Ignorance is no longer an acceptable excuse

(The picture is a little blurry, but this picture is just too cute)

"Change does not roll in on the wheels of inevitability but comes through continuous struggle."Martin Luther King, Jr.

I posted earlier this week and explained the struggle many intercultural relationships have faced. Martin Luther King Jr. said it beautifully. If we want to see a change, we have to work hard at it!

So, how can I do it with my little family of four?

1.Step out of your comfort zone 

Don't treat this as another thing on your to do list. Instead, get out there and step out of your comfort zone. It's easy for a lot of Americans to think only about our own way of doing things. If we want to see change happen, we need to step away from ignorance and embrace the other cultures around us. 

2. Expand your child's friend circles

Our old neighborhood in California was extremely culturally diverse. Our neighbors were from Russia, my mailman was from Texas, our friends were from Ethiopia, Russia, Hyderabad, and Cambodia. We were extremely blessed to live in such a diverse town. Here in Washington, it is definitely not as diverse as we were used to, but that doesn't mean it doesn't have it's diversity. Depending on where you live, you may be able to walk outside and find diversity or you may need to go and find it! Don't find excuses, make it happen. 

Go out there and arrange playdates with kids with different cultures from your own. 

3. Show them

Go to the store right now and buy a world map! Hang it up somewhere in your house where your kids will see it daily. Challenge your family to pick one country a month. During that month, show your children where it is on the map and teach them about the culture there. Have them eat meals that children eat there daily, play traditional games, sing fun songs, show them pictures of the kids and families there, and make it a part of your daily routine. 

Ignorance is no longer an excuse we can stand on. If we want to see change, we need to make it happen and it starts with you and I.