Does Anybody Else Look Like Me? A Parent's Guide to Raising Multiracial Children - Hardcover

Nakazawa, Donna Jackson

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0738206059 ISBN 13: 9780738206059

Publisher: Da Capo Lifelong Books, 2003

Synopsis

"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.

About this title

About the Author

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.

Reviews

The author, a freelance writer, is from a western European background, while her husband is Japanese American. Although Nakazawa initially hoped to raise her son and daughter to be "color blind," they couldn't ignore the many comments made by both adults and children concerning Christian and Claire's appearance. When Christian was a toddler he was asked if he spoke Chinese, and the author was assured that little Claire didn't "even look Asian." Nakazawa decided to develop strategies to ensure that her son and daughter would be proud of their heritage and confident about their multiracial identity. Finding no useful book on the subject, she decided to write her own. Based on personal experience and interviews conducted with 60 other multiracial families, Nakazawa has skillfully combined anecdotal research with a strong knowledge of childhood and educational development philosophy to provide this useful guide for raising multiracial children in a color- and race-conscious world. Nakazawa believes that, although most three-year-olds are not racially aware, it is important to deflect insensitive comments from strangers about appearance. As a child grows older, this early dialogue should deepen, so that children will feel safe and comfortable discussing their racial identity with parents and be able to bring up any racially charged experiences that have occurred at school or with friends. Included are suggestions for the special problems that may arise during adolescence.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Da Capo Lifelong Books
• Publication date: 2003
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0738206059
• ISBN 13: 9780738206059
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 256