And We're Back...

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

Pardon me for disappearing on ya'll for an entire week. Ms. Meltingpot seriously got sucked into a Southern way of life. I blame it on the heat and the sweet tea and the fried fish galore. I just never managed to even turn on my computer. I kept saying, oh, I can't wait to blog about this or that and then, faster than you can say 'kiss my grits,' it was time to pack up and come home.

Seriously.

Suffice it to say, dear readers, I'm back. I'm relaxed and refreshed and ready to jump back into reporting on the Meltingpot experience. Thanks for sticking around.

I did take this one picture in the bathroom of a tiny cafe we stopped in for lunch, thinking of all of you. It made me think, yeah, I can take a break from the news for just a little bit. Enjoy!

It's Still a Yankee Paper To Us

Mixed Roots Film and Literary Festival

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

If you live in the Los Angeles area or can get there without a lot of trouble, then you simple must make it to this year's Mixed Roots Film and Literary Festival, June 15- 17, 2012. The films, readings and family activities are going to be awesome. Some of my favorite writers, Mat Johnson and Faith Adiele, are going to be there. And the Hi-larious comics Key & Peele will be performing. But don't take my word for it. Check out the schedule and try not to drool over the fabulous offerings. And yes, it's all free!

I'd love to be there, but won't be able to make it this year. Somebody, please tell me you're going.

Peace!

MultiCultural Holiday Traditions

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

If you're in the Philadelphia area, please tune in to the WHYY radio program Radio Times today from 11am -12pm. (You can also listen via computer from anywhere in the world.) They are doing a show on the changing multicultural trends of the holiday season and I'll be one of the featured guests. I'll be joined by a sociologist named Noah Leavitt, who is studying Jewish - Asian couples. Should be a very meltingpot friendly show. And you can call in with your own stories of multi-culti holiday traditions.

So, this time, I hope you're listening!

Peace!

Gone But Not Forgotten: African Americans in Saratoga Springs

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

I feel so lucky to have such amazing, talented and creative friends. I have friends who are writers, comedians, photographers, content providers for children's television... and all of them inspire me with their work. Really.

One of my friends, the one who brought me those delicious Saratoga Chips from Saratoga Springs, is an award-winning filmmaker and photographer who also grapples with issues of race and identity in her work. Her name is Yuko Edwards. When I first met Yuko, she was working on a documentary about Black American women who had moved to Europe in search of a better quality of life. So, you know we had lots to talk about. She's still working on that film but has done lots of other work, much of it photography, in the meantime.

As a transplant to Saratoga Springs, Edwards was struck by the lack of color in her new town. She discovered that there had once been an African-American community in Saratoga Springs, but somehow they slowly became displaced. So her response was to 'repopulate' Saratoga Springs with Black people in images. In her own words, here's how Edwards describes the photo series she titled The Homestead:

"I rarely see African Americans on the streets of Saratoga Springs, New York. Yet, I know that 1 in 6 Americans are black. Where are they? African Americans were an important and vibrant segment of this community at one time. Today, they seem to have vanished from town. I am forced to imagine them here. It is my nostalgia for this community that has motivated me to repopulate it with images of my own family. They evoke the former presence of African Americans and their energy, which has now faded. I am comforted by seeing my community at home."

Enjoy. And please feel free to leave a comment here with your thoughts about the photographs. And if you are so intrigued and want to learn more about the African-Americans who once called Saratoga Springs home, see if you can find a copy of this book, Lord Please Don't Take Me in August: African Americans in Newport and Saratoga Springs, 1870-1930.

Peace!

Boycotting Columbus Day: A Native American Perspective

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

You know my life is all about learning about the other. I truly enjoy reading, writing and researching about other cultures and ethnicities and seeing how we are similar and at the same time honoring the differences. It's not always easy to honor those difference but we have to try. That's why I am always interested in meeting people who come from ethnic and/or cultural groups different from my own. And I always ask a lot of questions.

Last year, I taught a class at Temple called Race and Racism in the News. During the course of the class, I invited many guest speakers from different ethnic groups around Philadelphia to come speak. One of my speakers was a Native American man, who was also an activist and educator. (He also happens to be my accountant but that's another story.)

