All About Family
Opening Our Hearts & Homes To People Of Other Cultures & Ethnic Backgrounds
Over the past four years, Anthony Mastracchio has hosted four exchange students; he says each has taught him about their culture, and in turn, he shares his Italian heritage with them.
Poor Children's Wish List For Ole Saint Nick And The Elves
Imagine what the growing number of children in poverty would say to President Obama and members of Congress — Ole Saint Nick and the Elves — about what they want for Christmas and the New Year.
This is the season of giving. Grown-ups search the caverns of their minds to find those unique and special gifts for family members and loved ones. Kids are often equally challenged as they try to prioritize what gifts or gadgets they want most from jolly old Saint Nick.
Pregnant Teens Regardless Of Race Or Ethnicity Often Face Shunning From Peers
Despite the interventions and the endless amounts of available information, teen pregnancy does occur across all racial and ethnic boundaries. One needs only to think back over their youth and remember how intense the emotions were during their own teen years before casting judgment. At a time when a teen should be thinking about college and the prom, an unexpected pregnancy may have them thinking about how they are going to pay the ultra sound bill.
Tough Times Can Make The Thanksgiving Holiday All The More Special
Next week, we pause to celebrate another Thanksgiving. While the meaning of Thanksgiving has always made it a special holiday, this year with the state of our national economy — many Americans having lost their jobs, homes, businesses, even hope — makes the celebration all the more special.
Celebrating The Mexican Holiday: Day of the Dead
On Tuesday, November 1, 2011, the well-known Mexican holiday, Day of the Dead or Dia de los Muertos in Spanish brings together family and friends to remember those who have died. Every year on November 1 and 2, people in Mexico, or towns and cities near the Mexican border celebrate this holiday.
Surrounded By Prejudice & Hatred: Biracial Children Face Racially Motivated Obstacles From An Early Age
On the day Barack Obama took office, my 12-year-old grandson phoned me from school to ask a pressing question. “Grandma, why do people have to be so hateful?” he inquired.
As an interracial child, Zach was in the early stages of considering what it meant to be a person of mixed race. Obama was a fine role model for Zach, evidence that America is the land of opportunity for all, and with hard work and dedication, anyone can be valued for their contributions regardless of race, religion, or ethnicity.
Trans-Racial Adoption: Research Shows Positive Outcomes Despite Challenges
The controversy of adopting children across racial lines is a historical challenge, but the good news is that a study by William Feigelman, and Arnold Silverman on the long-term effects of transracial adoption (futureofchildren.org) found that after six or more years of living in their different-race home, children adjusted as well as their same-race-adoption counterparts.
Nonetheless, some deep divides remain about transracial adoption, such as the National Association of Black Social Workers (NABSW), who nearly 40 years ago, passed a resolution to end adoption across racial lines i
Studies Demonstrate Jewish-Asian Couples Share Strong Family Beliefs
What happens when Asians marry Jews? Well, for one thing, the kids grow up Jewish, according to a new study.
Fourth Of July Celebrations Around The Country
While the Fourth of July means just one thing in America, Independence Day (and of course it’s a Federal Holiday too), there are a plethora of different ways the day is celebrated by the many cultures who call the United States home.
Fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, fairs, picnics, concerts, baseball games, and political speeches usually accompany Fourth of July celebrations. In fact, some of the traditions still held in various cities around the United States date back 100 years to when the country really was a young and struggling nation.
Women, Cancer, And Race: Knowing The Odds And Minimizing The Risk Factors
Over the past several decades, researchers have drawn many correlations between incidences of specific types of cancers and factors such as gender, race, and ethnicity. Research clearly shows that the risk of a person contracting cancer and/or dying from that cancer can vary by that person’s genetics. In the United States, breast cancer is the leading cancer for women, regardless of race. Numbers two and three are both lung cancer and colorectal cancer, in that order for white women, and in the opposite order for black and Asian populations.
