Paul is wearing the shirt that belonged to my brother, his Uncle Matt, when he was a boy. It was purchased at a flea market ("la pulga") down in So Cal when we lived there. It is such a cute shirt; but what made it even cuter was the fact that Nathan has a some-what matching one! Nathan worked very hard this summer teaching for the NMC migrant program, Calmecac. He had a great experience learning more about the Chicano culture and its roots and getting to know some of his future students. They fitted him with some really cool gear including this shirt!
Hearing all about Nathan's experience helping these migrant students connect with their Hispanic roots made me realize what a gift Paul was given by right of his birth into a "United Nations" family. His parents are a mixture about 13 nationalities which makes him a true Heinz 57. We love the fact that he can associate with so many groups and gets to be a part of some great cultural traditions. We hope that his colorful background will help teach Paul what it means to truly respect the differences in people and be empathetic towards everyone's journey. He really does represent the next generation in which the racial lines are beginning to blur. Our hope for our son is that his generation can begin to see past race and ethnicity as a form of segregation or isolation. We hope he learns to embrace all of his cultural heritage as a means to make connections with people and share the traditions of the rich tapestry that makes up our wonderful country.
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