So, my kid now knows racism exists

[LuckyTheDog]

With the election of Obama -- and the fact that MLK Day fell just before the inauguration -- the topic has become unavoidable. My son (7 years old) is asking questions about racism -- which he was blissfully naive about until now.

This is complicated by the fact that he is adopted and is of Puerto Rican and African-American heritage, whereas my wife and I are pretty much as white as they come. We're handling this delicately. Very delicately. The boy knows he is adopted, which kind of helps. But it is hard to convey the gravity of the topic in an age-appropriate way.

The whole concept is confusing to him, as you might expect. We live in a mixed-race neighborhood which is one of the best examples of casual racial harmony I have ever known. Race is just plain not an issue around here -- at least not among the neighbors I know. My son also has plenty of friends of various backgrounds and doesn't understand why anybody should care about skin color. And what can I tell him except that he's right... it really DOESN'T matter and anyone who thinks it does matter is just plain stupid.

Any advice on how else to proceed?

[Tangerine LaBamba]

1. Sounds like

your son already has it nailed.

But, when he's older, he'll need to read history. That, and answering whatever questions he'll have.

See, what you're really going to have to teach him about is hate, and that sucks.

But, you'll be fine, and so will your beautiful boy.

:toast:

[Ian David]

2. You have to sit down and watch the whole Planet of The Apes series.

My daughter has been watching it with me since she was three.

[ZombieHorde]

3. Some people become frustrated with their lives and don't know who to blame.

So they find a group, or several groups to blame.

[MadMaddie]

4. I would suggest

finding Puerto Rican oranizations that have childrens programs and the same for African American organizations that have childrens programs.

Take him to events when they occur too..

You are asking the questions and that's a good thing...he will be fine.

[w8liftinglady]

5. be open with it-don't pretend it doesn't exist

As I explained to my sons-showing them a photo of a drug dealer(white) and my doctor friend(african-american) I asked them to choose the criminal.I explained to them when the world didn't immediately assume one over the other,then racism would be conquered.

[leftyclimber]

6. Sometimes people are scared of people who seem different from them

or whom they don't understand. And so they say or do mean things because they are scared. So it's our job to help them be un-scared.

That's what we told my stepson when he was about that age (white as the driven snow, but confused about why people could hate each other because they have different skin). We've gotten a bit more into the nitty-gritty as he's gotten older. At 14, he has a rainbow of friends and none of them could give a damn, which in central Ohio is rather refreshing.

Hugs to your sweet little boy. And he IS right.

:hug:

[rwheeler31]

7. Please discuss this with a good history teacher.

[liberalmuse]

8. My daughter doesn't understand, and she's 21. Your son will not understand it, either.

Judging someone by the color of their skin is such a ridiculous concept to her, I don't think she even gets that this even exists. I know there's this gangsta/hip-hop cultural gap, but many in my generation understand why this exists.

I am happy to see the day when our children look at us puzzled, unable to grasp that at one time, this nation judged people because of the color of their skin, their race. The younger generations don't think in those terms. Neither does mine, really. Not in the way our parents understood and were confronted head on with racism, but we were on the cusp and did understand that this happened one time, and we also saw some incidences of outright racism when we were growing up. Watching MLK's speech today on CNN, I was stunned at the words he was saying. I was stunned that he even had to say the words he did. It was hard to imagine, because growing up, I heard, 'black is beautiful' and witnessed a celebration of diversity until Reagan came into power. I don't think a lot of people really grasp how damaging Reagan has been to America and how he completely stopped our moving forward for almost 30 years. Growing up, I heard only the slightest whisperings whenever interracial couples were in the vicinity. Most people fucking knew better, until the rise of Reagan, which emboldened the asshats like Rush Limbaugh, Hannity, Savage, et al, who are outright racists.