He talked about reservation life, Native American traditions being co-opted as cool and a host of other issues facing modern day Native Americans. But one thing he said stuck in my mind and always will. Not surprisingly, he said he not only ignores Columbus Day, he boycotts it. Why? In his mind, and many others in the Native American community, Christopher Columbus is likened to Hitler. Yes, he said Hitler. They see him as a man responsible for the utter destruction and decimation of Native people in the Americas. And not for nothing, they also find it highly disturbing that streets are named after Columbus in almost every major city. "Can you imagine a Hitler street?" he asked my class. Ouch.

So, on this Columbus Day, I'm thinking about the Native American community and how they must be feeling on a day honoring a man they consider pure evil. I'm not heading out to join any protests, but I'm definitely sympathetic. This is how we learn, people. This is how we learn.

What do you do on Columbus Day? Do you celebrate, sympathize, protest, or just enjoy a day off work?

I'm listening.

Peace!

"Is That Yo' Baby?" and a Giveaway Too

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

So, I was walking down the street in North Philadelphia the other day, pushing babygirl in her stroller. I was behind a group of four school-age Black girls and was enjoying myself eavesdropping on their adolescent chatter. I was also admiring their hair do's and wondering how girls so young paid for so much hair, but I digress.

So, eventually I had to pass the girls and as I did so they oohed and ahhed over the baby, but they were none too subtle with their reactions to her coloring.  "Why she look like that?" one girl asked. Another girl  quickly added, "You adopted her right?" And finally the smartest one in the bunch just came out and asked, "Is that yo' baby?" I smiled and answered, "Yes, she's mine. Her daddy is Spanish." And that pretty much finished the conversation. They were done with me. I will never see them again. But what I really wanted to say was, 'Jesus, Mary and Joseph, why would I adopt a White baby? And who would give me one anyway?'

But seriously, I'm not mad at those girls. They just voiced what I'm sure so many others wanted to say anyway. In fact, quite a few people haven't been able to hold their tongues and have thrown out the following comments:

My doctor said: "Oh my gosh, she doesn't look anything like you does she? I mean really. I can't be the only one who's told you that?" (Gee thanks and you have a medical degree?)

Random lady at the store: "Is that your baby? Oh, I mean of course she's yours why else would you be pushing her in a stroller?"(Oh, I don't know. Maybe I'm being paid to push her by her real mother.)

Several other well meaning folks: "She's so cute, but did your other kids have straight hair and skin so, um, fair? Isn't this strange?" (Actually, no. Both my kids were pale faces with jet black, straight hair at birth. But luckily they darkened up and their hair went rogue kinky, so I'm not worried about babygirl.)

Seriously, Meltingpot readers, none of these reactions are shocking to me, but they can get a bit wearisome. And every once in a while they make me sad, but that could be due to the fact that I still have an abundance of lady hormones that can make me cry during a baby food commercial. But at the end of the day, I just try to laugh it all off. In retrospect, these comments are terribly funny.

I bet some of you have some "funny" comments people have made about your families of different colors. Leave me your best of's in the comments section and I'll pick a random winner to receive one of my whatrugear.com t-shirts that says, "Same Family, Different Colors." You can specify if you want the kid or adult version. Drawing happens Monday morning before I post. So you have the weekend.

Okay, I'm listening. And by the way, if you want to listen to other people discuss this issue, you should tune into the podcast, Is That Your Child?

Peace!

Meltingpot Musings -- The Language of Belize

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

Recently I had a passing conversation with a beautiful man from Belize named Armando. I'll probably never see him again, but something he said captured my imagination. He told me, speaking with a slight accent, that the languages of Belize were, English, Spanish, Creole and Mayan. I always thought Belize was only an English speaking country, the only English speaking country in Central America, in fact. Honestly, I don't know that much about Belize, but when I lived in New York City I met quite a few expats from the country and they all spoke English exclusively. They often joked that people expected them to speak Spanish and they always had to disappoint.

Armando changed that perception for me. When chatting in Spanish, his accent sounded native even though his fluency was a little dicey. But still.

Tell me Meltingpot readers, what do you know about the language of Belize? I'd like to know more. Especially about the creole. I've always wondered if a Spanish/African/English creole language existed and if so, where.

I'm listening.

Peace!

America's First Black, Female Rabbi

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

In about half an hour I'm going to tune in to the NPR show, Tell Me More to hear an interview with Alysa Stanton, the nation's first Black female rabbi. I thought her ordination was recent, but in fact she's been ordained since 2009. Here's her story in a Time magazine article.

