Reed, Write, and Create

Dear White People, You Have to Fix Your Racism Problem

On Episode 39 of the My American Meltingpot podcast, I explain my agenda for white America in light of recent events in New York City and Minneapolis. Essentially, it's time for white people to fix America's race problem. 

 Here's a taste of what you'll hear on this incredibly important Meltingpot Minute. 

Black Lives Matter

"Black people have been marching, protesting and reminding the public that Black Lives Matter for centuries, but it hasn’t really moved the needle in ending racism. We’ve changed laws, yes, but we haven’t dismantled racism. We haven’t been able to convince white and white adjacent people that Black lives are as inherently worthy as their own. 

Racism is Like an Addiction But We All Feel the Pain

Racism is an illness that white people suffer from. All white people. Even the white people who don’t feel like they caught the racism. Trust me, they have it. But let’s just say, you’re one of the white people who might consider themselves super woke and not racist. I’m proud of you and happy for you. But you still have to do the work that Black people cannot do. You must be the doctors that help your fellow racist white brothers and sisters out.

Racism is like an addiction. And like anyone who suffers from an addiction, you can’t solve the problem for the addict. They have to do the work themself. First they have to admit that they have a problem and then they have to be willing to do the work to rid themselves of the problem.

Black people could have the definitive 12-step Racists Anonymous guidebook or even the racism equivalent of methadone and it wouldn’t help if white people won’t accept the fact that they are in fact sick. 

#FixYourselves

White people, this is your problem to solve. And here’s the thing. You’re not solving the racism problem to make Black people feel good. You’re curing yourself from an insidious affliction that hurts you just as much as it hurts people of color. Just like a drug addict may feel good when he inhales, or shoots up, we all know he’s killing himself. The same is true for racism. And just like second hand smoke, your addiction hurts all of us too.

So, white people get to work. Fix yourselves. Fix your families. Fix your kids. Make this your number one issue. Talk about it at book club. Pray on it at church. Have conferences. Go on retreats and meditate on it. I believe in you. I know you can do it. I mean, if you can put a man on the moon, you can definitely rid yourselves of racism. People of color want you to do this for yourselves. We know you’ll feel so much better when you’ve rid yourself of racism. And we will certainly feel better too."

Resources for Further Study

Teaching Tolerance - An educational organization that provides social justice resources for parents and educators. 

Embrace Race - A parent-led organization that creates tools and resources for parents and educators to raise children who can confidently navigate issues of race and identity and be stewards of social justice. 

An Anti Racist Reading List compiled by author Ibram X. Kendi for the New York Times. 

Podcasts for Learning about Racial Justice

My American Meltingpot Resources 

 

Author Erin Entrada Kelly talks Diversity and Dreaming of Space

On episode 38 of the My American Meltingpot podcast, I am excited to have award-winning author, Erin Entrada Kelly join me to talk about her brand new book, We Dream of Space, her impressive career writing middle grade novels, and why she's so committed to including (truly) diverse characters in all of her work. Since Erin is also a Filipina-American, and it’s the middle of May, we also take time to chat about being Asian American in the age of Covid-19, and how celebrating Asian-American Heritage Month can help combat some of the discrimination we're seeing against this community. 

Erin Entrada Kelly is a New York Times bestseller whose book, Hello, Universe won the Newbery Medal in 2018. Her 2017 fantasy novel, Lalani of the Distant Sea received six starred reviews and was named one of the best books of the year by the New York Public Library, The Horn Book, Booklist, BookPage, and others. Erin is the author of six books in total, all of which are Junior Library Guild Selections. Her latest book, We Dream of Space, is her first work of historical fiction. It’s set in January 1986, in the weeks leading to the Challenger disaster.

We Dream of Space Giveaway!

If you’d like to win a free copy of Erin Entrada Kelly's newest book, We Dream of Space, simply follow My American Meltingpot on Instagram and leave a comment on our post for this episode with the hashtag #WeDreamofSpace. Everyone who follows MyAmericanMeltingpot and leaves a message with the #WeDreamofSpace hashtag by Monday May 25 2020, 8pmEST, will be entered to win. The winner will be announced on Instagram on Tuesday and the book will be sent directly from the publisher. Note: Only people living in the United States are eligible to enter because of limitation on shipping due to #TheRona.  

For complete show notes, please visit, My American Meltingpot.com.

 

 

A Meltingpot Book Review: Girl, Woman, Other

Episode 37 of the podcast is a quick Meltingpot Minute. Yes, it's a short episode, but it's long enough for me to share my honest review of the 2019 Booker Prize winning novel, Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Evaristo. The book is a delightful invitation into the lives of a diverse group of Black British women.

Spoiler Alert: I loved it.

