happy with the tiny private school my son goes to even though academically it may not be the best there could be for him (he can work at his own pace, though, and is doing 1st grade level math). Out of 14 kids there is/are: one Asian, two hapas, two African Americans, two Mexicans, and three Puerto Rican/Guatemalans and one Brazilian (him). There are only two white American kids. In addition, the five Hispanic kids speak Spanish at home the same way we speak Portuguese. I hope M does well at her new school in spite of the fact that it's not very diverse. I hear ya. I know we’re white, but we are from another country and speak another language at home. That’s why I’m really happy with the tiny private school my son goes to even though academically it may not be the best there could be for him (he can work at his own pace, though, and is doing 1st grade level math).

Out of 14 kids there is/are: one Asian, two hapas, two African Americans, two Mexicans, and three Puerto Rican/Guatemalans and one Brazilian (him). There are only two white American kids. In addition, the five Hispanic kids speak Spanish at home the same way we speak Portuguese.

I hope M does well at her new school in spite of the fact that it’s not very diverse.

]]> By: Anne http://american-family.org/2008/05/15/behind-the-struggle/comment-page-1/#comment-82311 Anne Thu, 15 May 2008 17:14:21 +0000 http://american-family.org/2008/05/15/behind-the-struggle/#comment-82311 "The older she gets, the more time she is going to spend at school. I just hope she will always feel as comfortable with herself as she does right now. The older she gets, the less we will be able to protect her from the big bad world out there." True, but you are working on giving her strategies and confidence so as she gets older, she will gradually be able to depend on herself to do any "self-defense" she needs. You're doing a great job. “The older she gets, the more time she is going to spend at school. I just hope she will always feel as comfortable with herself as she does right now. The older she gets, the less we will be able to protect her from the big bad world out there.”

True, but you are working on giving her strategies and confidence so as she gets older, she will gradually be able to depend on herself to do any “self-defense” she needs.

You’re doing a great job.

]]> By: zoe http://american-family.org/2008/05/15/behind-the-struggle/comment-page-1/#comment-82309 zoe Thu, 15 May 2008 16:10:41 +0000 http://american-family.org/2008/05/15/behind-the-struggle/#comment-82309 Wow! Her class has such a high percentage of kids of Asian descent. Why on earth do you feel you might be throwing your kids under a bus in this situation? It's fabulous! My husband (who's half Japanese and the other half a mix of black and white) grew up in a suburb outside of NY and attended a high school that was almost predominately white, a fact which still haunts him (not because he had issues with his own identity as much as he feels he went to a segragated school)--just goes to show that urban areas aren't always as diverse and integrated as one might expect. Yay for the midwest! That's awesome. Oh, and M's thoughts on her heritage are so adorable (and so cute that she connected this via earwax). Wow! Her class has such a high percentage of kids of Asian descent. Why on earth do you feel you might be throwing your kids under a bus in this situation? It’s fabulous! My husband (who’s half Japanese and the other half a mix of black and white) grew up in a suburb outside of NY and attended a high school that was almost predominately white, a fact which still haunts him (not because he had issues with his own identity as much as he feels he went to a segragated school)–just goes to show that urban areas aren’t always as diverse and integrated as one might expect. Yay for the midwest! That’s awesome. Oh, and M’s thoughts on her heritage are so adorable (and so cute that she connected this via earwax).

]]> By: Margie http://american-family.org/2008/05/15/behind-the-struggle/comment-page-1/#comment-82289 Margie Thu, 15 May 2008 12:00:50 +0000 http://american-family.org/2008/05/15/behind-the-struggle/#comment-82289 I love her perception, how exciting it is for her to be discovering her heritage and loving who she is! I love her perception, how exciting it is for her to be discovering her heritage and loving who she is!

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