I've been thinking about writing a story about Black people choosing their own religion, especially after being raised in a traditional Black church and hearing about Stanton makes me want to pursue that story even more. And I'm not sure it has to be Black people, could be anyone who finds their own faith. I myself have been on a spiritual journey since college, 'trying on' several different religions, including the Bahai faith and Unitarian Universalism.

What about you Meltingpot readers? Any of you have your own conversion story you'd like to share? I'm listening.

Peace. And have a happy fourth of July too!

Elvis Was Jewish ?

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

As you know, I'm all about discovering more about our meltingpot lives. It fascinates me to no end to witness how cultures clash, co-mingle and cozy-up in these United States of America and yet we still like to maintain the myth that this country is a purely segregated one. Ha! I laugh at the notion that people of all different colors and stripes haven't been living, loving and laughing together since day one.

That's why I was tickled pink to discover, while I was down in Virginia, that Elvis's mother was Jewish. Did anyone else know that the King of Rock and Roll belonged to the Chosen People? Why is this not common knowledge? Although all of the Jewish folk I spoke with in Virginia did say that most Jewish people did know that 'Elvis was one of theirs.' Apparently, Elvis was known to wear a religious necklace towards the end of his life and he had a Star of David put on his mother's gravestone.

As I understand it, while his mother was Jewish, she did not practice the faith. But this needs to be checked. Does anybody else know anything about Elvis's Jewish heritage? How do you think this information would have effected his career had it been common knowledge during his day as the King? What about now? Do you think it was deliberately suppressed? Here is a website that explains Elvis's Jewish heritage. I cannot verify its accuracy, but it seems to be the same information the historian in Virginia shared with me, but in more detail.

So, if anyone knows more, tell us about it.

I'm listening.

Peace!

Food for Thought -- A Restaurant Worthy of A Meltingpot Review

Meltingpot Readers,

Many of you know I've been a long time fan of chef Marcus Samuelsson, not only because of his culinary talents but because he has such a fascinating life story which he consistently uses to fuel his professional passions. His cookbooks, philanthropy work and yes, even his restaurants, always embrace the theme of cultural cross-pollination. His latest restaurant, Red Rooster Harlem is no exception.

Check out the New York Times review of the restaurant and you'll see what I mean. Here's the bit that intrigued me the most and it's not even about the food:

" New Yorkers are accustomed to diversity on sidewalks and subways, in jury pools and in line at the bank. But in our restaurants, as in our churches and nightclubs, life is often more monochromatic.

Not so at Red Rooster Harlem, which the chef Marcus Samuelsson opened in December. The racial and ethnic variety in the vast bar and loft-like dining room are virtually unrivaled. The restaurant may not be the best to open in New York City this year (though the food is good). But it will surely be counted as among the most important. It is that rarest of cultural enterprises, one that supports not just the idea or promise of diversity, but diversity itself."

Reservations are recommended a month in advance, so if you're planning a trip to the Big Apple, call now. Then tell us all about it!

We're listening.

Peace!

What's In A Name? That Depends If You Have the Blackest Name in America

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

Quick, don't think too hard. What do you think is the Blackest surname in America? I guessed Johnson, but I was wrong. Turns out it's Washington. As in George, or my writer friend at the Associated Press, Jesse Washington (who is actually Mixed) who penned this fascinating article on the origins and reasons why 90 percent of the Washingtons in America are Black. In addition, he takes a look at the relatively small minority of White Washingtons to find out what it's like to live with a very Black name. Here's a juicy nugget from the story:

"The story of how Washington became the "blackest name" begins with slavery and takes a sharp turn after the Civil War, when all blacks were allowed the dignity of a surname.

Even before Emancipation, many enslaved black people chose their own surnames to establish their identities. Afterward, some historians theorize, large numbers of blacks chose the name Washington in the process of asserting their freedom."

I urge you to read the rest of the story as it is a fascinating read. It really does make one think about what their name says about them (which I already wrote about here on the Meltingpot), but it also makes one consider the act of naming. What would you call yourself if you had the chance to choose your own name? Even though I don't exactly look to Beyonce as a role model, I kind of admire her choice of an alter ego/ stage name( Sasha Fierce) to channel her "wild side" during performance. I don't plan on changing my real name any time soon, but I guess I could work on an alter ego name for those times when I need to get out of my comfort zone as a writer, mother, and everyday Black girl. I think that name would be, Ruby Blu. What do you think? Do you have a name for your alter ego? You know I want to hear it.

