There are endless challenges in the adventures of parenting for all of us. Single parenting a rambunctious and inquisitive little girl is a challenge I take on and quite enjoy daily.
She’s a fascinating little person and she’s absolutely gorgeous. Long dark hair, big brown eyes, the longest lashes I’ve ever seen and a stunning complexion.
She looks nothing like her blonde hair, blue eyed pale as a corpse mother. She looks like her Lao “father” who isn’t in the picture anymore at all and hasn’t been since she was 18 months old.
It’s been the two of us for as long as she can remember and she never questioned why we looked different. But then again, she refers to people by the color of their shirt, not their skin.
In fact she was about 5 when she asked me “momma why do I look like I should speak Spanish?“
I knew the day would come when she would ask me why our skin isn’t the same color or why I have blue eyes and she doesn’t, but I did not see the “look like I should speak Spanish” part coming at all.
It’s difficult enough to try and explain the concept of biracial to a 5 year old but now I had to explain the difference in Hispanic versus Asian only for her to look at me and say
“whatsa Asian?” (see what happens when dads aren’t around)
feeling overwhelmed and certain I was going to royally eff this up & permanently damage my child….it took me a minute to wrap my mind around what she had said.
“What’s Asian?!” Christ! I felt horrible like ok wtf cc?! She’s Asian…doesn’t know it or what it is. She’s five. How does your biracial baby not know about her races?!
*The answer to that is simple—Im not asian & Ive just been raising her like a regular kid….
And then it occurred to me….perhaps I hadn’t done so bad after all.
I mean, clearly race has never been an issue for her & I. Obvious differences between us were unquestioned up until now.
That’s the way it should be I guess…not a big deal if someone’s different.
If only I could convince the rest of the world…..
Im not able to convince the world, all that I can do is raise my girl to be a respectful and considerate human being…..and I must say…..that she is