Girl, Woman, Other is the perfect pandemic read. Why? Because the book is actually more like a collection of connected short stories than a novel, so even when my brain was fried, which it has been a lot thanks to our lockdown lifestyle, I could easily read a chapter of the book, and feel like I’d just read a great short story. Then the next time I picked the book up, whether it was one, or two, or three days later, I didn’t have to remember what I’d read the day before, because I’d be introduced to a brand-new character with a brand-new story to dive into. 

Listen to the episode to hear all of my thoughts about Girl, Woman, Other, and who I think will also enjoy this massive, but also massively readable, tome. And then please let me know if you too liked the book. Also, let me know if there are other books by Bernadine Evaristo that you think I should read next. 

For complete show notes, please visit My American Meltingpot.com. 

Episode 37 of the podcast was sponsored by the My American Meltingpot store. 

How to Raise a Bilingual child

On episode 36 of the My American Meltingpot podcast, we’re talking all about what it takes to raise our children to be bilingual. What’s the best approach to take? When is the right time to start? Do parents have to be bilingual in order to raise children who speak more than one language? What are the challenges and benefits involved? To help answer these questions and more, Manuel Malia joins me on the show. 

Manuel is a Spanish Lecturer at Princeton University and has over 20 years of experience teaching in colleges, high schools and elementary schools. A native of Spain, he is also pursuing his doctorate in Spanish linguistics with a focus on second-language acquisition at Temple University. The father of three bilingual children, Manuel is also my husband. In addition to Manuel, I've asked three different moms to share their unique experiences raising their children with more than one language. So, during the show, you'll also get to hear how different people approach this bilingual journey, in French, Chinese and Spanish. 

This is a really inspirational and informative episode and I hope people listen and get encouraged to bring a second language into their home.

Episode 36 of the podcast is sponsored by Booklandiabox.com.  Booklandia is a monthly subscription service that delivers Spanish and bilingual children’s books to your door. Find them on social media @Booklandiabox and online at Booklandiabox.com. Be sure to listen to the episode to hear how you can get a special discount when you order from Booklandia.

For full episode show notes, visit My American Meltingpot.com. And please remember to leave a rating or review on Apple podcasts or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

 

#BooksAreEssential in a Global Pandemic

Episode 35 is a quick Meltingpot Minute dedicated to spreading the word about the new #BooksareEssential campaign. 

Publisher’s Weekly, the publishing industry trade magazine, launched the #BooksareEssential campaign to raise awareness of the need for books in society in general, but even more so during the Covid-19 pandemic. It seems pretty obvious that people need distractions when locked inside their homes 24/7, and books provide myriad ways of escape. But also, for all the parents who are suddenly thrust into the role of homeschooling teacher, books are the new essential tools of the trade. And let’s not forget that books can also provide us with coping strategies for living in small spaces, dealing with unruly children, recipes for baking bread, and many of the other things we’re all dealing with for the first time during the pandemic.

Tune in to hear how you can help participate in this campaign and help save the book industry - from authors to booksellers – from collapsing. 

For full show notes, visit the My American Meltingpot blog. 

To purchase books online, consider buying from Barnes & Noble, Powell’s Books or Bookshop.org.

Be Well!

DNA Travel, Multiracial Identity and Adoption

On episode 34 of the My American Meltingpot podcast we’re talking about travel, family and finding self. Yes, we’re in the middle of a global pandemic and travel is probably the last thing on anyone’s mind right now, but this episode isn’t about planning the perfect cruise or finding cheap flights. My guest on the show is Lisette Austin, and she shares how travel helped her find herself as a mixed-race Black woman who also happens to be adopted. And then we dive into this new trend in the travel world called DNA travel and how it connects with identity, family and finding self. Yes, these are our favorite things to talk about here on the Meltingpot. 

Lisette Austin is an award-travel expert and is the host of the Globetrotter Lounge podcast where she interviews women who have found creative ways to travel more. She is also the creator of the online course: Jet Set 101 - Becoming a Travel Hacker. When Lisette is not talking travel, she is a web designer who also spent years working in university research. She lives in the Seattle area with her husband and teenage son.

Topics Discussed on the Show:

• Multiracial Identity politics
• Traveling while Black and Brown
• Why DNA Travel is a great option for adoptees and Black Americans
• How to DIY your own DNA Travel experience
• How travel can help you find your authentic self
• Why Lisette fell in love with Brazil and subsequently became a "Brazil nut." 

For complete show notes, please visit the My American Meltingpot blog. 

Thank you for listening and always remember to live your life in color.

 

How to Be a Meltingpot Mom During a Global Pandemic

Episode 33 is a quick Meltingpot Minute episode where I'm sharing some tips and suggestions on how to be a Meltingpot Mom during a global pandemic. 

