Article Link: http://exchangepress.com/article/mary-catherine-and-me-building-cross-cultural-relationships-in-post-racial-america/5019026/
Editor’s note: We asked Holly Elissa to write on this topic to follow up on an NAEYC presentation she did several years back. In this article, she offers one perspective on the importance of developing cross-cultural relationships. In its draft form, this article was shared with a diverse group of early childhood professionals who offered feedback and helped shape the article. We are interested in hearing what you have experienced and what you have written or presented on this topic. We hope this article sparks interest in continuing this important discussion (see box at end of article).BOX:
This article is an invitation to reflect on how authentic our relationships are with people who differ from us, especially in culture and ethnicity.
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May 9, 2009: In Raleigh, North Carolina at the graduation ceremony of North Carolina State University’s chemical engineering class, my daughter, Lily Jin Hee stands taller than her 5’5” stature. She’s labored five long and rigorous years for this degree. Lily, herself a person of color, rarely thinks twice about a person’s race. Just as in preschool, Lily’s friends are all delightfully different from one another. Nonetheless, I note that while NC State graduates many students of Asian descent and some ...