Ask the Expert: dealing with and preventing racism

Hi Karthik, Velvizhi, I too can identity myself with this, having 2 mixed kids myself, and raising them in not one but two foreign countries. Ironically, the causal racism we face come more from adults, as children have a natural respect amongst one another. Sometimes we get stares when we walk together as a family. One of the pressures children may face from society is that people seem to identify with only one race, with questions like “where are you from?” expecting one answer. But I help my children to cope with these pressures by establishing open communication about race and cultures, and by allowing curiousity—like conversations about skin colour and facial features. My advise to parents going through similar experiences is that we should assist our children in developing coping skills to handle biases or any confrontational questions. A good way as well is to encourage a multicultural lifestyle for the whole family, celebrating and embracing different traditions and customs—g