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An Adoptive Parent Writes:

My four year old adopted daughter is biracial. My partner and I are caucasian. We just adopted another baby who is African American.

We recently watched a Disney special on TV about Ruby Bridges (the first black girl who broke the segragation in schools in New Orleans). My 4 yr old doesn't identify African American, she identifies caucasian. What she got from the show is that African Americans hate caucasians, and caucasians hate African Americans. I thought that watching the show would be good for her in seeing a positive African American role model, but I feel that it left a very negative impression on her. Does anyone have any ideas on a good way to introduce positive models to a four year old who is both African American and caucasian?

 

Michelle Johnson Answers:

You describe yourself and your partner as Caucasian, which is not an ethnic or cultural identity. I would recommend using the term European American. First, it does not have negative connotations associated with the former, and it also compliments the identities of both of your children as African American. You must also explore your classification of your older daughter as biracial, for she will rarely be classified as such by society, regardless of her complexion. Have you begun to talk about her African ancestry, and if not, why?

While Ruby Bridges was a true and positive story about desegregation, this show was not appropriate for a four year old. Even so, she should not have come away with generalizations of hatred between ethnic groups. If she did feel this way, it is your job to be her cultural interpreter. Remind her that your family does not feel this way and you are not alone in appreciating difference.

Since I am not a parent, I am not very familiar with children's literature. I do know my nieces (ages four and eight) are wild about the Addie book series about an ex-slave girl. You must also incorporate contemporary reading materials about the Civil Rights Movement, and 1990's issues as well, to make sure she has positive models upon which to base her life decisions.

 

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