Does Anybody Else Look Like Me? A Parent's Guide To Raising Multiracial Children

by Nakazawa, Donna Jackson

• ISBN13: 9780738206059
• ISBN10: 0738206059
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2003-06-18
• Publisher: Da Capo Lifelong Books

Summary

"Am I black or white or am I American?" "Why don't my eyes look like yours?" "Why do people always call attention to my 'different' hair?" Helping a child understand his mixed racial background can be daunting, especially when, whether out of honest appreciation or mean-spiritedness, peers and strangers alike perceive his features to be "other."Drawing on psychological research and input from more than fifty multiracial families,Does Anybody Else Look Like Me?addresses the special questions and concerns facing such families, explaining how they can best prepare their multiracial children to make their way confidently in our color-conscious world. From the books and toys to use in play with young children, to simple scripts to help them gracefully react to insensitive comments at school, to advice on guiding older children toward an unflappable sense of self,Does Anybody Else Look Like Me?is the first book to outline for parents how, exactly, to deflect the objectifying and discomforting attention multiracial children are likely to receive. Full of powerful stories and expert counsel, it is sure to become the book that both adoptive and birth parents of different races will look to for understanding as they strive to raise their children in a changing world.

Author Biography

Donna Jackson Nakazawa has been a regular contributor to AARP's My Generation, as well as to Working Mother, Modern Maturity, New Woman, and Baby Talk. She is married to a Japanese-American and has two children. She lives in Annapolis, Maryland.

Table of Contents

Introduction	ix
``Does Anybody Else Look Like Me?''
The Preschool Years	1	(42)
``Who Do I Match---Mom or Dad or Anyone?''
Moving from Preschool into Grade School	43	(34)
``What Do I Do When Friends Say Hurtful Things?''
Navigating Friendships in the Middle Childhood Years	77	(44)
Facing the ``What Are You?'' Question
Moving Through the Turmoil of Adolescence	121	(36)
The Big Picture
My Community, My School, My Culture	157	(32)
A New Multiracial Generation in America	189	(12)
Notes	201	(10)
Recommended Reading for Children	211	(4)
Recommended Reading for Teenagers	215	(2)
Acknowledgments	217	(2)
Index	219