Tagged by a MEME for me me

I have been tagged by Cloudscome (link on side) with a anti-racist parent meme..

first time I have ever been tagged a meme for me me..

By the way what is a Meme???

1. I am:
German and Russian from my dad's side and Irish, and Welsh on my mom's side.

2. My kids are:
Tuki (20 months), is Guatemalan, and are descended from the Mayan and Spanish. Panda (3 1/2 years),is Haitian, and still is in Haiti. Haitians descended from the western Africa during the slave trade.

3. I first started thinking more about race, culture, and identity when:
I remember thinking about it quite young. It was Elvis Presley's song "In the Ghetto" that would and still does have a profound effect on me. I would think how all babies are born innocent and with "clean slates" and then depending on the color of their skin, who their parents are/were and where they are born they all grow up to be different people. None of it is their choice. It use to make me very sad, wishing I could do something about this great "injustice".

Another incident that impacted me was in 1985, I was living in Mississippi for the summer, and I was standing in a check out line at a gas station. There was a black woman standing in line before me, but the cashier (white) turned to me and said she could help me now, and I said "Thank you, but she is in line before me, I will wait until after you have helped her" . I remember the black woman just stood there silently the whole time this interaction went on. I had the feeling it wasn't the first time she was treated so rudely.

Of course over my expanse of the life it has grown to the point where I am now growing my family through adoption and with children of different races. It will continue to be much more fore front of an issue then ever before.

4. People think my name is:
Chris..people always think I look like a Chris..........

5. The family tradition I most want to pass on is:
That even though they may fall down, or are pushed down, they will pick themselves back up and go at "it", whatever it is again. Success comes with the price of many failures...

6. The family tradition I least want to pass on is:
Thinking we are "right" all the time, and trying to talk over each other when trying to prove our point.

7. My child’s first word in English was:
Tuki: Mama, and Panda: I'm not sure yet, and I am excited to find out one day.

8. My child’s first non-English word was:
Not sure for either, since both had a different first language than English.
Tuki's first language is Spanish, and Panda's first language is Creole


9. The non-English word/phrase most used in my home is:
"Te amo me cielo", "I love you my sky" to Tuks every night when I put her to bed.


10. One thing I love about being a parent is:
Watching them grow and learn new things.

11. One thing I hate about being a parent is:
Not knowing if I am doing the right thing, and the responsibility of their lives and protection in my hands.

12. To me, being an anti-racist parent means:
I can’t say it any better than what Carmen and Cloudscome already said: “It means that I never stop working on myself. I want to keep reading, writing, learning, and reflecting so that I can be the best role-model and influence I can be to my future children.” I want to be open to always learning and growing, watching the world become better.

I also want to add, that I want to be open about all topics in discussing any issue that the kids may encounter, and teach them be be proud of themselves, accept how others may seem them differently, and yet still be open to how others are different than they are. I think to be open-minded about most views, even if they don't agree, they can still be accepting, as long it is not down right mean and cruel.

I don't know how to tag anyone else, so if you would like to participate, let me know and I'll come over and read yours too.