Peace!

The New York Times Tells Us A Little Something About Mixed Race America

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

I'm sure you can imagine how thrilled I was to see a story on "Mixed-Race America" on the cover of yesterday's New York Times. I eagerly read the piece only to be mildly disappointed by the lack of new information presented. In a nutshell, the story proclaimed that many kids with multiple heritages are happily identifying with the label mixed and/or are able to check more than one box on all of those pesky forms. (yawn) I mean we over here on the Meltingpot have been talking about this stuff for years. And remember I started a t-shirt company because of this very phenomenon.

Nonetheless, when the New York Times deems Mixie issues front page news, that's a good thing. And the pictures are great. See for yourself on the New York Times website. Also included are some videos and multimedia presentations.

So come on Meltingpot readers, what do you think the Times should really write about regarding the Mixie community? What do you think should be front page news? I'm listening because if they don't pick it up, I certainly will.

Peace.

"Mommy, Are All Asians Good at Karate?"

Meltingpot Readers,

Help me out here. My older son takes karate. I thought he might be good at it because he's super flexible and has a head for memorizing routines. I also thought it might make him a little bit more disciplined with his self-control. So far he loves it. In a few weeks he'll be testing for his yellow belt. He takes karate at the local YMCA and his sensei is an older African-American woman who is like a 6th degree black belt. She rocks. She is the perfect blend of kick-ass and kind.

So, there's a young kid in the class who is mixed. His mom is Asian and his dad is White. This little boy just turned seven, has been taking karate for less than a year and is about to test for his green belt (that's two up from white) and will be competing in a major competition this weekend. And did I mention the child is just seven. He seriously measures only up to my knee cap yet he is by far the best -- and only Asian child -- in the class. Watching him do karate is truly amazing.

So I casually commented to the sensei, "wow, he's amazing isn't he," and her response. "He was born to do this." I didn't question her, nor condemn her for making what I thought was a kind of tasteless comment. I mean, what, because his mother is Asian he's got some natural gift for martial arts? Coming from a Black girl who can neither sing nor dance, I happen to know that this natural talent based on ethnic origin is a myth. Right?

So last night during karate class, I met the little boy's White father so I complimented him on his son's prowess. Not to mention this little boy is just too cute. I was asking the father how long his son had been studying karate, thinking perhaps he'd had previous training but he confirmed that his son had started the same time mine had. And then his dad said with no irony, "Hey, it's in his blood. He was born to do this." Really? Now the little guy's Asian mother was nearby and I was itching to ask her if she felt that she had passed on this genetic predisposition to be the next karate kid, but I felt that would have been just a little bit too deep for casual YMCA conversation.

Needless to say, my kids heard part of this conversation and they honestly want to know. Are all Asian people good at karate? Obviously not, but what if the kid's own parents are saying this.

And here's my true confession. Even though I'm a horrible dancer, I will admit, that when I hear the beat of African drums, I swear on my grandma's cold dead body that there is a spirit force that moves within me. I cannot be still when I hear them. I cannot stop my body from moving in ways I've never been taught. I feel something that feels like instinct. It feels natural.

What do you think dear readers? Without stirring up a pot of racist rhetoric, can we discuss the possibility that certain ethnic groups are predisposed to excel or even just catch on to certain things due to their heritage? This is a slippery slope that dips into dangerous territory, but when we're talking karate and disco dancing, can we just talk?

Is there something you're good at that you attribute to your heritage? You can be honest and anonymous here, so let's talk.

I'm so totally listening.

Peace!

Meltingpot Flavor in the Bookstore

Okay Meltingpot readers,

Think of today's post as a public service announcement in support of independent bookstores. I've been wanting to highlight Presse Bookstore for a long time here on the Meltingpot and since they are hosting me this weekend for a Substitute Me reading, I figured now was the perfect moment.

We all know that in this economy, any small business owner has to work insanely hard just to keep afloat. And that work load can seem twice as arduous for the independent bookstore owner as it seems like every day another bookstore -- both chains and independent -- closes its doors. And heck, there are even reports that Barnes and Noble has put itself up for sale.

