A few months ago, I saw the museum exposition based on this book at the Japanese-American Museum in Los Angeles. I was so delighted and inspired by it that I very nearly bought the book immediately, but I figured, "Well, c'mon, how often am I going to look at it?" But I've been haunted by these photos -- in a nice way -- so I finally gave into temptation and bought myself a copy. You probably should indulge, too.
The book is, as the title implies, primarily photos of kids from mixed backgrounds. Each portrait includes the child's background, so you can see that Kieli is Chinese, Scottish and Irish. (You don't need to be told that she's a cutie.) The children are all under the age of 12; as the author said in the museum show, that is young enough that the children don't yet define themselves primarily in terms of race. For example, he asked each of them to write or draw answers to "Who are you?" and most said things like, "I like baseball" rather than "I'm Chinese."
The book would be worth it simply as a cool collection of kids' portraits, and as inspiration for anyone who wanted to see how to take better pictures of their kids. But where it transcends "interesting" and approaches "magical" is in the text that accompanies many of the photos, and in the essays at the beginning of the book. Many of the photos include the "who are you?" essay or drawing ("I play soccer. I am amazing."...) or notes written by one of the kids' parents, nearly all of which are upbeat ("....I have struggled for years to come to terms with my racial identity, but I don't believe my children will have that problem").
There's an engaging essay by the author, who pointed out that until the U.S. Census of 2000 he had to "choose one" when it came to identifying his race, and that such choices could make someone feel as though he's rejecting one of his parents. (Plenty of forms still have "check one," I've since noticed.) I was also inspired by the long forward by Dr. Maya Soetoro-Ng, the sister of President Obama, in which she wrote about the self-perceptions of those who grow up as mixed race. "The newly visible and active presence of mixed-race youth offers interesting opportunities for discussions about identity," she writes, and she explains the importance of "appreciation for complex identities and [the need to] thereby usher in a more truly inclusive understanding of 'diversity.'" The afterward by Cher is nice but it's only a page -- just one step above a book blurb.
This is a wonderful book, and it will cheer you up immensely. Recommended.
