My name is Ola Zuri and I have written a children's book. The book is titled "Why Can’t You Look Like Me?" and is the first in the series. The story is about a young girl who has been adopted transracially and feels that she does not fit in anywhere, even within her own family. Follow along on her journey of discovery. The title is currently being translated into other languages, as will the other titles in the series.
So far, I have had very positive feedback by the community. I am writing these books from personal experience as a child growing up in a white family and community. It is very sad, but also very true, that a lot of children who are adopted transracially are growing up by themselves in a predominantly white community. I was adopted with my twin sister and, even though we lived together, we were sent to different schools and had to deal with racism on our own. I find that to be very sad.
In reality though, it really is put upon the children to find solutions to their own situations because their parents, despite great intentions, don't really know how to do it. The parents are in the majority while the children are in the minority and if their parents are always fixing things for them, how are they going to deal with things when they are young adults and then grown-ups?
The messages that I have in this series of books is very important for these children to start dealing with what has been happening to them, what they have been thinking about and haven't felt they could talk about, or what may soon start happening to them. The reality again is, unfortunately, that these problems (racism, bullying, name calling, teasing) still exist today and they will still exist tomorrow, so the more literature that children have, the better.
My stories have very positive intentions and are so important for children to see because I know that when I was growing up, I didn't always talk to my parents about what I was going through because they wouldn't understand, being that they were white. There is nothing wrong with having mixed families but there is if the parents think that they can be blind to what may be happening within their own children.
These children need to see the messages in the books and realize that they are just as important as the rest of the children who shun them or tease them or leave them out. The messages are not just geared to transracially adopted children but also towards children who are just different in any way from the other kids because those children are teased, picked on and shunned as well.
I believe that anyone who reads my stories will have a better understanding of who they really are and will be able to feel better about talking about what situations may come up, or may have already happened.
I currently run a mentoring group in Kelowna, BC. It is called True Colours Mentoring and it is a joint project of the Adoptive Families Association of BC and the Boys & Girls Club. It is a mentoring program offered for children of colour that live with foster families or who have joined their family through adoption. Most of the children that attend our mentoring group live with white parents in a predominantly white community, so, the opportunity that I offer to these children is one of coming together to see that there are other children and adults of colour out in their communities.
During our mentoring sessions, the children are given the opportunity to read the various books I have in my own collection, while the younger children are read to by the older tweens and teens. These are very important years for the children as they are living in small communities that are not as open to multiculturalism, as is often displayed on the news. It is imperative that these children are offered these opportunities to read with one another, and with our mentors, about children and issues that deal with their direct heritage and/or backgrounds. I have children that come from as far away as a six hour drive to attend these multicultural events that I have to offer them.
Over the past two years, I have seen some amazing changes in the children who attend. They are more willing to accept that they are different from their parents and that it is okay to be different. There are very positive messages given to these children about their differences and in how to deal with any issues that may arise based on those differences. The communities that we live in here in Western Canada do not have the same literary resources as those offered in Eastern Canada, or various parts of the United States.
Being that it is not as easy as I would like for people to find literature for their children, with people that look like them, I have written and published my first in a series of childrens titles that have positive messages for children who feel that they do not fit in and/or are different. The title is currently being translated into other languages, as will the other titles in the series.
The reason that I am submitting this information, is that I would like to have the opportunity to bring this series out as titles of interest. I would like to introduce people to the reality of diversity and show how this series will play an extremely positive role for the children. This book and the series should be a part of every school's curriculum, as the message is really important for all children who feel that they don't fit in. My goal is to see the series in schools, libraries, and communities across as many countries as I can get to, showing how diverse we really are.
I thank you in advance for the chance to voice my thoughts on this very important area of my life.
Ola Zuri
www.blackoasisent.blogspot.com
Why Cant You Look Like Me?
Author: Ola Zuri
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