As mothers during these unprecedented times of social isolation, lockdown, fear and homeschooling(!!!), we are tasked with not only managing the worries and concerns of our children, we also have to keep them safely occupied, and supposedly teach them things that they will need to be successful members of society. 

I don't have any downloadable worksheets, nor am I going to suggest you do anything that would require you or your children to  change out of your jammies. No, my easy tips and no-stress suggestions are for ways you can bring some multicultural magic and sprinkles of diversity into your current lockdown lifestyle as a parent. As always, I hope they inspire.

For complete show notes, more resources, and links from the show, please visit the My American Meltingpot blog. 

Episode 33 was sponsored by the My American Meltingpot store, where you can now by Same Family, Different Colors T-shirts and sweatshirts for your entire family. 

 

How to Move Abroad as a Multiracial Family

(Note: This episode was recorded before the outbreak of the Corona Virus.)

On episode 32 of the podcast, my guest is chef and educator, Karen M. Ricks. Karen is the founder and owner of the online cooking school, Our Kitchen Classroom. Karen is a Black American woman, married to a white man, and together they have a nine-year-old son. Karen and her family currently live in Tirana, Albania, but Karen considers herself a global citizen.

Before moving to Albania, Karen and her family lived in Italy, and before that, Japan. On the show, Karen shares how a plan to spend one year teaching in Japan, turned into 10 years of living in Japan (where she also founded a Montessori school), followed by training as a chef in Italy, and finally to a nomadic lifestyle that involves a lot of good food and exciting adventures. 

During our conversation Karen shares:

-What it was like to be an interracial couple in Japan 

-What her husband learned about being a minority for the first time in his life

-How she is raising her multiracial son to embrace his unique identity outside of the United States

-How surviving the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan inspired her to open a school in Japan

-Why cooking is the perfect tool to teach children of all ages

-What world schooling is really about

-How following your passions can be done anywhere in the world

-Why she wants more multiracial families to travel, see the world and share their experiences

Plus a whole lot more. Karen's life is so full of exciting surprises, I guarantee this interview will leave you inspired to do more, wherever you are in the world. 

For full show notes for this episode, please visit the My American Meltingpot blog.

Follow Karen Ricks on Instagram, 

Stop Mis-Using the Word Multicultural!: A Rant

This is not a Corona virus related Meltingpot Minute. On episode 31, host Lori L. Tharps has a quick something to say about the misuse (or is it abuse) of the word multicultural. Businesses, marketers, podcast hosts and your friend Karen, are all using the word multicultural to describe anything that's not white. And that's not fair. Nor is it accurate.

Listen in for this quick lesson/rant where Lori breaks down what multicultural really means and why we should care that people are hiding behind the multicultural label instead of standing up for their own cultural communities. It's a Meltingpot Minute you don't want to miss.

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Episode 31 is sponsored by the new My American Meltingpot store where you can buy clothing that allows you to tastefully wear your identity. Check out our t-shirts, sweatshirts, tote bags and coffee mugs for kids and adults. Buy something for the diversity diva in your life and support the Meltingpot at the same time!

How to Live a Boldly Multicultural Life

On episode 30 of the My American Meltingpot podcast, meet serial entrepreneur and activist, Sonia Smith-Kang.

Sonia is a multicultural advocate who draws from her rich cultural heritage as an Afro-Latina and proud military brat born in Puerto Rico and stationed on the Hawaiian island of O'ahu. She has dedicated her life to amplifying the voices of the underrepresented and is the founder and designer of Mixed-Up Clothing, co-founder of Culturas, MulticultiCorner and Mixed Heritage Day. A thought leader, community activist and expert in diversity, Sonia also serves as president of Multiracial Americans of Southern California. A graduate of the University of San Francisco, Sonia is a registered nurse based in Los Angeles where she lives with her Korean-American husband and four multicultural, multiracial and multilingual children.

On this episode, Sonia shares how she grew up proud of, and comfortable with, her African-American and Mexican-American heritage, but still found herself struggling with her Mixed-Race identity until she was an adult. She also talks about marrying her Korean-American husband and the challenges they faced with their union and raising their children.

From focusing on the family, our conversation turns to all of the entrepreneurial activities Sonia has engaged in to continuously amplify the voices of the Mixed-Race community. We begin with her unique children's clothing line, Mixed-Up Clothing, and move on to her recent venture, Culturas, a website that brings together all of her multicultural services and products.

It's a wonderful conversation that hopefully will inspire people to boldly live their own multicultural lives, and find ways to combine their passions with their purpose – and maybe even profits!

For complete show notes and more Meltinngpot content, visit: MyAmericanMeltingpot.com.