National Park Portraits + Thoughts on Race from My Sunshine Girl {Chen Family Vacation 2014}

Hopefully you are not sick of my vacation posts yet, but I just had to share with you all some of my favorite portraits of my kiddos. Above is Sunshine Girl strolling through the yellow fields of the Badlands. {Umm… there may or may not have been rattlesnakes in that field. *Gulp!*} There is nothing like South Dakota, where the land & sky go on forever & the wind was incredible.

The above is our campground in Canyon Village, Yellowstone. Camping among the soft pines was dreamy. The kids loved playing in the forest. It was all I could do to have them stop for a photo. Love them so much.

Out of my 3, Sunshine Girl is THE model for me. She loves it & I love her beauty. Those eyes, that smile, how she can pull off different looks… ahhh…

 

We had a very interesting conversation a couple weeks ago about race & self perception. I should back track & tell you 2 things first:

1. Last year when we went to the University of Michigan as one of our vacation stops, we went to an exhibit on race. It was fascinating. It discussed race, racial terms & how they’ve changed though the years, prejudice, perception, etc… One part of the exhibit was by a photographer who studied mixed Asians {ie: my kids.} The photos were amazing. They stated the mix of 2 races {ie: Japanese + Swedish} & then at the end of the exhibit, you were to fill out a card & state {or declare} what race you are & my 2 big kids declared they are Chinese. Now, what about ME?! In their eyes, they are Chinese because Daddy is Chinese. Interesting.

 

2. On the way home from Yellowstone, Sam & I listened to Malcolm Gladwell’s latest book David & Goliath {I highly suggest you either read or listen to this book} … another gem of wisdom & insight from Malcolm. In the book, there is an entire section on the Civil Rights Movement, which I know the kids gleaned from.

 

OK, so back to our conversation.

 

One day after volleyball camp, Sunshine Girl looked at me & said, “Mommy, I wish I had skin like you.” {the irony here is she actually DOES have skin exactly like me. Skin, hair & ears are all she’s got of my features.}

I asked, “Why? What do you mean?”

She replied {sadly}, “At volleyball camp, no one picked me to be their partner because I am dark skinned & it was me & the other 2 REALLY dark skinned girls that were never chosen.”

 

This made me heartbroken. As a 9 year old, does she really think she’s not chosen because of the color of her skin? Was it true? Are we here in white suburbia perpetuating racism?

 

I would like to think that she was not chosen often because many of the girls she was at camp with were already friends with each other from school {& she does not go to their schools}, so Sunshine Girl was the outsider & I explained to her that people tend to stick with their own friends & not reach out to the new kid, as it’s easier & more comfortable to stick with what you know. {& by the way, on the last day of camp, a couple girls did ask her to join in!}

 

The entire conversation was fascinating to me & made me think about how my kids perceive themselves. Sam & I do our best to communicate to them how they are fearfully and wonderfully made, chosen by God, & our beloved treasures. Sunshine Girl is so tender hearted. Compassion is a big aspect of her personality. She is always looking out for the under-dog. And, now she felt she was the under-dog. I hope this feeling teaches her to continue to step out of comfort zones & embrace those who are not like herself. I also hope she continues to grow in confidence in who she is & how God has created her. {She is my one who carries an Avengers lunchbox for crying out loud & several 3rd grade girls were horrified & made fun of her a bit for it, but she said, “I don’t care. I like the Avengers!” ha!}

 

Grace & Peace,

Julie