That's why I have to give HUGE props to Presse owner, Harvetta Asamoah, who not only opened Presse bookstore --in 2008-- when most people were getting out of the book game, but she's managed to maintain her vision of a cozy, ecelectic international bookstore by being innovative and ingenious with her offerings.

Walking into Presse feels like walking into another world, literally. When I walked in for the first time last year, I seriously had to stop myself from squealing out loud, because of all of the delicious books on the shelves -- from the children's books to the cookbooks -- everything was multilingual, multicultural and up to date. Turns out Ms. Asamoah is a complete kindred spirt. I think she might be my sister from another mother. She's a Black woman from the midwest with a love of languages and foreign travel. In fact, before opening Presse, she was an international lawyer and legal translator.

Asamoah keeps her linguistic skills on point by hosting Spanish and French conversation groups, she hosts French and Spanish speaking authors and open mic poetry readings in multiple languages. Don't you just love it? El esposo and I were actually guests of the Spanish language conversation group and we did our entire Kinky Gazpacho presentation in Spanish. You have to love that.

Of course, Asamoah has to be a shrewd business woman to keep this literary oasis afloat, so she's taking Presse to the masses by launching a Presse E-commerce site so the whole world can browse her wonderful collections. Publisher's Weekly recently wrote a story about her new site and you can read it here.

If you live in the DC area, please pop in to Presse. If you don't live in DC, check out their website.

In the meantime, what's your favorite Indie bookstore? What makes them special?

Peace!

Music Monday: Bruno Mars Makes Beautiful Mixie Music

Okay Melitngpot Readers,

I'm going to assume that some of you, like me, aren't exactly keeping track of what's happening in the world of popular music. Maybe other areas of your life keep you from knowing who's hot and who's not. Well, thank goodness you have me.

I would like to introduce you to my new musical crush, Bruno Mars, otherwise known as that ambiguously brown dude who sings the chorus on The Billionaire song. After a wee bit of research on that incredibly reliable source of information known as wikipedia, I discovered that Mr. Mars was born and raised in Hawaii by parents of Puerto Rican and Filipino descent. His real name is Perter Hernandez, Jr. and like his mixie heritage, his music also defies easy categorization. In an interview on About.com he explained why he titled his EP, "It's Better if You Don't Understand," regarding his musical style and his heritage.

"Yeah, you know, a lot of people...there's always been so much question about what kind of music I do. Everything. You know, what's his nationality? Is it R&B? Is it pop? Is he a rapper? Is he really that short? A lot of things. There's so many...I always thought that was my struggle, explaining the kind of...you know you asked earlier what kind of music. It's hard for me to explain. Not because I'm trying to be out of the box or...it's just like, man, I just write songs. Hopefully, I try to write songs that touch a lot of people.

So that phrase, "It's better if you don't understand," resonated so well with me because that's been my whole life, a campaign. Just listen, basically. It's a way to say just listen to this music and you be the judge of what it is and how it makes you feel. Opposed to me telling you I am a pop singer or an R&B singer or a soul singer. I want the audience to have their own personal feelings toward my music."

Nice, right? I love his voice and his songs are brilliant. And I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I also find him absolutely adorable.

So Bruno Mars is about to Blow Up big time. His first debut album is slated for an October release. But now you can all talk about him with authority because you read about him here on the Meltingpot. Ha! Anybody else out there already a Bruno Mars fan? What's your favorite song?


Peace!

Same Family Different Colors

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

I'm coming to you for your advice and opinion. My nine-year old son seems to be mildly obsessed with skin color these days. Okay, obsessed is too strong a word, but he does like to point things out about different people's pigmentation. As in, this weekend our dear family friends came to visit. Mom's Black, Dad's White, kids are mixies like mine. My son announced to me, in the midst of their visit, "Isn't it perfect, that you and N. are the same color, Papi and M. are the same color, me and C. are the same color and the two little ones are the same color too."

My girlfriend heard this and commented, "I think you talk about race too much."

Yikes! First I denied it and then el esposo raised his eyes at me and said, "You talk about race all the time." I still tried to deny it, but then I realized, 'damn skippy' I talk about race all the time. I write about it, talk about it and think about it a whole lot. And as I came to terms with that, I realized that that is exactly what I didn't have growing up, a conversation about race with my parents or other trusted adults. And because of that, I always felt very uncomfortable whenever anyone else brought up race either. I thought it was a taboo subject and being a person of color, I kind of translated that to mean, "I" am a taboo subject.

