As with any newly pregnant mom, I started shopping for the baby. Besides the usually baby gear, my shopping list had some hard to find items. Bilingual Vietnamese baby books, and dolls that would look like my daughter. Of course, I couldn’t shop for the latter until she was born, and I actually saw what she looked like.
Both were a challenge to find. What really bothered me was that there were not very many books with pictures of kids that looked like Sophia. She didn’t notice, but I wanted to have books with illustrations of all different children, including one that might be similar to her.
Enter Kip Fulbeck‘s new book, Mixed: Portraits of Multiracial Kids published by Chronicle Books. Mixed’s foreward is written by Dr Maya Soetoro-Ng, also known as President Obama’s sister. Cher penned the afterward.
Kip photographs multiracial kids, and asked them to write or draw their answer to “Who are you?” Most kids’ first thought has nothing to do with their racial identity.
I love his philosophy. We should focus on who the kids are as a person, and not label them by their racial and ethnic make-up. Kip is Hapa, a new to me term when I first heard about this book. Hapa, a Hawaiin word, means of mixed blood, person of mixed blood. Check out this video about his view about being multi-racial and his process behind the book.
The book is a very cute size, about 7×7 inches. Sophia instantly gravitated towards it because of the kids and their drawings. We read the book together. She would ask me to read each child’s ethnic make-up and read the corresponding drawing or info each child wrote about her/himself.
I loved this book because it portrays so many beautiful multi-racial children. Kip Fulbeck captures them as regular kids. He’s not highlighting their ethnic background. One kid is sipping chocolate milk. Another is in full ballerina gear, tutu and all. One girl is having a staring contest with her Elmo toy. Everyday kid stuff.
Maybe if everyone was used to seeing kids as kids and not as a race or ethnicity, we’d make more friends. Then I wouldn’t get anymore of the incredrulous, “Is that your baby?” (Yes, I’m getting this question quite a bit with Jaxson. Even when Sophia is with us too.)
Just last year, a Louisiana judge refused to marry an interracial couple because he said, “I feel the children will suffer.” Yep that was 2009. Though I live in the very metropolitan area of Washington, DC, sometimes it seems as conservative as Louisiana, where I grew up. I’m constant fielding questions from strangers about my children’s ethnic background. I know they’re nosy curious. It doesn’t mean they should ask. Do you ask strangers if their twins were conceived naturally or via IVF? (Maybe people do but it’s none of my business how they conceived their babies.)
What Kip is doing is great. I’m definitely going to check out his other works. I think you should too, whether you’re Hapa or not.
Remember, our president, Barack Obama is Hapa.
Win your very own copy of Mixed: Portraits of Multiracial Kids! To enter, leave a comment on why you’d like the book. Please make sure you leave an email address to contact you. US addresses only please.
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Giveaway will close May 23rd at midnight EST.
I received a copy of the book for review but all opinions are my own. Chronicle Books is offering the book for giveaway. Photos courtesy of Chronicle Books.
I was so excited when I saw you tweet about this giveaway. I have been dying to get my hands on Kip Fulbeck's new book. My family is multiracial/multicultural and I am always looking for books that celebrate our family dynamic.
I'm a follower 🙂
Looks like a nice book. I really worried about people's questions especially with my first and then again with my blue eyed baby but I am astounded at how infrequently it happens. Maybe once or twice with my first and not at all with my second. I also feel like there are lots more blended families than I used to notice. We're not that far apart geographically but I still don't trust NOVA even if it's supposed to be a liberal enclave.
I'm back =) Thanks for letting me know how to get the URL for the tweet: http://twitter.com/Quiskaeya/status/13763088085
Oooooh! Love! I wonder if he's cheating a little, as a photographer, taking photos of things so beautiful. But his work is breathtaking.
love it! what a great book, perfect for any family!
What a great concept! My daughter is biracial and multicultural, so this would definitely be a great addition to our home. melanie at modernmami dot com
I'd love to see more of these photos…what a lovely book.couponboss at gmail dot com
I love this! I keep children in my home and one of my babies is half Japanese. She is gorgeous and sweet….
I have heard so much about this book and I would love to show it to my daughter.-Erinhttp://mixedmamaproject.comerin at mixedmamaproject dot com
I tweeted 🙂
I heard about this book, I think on CBS Sunday Morning, and I would love to have it to show to my two girls (who are mixed). We live in an area where there is a lot of diversity, but we don't see a lot of it in books (or at least it's all white or all black), so this would be a perfect addition to our library. http://www.papoe.typepad.com
Growing up biracial I know how hard it can be to identify with other children, I love the that I could show this book to my son so he can see lots of different faces and colors, and realize he fits in more than he may feel he does.