time we as a family have developed favorites – picking and choosing the best from our two cultures, but also from the countries we have lived in. In our family – African chickens rule – from the toes to the head, but when it comes to beef – it’s South America that wins."
"My kids have no problem sitting on a wooden bench eating fufu and sauce with their hands – they even have favorite sauces that they request from my in-laws who are ever so happy to oblige them. Of course my kids love McDonald's and their favorite place when we go back to the Midwest to visit family and friends is an interstate oasis that affords them a luxury of choices.
Food is important and I love that they get equally as excited about their favorites in the U.S. as they do in Africa – nothing is better or worse – just different! As they get older I hope they will continue to extend this same appreciation not just for food, but in everything they endeavor – to be open to different ways of doing things and relating to others. I think this is especially important for North Americans as we come from the most powerful country in the world and by default we sometimes walk around the world thinking that our way is the best way – for better or worse, that is often how we are perceived abroad – so I really try to impress on the kids all the time how lucky they are to have a dad from a place with an amazing culture as well."
Admittedly, I too enjoy the best that being multicultural has to offer. And not just my own mix of races, but those of my friends. I have endured some struggles and challenges along way - not fitting in, other’s ignorance, or not understanding my own heritage. But I have also enjoyed the benefits of being multiracial - fitting in anywhere, acceptance by many groups around the world, and learning that when I look at my own face, I see the world. I am a multicultural woman, part of the changing faces of the world, and we are the face of the future.