I don't want that for my kids.

I don't have a racial agenda to teach my children. And to be honest, I don't even know if I'm feeding them the right mix of racial/ethnic pride so that they will feel comfortable in the skin their in. What I do know is that I am trying to make sure that they know that talking about color and ethnic origins is okay. I think it is a grave disservice to teach your children to be colorblind because they're not. They see the difference and if we don't give them the appropriate language to describe what they see, then we're perpetuating the culture we live in today where grown men and women cannot dialogue about race effectively.

My son came home from school one day this past spring and told me, "Mom, this one girl said all the Black kids in the other class talk too much. And then all the other kids said she was racist. Is that true?" So kids notice. Kids make assumptions. Kids talk about this stuff whether we talk about it at home or not. So I think I'm just going to keep on doing what I'm doing and making sure my kids know they can talk to me about it, with the appropriate language, of course.

What do you guys think? Do you tone down your language in front of your kids when it comes to racial issues? Do you reprimand them for describing someone as "Black, or White or Asian," when they're telling a story? Do you think that by talking about race, you predispose your kids to be overly concerned about being a child of color?

I'd love to hear your thoughts and experiences.

Peace.

Moroccan Memories

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

Remember I mentioned that my older son would be attending Arabic Language and Culture camp this summer? Honestly, I didn't know what to expect, I just prayed my son would enjoy himself and not hate the experience. I mean it was free after all. Suffice it to say, somebody heard my prayers. My son, the boy who shows about as much enthusiasm for school and most extra-curricular activities as a possum playing dead, loves Arabic camp. He comes home singing his Arabic songs and spouting off phrases like 'I would like a banana please," in Arabic. His pronunciation and accent is amazing, although I'm no expert, but he sounds really good. Because of the heat wave the campers haven't even been allowed outside, and still my son comes home exuberant and excited about his art, poetry, and percussion classes. He did insist that I stop calling it camp though. "It's really more like school," he informed me after the first day.

So, he's happy. And I'm totally stoked. I found out my son's language teacher is Moroccan. And for those of you who haven't read my riveting memoir, I lived in Morocco for a summer as an exchange student, so I always linger at drop off and chat with the teacher and relive all of my Moroccan memories and try to recall my 10-word Moroccan vocabulary. If it wasn't so ridiculously hot here in Philly right now, I'd be dusting off my Moroccan cookbook and trying to recreate some of my favorite meals from that time in my life. It really is amazing how hearing Arabic spoken again and meeting young children with names like Jasmine and Merriem (the same names as my host sisters in Casablanca) can transport me back in time.

The funniest thing about the whole camp experience is how much my son "fits" in with the other Arabic kids. In fact, one of the teachers asked my son if his father was Moroccan. In the mix at the camp, my son seriously blends in and I kind of wonder if that's why he's so happy there. I don't really care, of course. I'm just thrilled for this rich cultural experience.

Now of course, both kids want to go to Morocco. It's a short boat ride from El esposo's home in the south of Spain, so I say, let's do it! It's time to make some new Moroccan memories. Has anybody travelled to Morocco recently with kids? How was it? Please share.

Peace!

Oh, P.S. We have a new blogger over at Whatrugear.com. Sam, a former student of mine of African-American and Lithuanian descent, is going to be keeping the conversation alive about identity politics, perogies and pork rinds and mixed-race identity on our blog, so please check in on Mixie Mondays and say hello. Thanks.

Would You Put Your Feet In Another Woman's Face?

Meltingpot Readers,

I have a confession to make. It took me 20 years before I felt comfortable enough to get a pedicure. Not because I have issues with people touching me, but because I felt too uncomfortable putting my dirty feet in someone else's face. It just felt degrading and disrespectful. And then add to that, the vast majority of the women providing these services wherever I lived, were Asian immigrants who don't speak very much English, which I think compounds the feeling of exploitation.

In the last ten years I've gotten over this conflict of mine. Sort of. I can now get a pedicure, I just feel guilty while it's happening. Suffice it to say I tip really well and I say 'thank you' way too much. And truth be told, I average about one pedicure a year.

So, I've never really met anyone else who feels the same way as I do. As evidenced by the bustling pedicure business and the myriad of women with pretty painted toes. But, I recently shared my feelings with el esposo and guess what he said. "That's the same reason you'll never see me getting my shoes shined. I will never put my feet in another man's face and ask him to clean my shoes. I'll do it myself." And he was quite adamant about it.

