Our Multiracial Family Mentors
Holidays are full of chaos and sweet memories in our family.
What can you expect when you get so many people together in one home!Easter this year was no different. As most of you know, we recently moved to North Carolina which sadly is only further away from family. We absolutely love my husband's job change, as it means he hardly ever travels anymore, but being away from family is hard.Throughout our marriage, my husband and I have always lived by one side of our families. It's changed over the years as we've moved around, but family was always there.Now, the closest family member is about 8 hours from our home. We're no strangers to road trips, so I see plenty of road trips over the summer to spend time with the kid's uthas, chininas, uncles, and nanamas.In the meantime, we definitely miss everyone. This is why Easter was so special this year. My husband's pinni, uncle, cousins, and mom came to spend the holiday weekend at our new house!We were so excited to show everything off and show them the new town and home we've fallen in love with.Our home was bustling with people all weekend and it truly made our new house feel like our home. My husband and I love having family stay with us!One of the best parts of the weekend was seeing our kids spend time with their uthas and chinina (cousins).They are being raised in a multiracial family like my kids are and I'm always so encouraged watching them. Their parents have made such a strong effort to blend Eastern and Western culture within their family. They've always been our go to family for advice on how to blend. They've been doing it for 22 years!Sometimes I lay in bed at night wondering if I'm doing it well enough.I get worried I won't be able to bring Indian culture into our family as much as I want it to be.I worry my kids won't truly understand how rich and beautiful Indian culture is.Then I see their cousins and see that it's possible. They have a deep love for both cultures. It may be shown differently, but it's there. As they get older, their pride for both cultures only gets stronger.
What are their secrets? What have they done throughout their kid's lives to make this a reality?
Travel
They have traveled to India as a family multiple times. It seems simple, but spending time in India takes what they've learned from their parents about Indian culture and takes it to the next level. There's only so much you can say and at a certain point you have to show them.Our family has yet to take our kids to India as my son is dealing with health issues, but we save every year so that we can make it a reality. We want to show our kids what it looked like for daddy to live in India.Traveling to India isn't just for the kids, it's for our marriage too. I want to see India and actually spend time there. I want to experience India with my husband.
Food
If you glance in their fridge or pantry, you'll see traditional dishes for both cultures and fusion dishes. You can look at the table and see one kid eating a samosa, one eating a mango, and one eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Their kids are comfortable with both cuisines and I love it.We try and do the same with our kids. Our staple meals consist of keema curry, pasta, burgers, and chicken tikka masala. I do the best I can to make sure both cultures are represented throughout the week in my meal plan. Although if it was up to me it would be all Indian food because I'm obsessed!
Open Minds
This couple is completely open to their spouse's culture. While Pinni grew up in India, she has no problem embracing her husband's family culture. She wants him to know she values and loves his family, culture, and everything that has made him the person he is today.The same can be said about the way he treats her. He travels with her to India, he wears traditional Indian clothes, and makes sure his kids use the appropriate Indian terms for family members.The best part is that he has taught me so much about what it means to embrace Indian culture. He has been my go to person for advice so many times.Having an open mind in a multiracial family is vital. There are going to be so many times your culture will push you towards different directions. You and your partner have to be open to trying things a different way.