Celebrating Sinterklaas

Author Recent Posts Bethany Edwards Bethany is an elementary teacher/reading specialist from San Diego, California and has taught internationally in Turkmenistan, Egypt, Ukraine, Latvia, and Mauritania. Read more under "Columnists." As you read from my previous column, my goal is to teach literacy through quality and diverse literature for you and your family to enjoy together.

One of the biggest festivals of Hindus, Diwali, is coming up later this month on the 19th. Every year around this time, I look for Diwali-related books to read to my kids. Last year, I read 7 different books to my son, in both English, and bilingually, in English and Hindi but they all left me disappointed in different ways. The search for the one book or books that would really capture the essence of the festival and explain things to a toddler in an age-appropriate manner continued.

Passing on our family cultures in interracial marriages is a challenge. There are words that I use to try to sum up the differences between my and my husband’s families growing up. They are categorical identities such as Jewish and Christian, Chinese and Caucasian, immigrant and American. They are quick reference words that might explain a bit about the nature of our differences to a passerby. They provide some context, yes, but past small talk, the words are deeply unsatisfying to me.