So I guess that's why el esposo and I are kindred spirits. We think alike about the things that matter.

So, people. Anybody else out there get a little uncomfortable getting a pedicure? Or a shoe shine? Is this a legitimate concern or are we layering unnecessary emotion on top of a service economy? What do you think? I really want to hear some other opinions.

I'm listening.

Peace.

What A Weekend! -- Loving Day and The Karate Kid

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

First of all, how do you like the new look? You can be honest. I kind of like it. Feels more me than the sparse black look before. If I had just a shred of cyber creativity and know-how, I'd make the Meltingpot even more attractive but I'm stuck working with templates right now. I hope my powerful words and witty voice are enough to keep you all coming back. Oh, but I also just got a new flip camera, so if I can figure out how to work it, I'll be adding some Meltingpot TV moments here too in the near future. Can't wait!

In the meantime, I hope you are all planning to hug somebody of another race tomorrow, in honor of Loving Day, the day that commemorates the 1967 supreme court decision (Loving vs Virginia) banning anti-miscegenation laws which still existed in 16 states at the time. If you want to do more, try buying a tee shirt capturing the Loving Day spirit from my company, Whatrugear or host your own Loving Day gathering with a bunch of friends of different races and watch the World Cup together. I think just watching all of those people from different countries gathering in South Africa is a Loving Day experience we would have never imagined ten years ago.

Now I have to admit, I'm not going to any special Loving Day celebrations because I will be cheering on my son's little league team as they vie for the league championships. Who knew baseball would take over my life? But I have to admit, I'm enjoying it immensely. When my not-quite athletically inclined son hits the ball and actually makes it on base, it brings tears to my eyes and I'm the loudest cheerleader in the bleachers. Other parents have actually asked me if I was a cheerleader in high school or college. I wasn't, in case you were wondering.

Besides baseball, the other must-see event in the Kinky Gazpacho household this weekend is not World Cup soccer, it's The Karate Kid. Every since we saw the previews of little Jaden Smith in China, we've all been super excited for this movie to come out. My boys are excited about the Karate (which in China is actually Kung Fu, not Karate), I'm intrigued as to how they'll treat the culture clash of Chinese and Black American culture. And I admit, I'm thrilled to have my kids see an action-packed kid-friendly movie where the cute kid who gets to do all the cool moves is brown instead of a cute red head with freckles or a blond boy with striking blue eyes. Or a guinea pig! They need to see themselves on the big screen, just like the rest of us.

I'll post my review of the film next week. So, people. What are you going to do this weekend? Do you have World Cup fever? Does your spouse? Are you going to see the Karate Kid? Maybe you're going to Los Angeles to take part in the awesome Mixed Roots Film & Literary Festival. It's the biggest West Coast Loving Day celebration and it's free.

Inspire us with your plans for the weekend.

I'm listening.

Peace.

Cinco de Mayo isn't Really About Mexico

Hola Meltingpot Readers,

Happy Cinco de Mayo. Do you know why we celebrate this day? Hint, it's not about Mexican independence, that day is actually celebrated in September. It's actually a day to commemorate the battle of Puebla when the Mexican army fought against the French.

So why all the sombreros, tacos and tequila contests on this day Stateside? I heard on NPR this morning that the holiday has been co-opted by Americans to sell beer and tequila. From ABC News:

" For the average Mexican, today is just another Wednesday, wrote Oscar Casares, a professor at the University of Texas-Austin.

'The holiday, which has never really been much of one in Mexico, crossed over to this side of the border in the 1950s and 1960s, as civil rights activists were attempting to build harmony between the two countries and cultures,' Casares wrote.'" The article goes on, " "The date gained more attention in the 1980s when marketers, particularly beer companies, saw this as a perfect opportunity to capitalize on the celebratory nature of the holiday."

You can read the full story here.

So, my kids were told in honor of Cinco De Mayo they could wear a silly hat today to school. Hot lunch is enchiladas. There's a tequila festival at the local bowling alley. Is there anything wrong with this commercialization of a holiday? Especially when most people probably don't even know why they're celebrating?

What do you think? Are you doing anything to celebrate? My Mexican friends, do you celebrate on Cinco de Mayo? If so, how so?

I'm listening.

Peace.