I was 10 years old when I first learned how to assimilate. After summer break, I returned to school to discover the outdoor activities – swimming, riding my bike & hours spent on the playground – had a high price. I knew I looked different from my new classmates with my darker skin tone and coarse,Continue reading “Assimilation vs. Acceptance: Empowering Our Kids to Choose Well”
Category Archives: Identity
Dia De Los Muertos: Personal Reflections of Celebration
Disney released Coco in 2017. Although I’m a huge Disney fan, I was highly skeptical of the new film. Mostly because I knew nothing about Mexican culture or the tradition of Dia De Los Muertos (Day of the Dead). I assumed this movie, its message and traditions were a bad idea and would conflict withContinue reading “Dia De Los Muertos: Personal Reflections of Celebration”
Why Do We Feel We Have To Hide Behind A Mask? (Part 2)
My mask had become so much a part of my identity, I didn’t know who I was without it. The little girl from my childhood polaroids – quiet, confident, fearless – had been lost to an anxious, insecure shell. Before you continue, if you haven’t read Part 1, you’ll want to do so. It willContinue reading “Why Do We Feel We Have To Hide Behind A Mask? (Part 2)”
Why Do We Feel We Have to Hide Behind a Mask? (Part 1)
As I sorted through childhood pictures, I saw a little girl. She looked like me, dark eyes, curly hair and brown skin. But she was different. She had a quiet confidence about her. Although she was young, she knew who she was. She wasn’t scared to be herself. A box had not yet been assignedContinue reading “Why Do We Feel We Have to Hide Behind a Mask? (Part 1)”