Anti-Bias Activity

By:  Lisa Heath

I chose the “Try it, You’ll Like it” activity on page 218 because I felt it was a great way to introduce kids to new things.  Food is something children can have an enhanced experience from because it appeals to several of the five senses.  Children can see it, touch it, smell it and taste it.  Another reason I chose this activity is because early childhood is a great time to teach children about the benefits of eating healthy foods.  Through this activity, children may develop a desire to add more variety to their diets.  

This multicultural activity is appropriate for children ages three to seven since it focuses on “…things children are interested in and the concepts they are struggling to understand.”  (York, pg. 188)  Children may be hesitant to try new things or engage in new experiences because they simply have not gained a sense of comfort from previous exposure.  Offering the opportunity in a safe, encouraging environment affords them the chance to learn and gain comfort with new things.  Through exploration with the new foods, the children can learn about differences and similarities, and depending on the selection and preparation of the food, children can have first-hand experiences of other cultures.  This is an activity which will easily gain children’s interest since it is based on food.  It also promotes a child’s sensory development since foods often have different textures, tastes, smells and appearances. 

The theme “Try it, You’ll Like it” is an age appropriate one for children three to seven.  It is a theme based on physical science which is nurturing openness to trying new things.  The text lists “Food We Eat” as one of the themes which “…support and provide opportunities to explore multicultural concepts.” (York, pg. 180)  The text lists “culturally relevant and anti-bias approaches to learning about food on page 181.  This activity can be expanded by asking the children some of the questions listed on this page.  For example, “What foods do you eat?” can inspire conversation about the different foods people eat.  Also, “How does food taste, smell, feel, and sound?” can prompt observations about the differences and similarities between the different foods.  “Try it, You’ll Like it” theme can also be applied to more than just tasting new foods.  It can be used for exploring instruments or toys from countries around the world. 

Overall, this theme supports goals for an anti-bias curriculum in that it introduces young children to new cultures, acknowledges differences and similarities, and recognizes and appreciates that everyone is unique.  Foods from various cultures can be introduced to give children a hands-on experience of cultures other than their own.   For example, fruits which are readily available to specific geographic locations may be staples for cultures within the area.  Sapodilla is a favorite fruit in Mexico and many people in Spain as well as South America eat Cherimoyas.  These are considered exotic fruits in America so they are not typically readily available in grocery stores like fruits like apples and bananas are.  However offering children the opportunity to taste, smell, feel and see these exotic fruits gives them the same experience children in other parts of the world are already having when they include them in their own diets.   Children are able to compare the foods by how they look, smell, feel and taste.  In this way they are able to notice similarities and differences.  This topic could be expanded to compare each child’s reaction to the different foods, acknowledging that everyone also has different likes and dislikes.  In addition to helping kids be aware of the differences and similarities in people, this activity can promote mutual respect and appreciation for everyone uniqueness.

In this activity for small children, I would recommend using various fruits and vegetables which are exotic and/or associated with certain cultures.  Here is a list of some I would recommend:

Papaya

Mango

Leek

Anise

Sapodilla

Kiwi Fruit

Cherimoya (do not eat the seeds or skin)

Passion Fruit

Mini Banana

Pomegranate

Tomatillo

Cactus Pad

I’d also recommend adding some which are not considered exotic here in America.  This way the children will have some familiarity and they can also compare and contrast the produce which is new to them with that which is familiar.  It’s possible too; some of these will be new to some of the children as well.  I’d recommend items like:

Banana

Apple

Cherry Tomato

Grape

Lettuce

Cucumber

Squash

Eggplant

Other items you will need are:

Plates

Forks

Knife (for cutting produce)

Cutting board

Napkins

Ensure you have enough produce for every child to sample.  Clean all the produce and set out on the table.  Allow children to see, touch and smell the fruit.  Prompt them to notice differences and similarities by asking questions like, “Do any look similar?”  “What do you notice about this one that is different from the others?”

Introduce the names and common preparations for the produce.  You can also discuss connections the foods have to specific cultures. 

Encourage the children to predict which ones they think will taste sweet or bitter.  Ask the children if any of them have taste or seen any of the items they are looking at. 

You can leave the produce out for the children to explore for the rest of the day if you want.  Then you could prepare the food for them to eat the next day.  You may choose to serve the children immediately after they have spent some time making observations.

Again, clean the produce.  Peel off skins that are not edible, remove seeds and cut up the food into bite size pieces for the children to sample.  Place the food on plates on the table.  Allow the children some time again to look at the produce.  Then, allow each child to pick which foods they’d like to try.  If possible, save a piece of fruit or vegetable which has been skinned so the children can see which item the food came from.  Encourage the children to try the foods two to three times before deciding whether they enjoy it or not.  Prompt them to compare for similarities and differences in texture and flavor.  In addition, suggest they smell each bite before they taste it to heighten the senses. 

When children are done sampling the produce, ask them which were their individual favorites and which ones they did not particularly enjoy (if any).  Acknowledge any similar responses and/or differences between the children.  Ensure the children are respectful to each other’s opinions.

This activity can be varied by using other items from different cultures.  For example, a dress up area can be modified to include clothing which is representative of other cultures, like a kimono, turban or sombrero.  Another variation of this activity is to give children the opportunity to play games that are played in other cultures.  Here are a couple of ideas:

Jai Hee Shim and Cho Hee Yoo from Korea

One player is the wolf and stands with his back turned to the others, about five meters from the others.  The others call out "MuGungHwaggochipiubnida" and the wolf turns to face the others and shouts out. The others have to touch the wolf, but not get caught by him. If the wolf turns his face to the others, then they don’t move.  (This is similar to the game “Red Light, Green Light)

http://www.topics-mag.com/edition11/games-toddlers.htm

La Gallinita Ciega

First, the players choose a player who will be the blind hen (la gallinita ciega).  Then they cover the hen’s eyes with a blindfold and spin him/her around.  The hen has to try to find all the other players, but cannot see them.  The other players make noise and say things like: “Here I am.  You can’t catch me!”  Then they run away from the hen.  When the hen catches a player, he/she takes off the blindfold and puts it on the player that he caught.  That player is the new “blind hen.”  The game continues until the players decide to stop.  (This is sort of like “Marco Polo”)

http://www.topics-mag.com/edition27/mexican_games/la_gallinita_ciega.html

Also, another variation could be providing children an opportunity to play instruments from other cultures.  It may be difficult to find instruments; however there are individuals or organizations in some communities which can be hired to come in with instruments for children to explore.  Here is one such individual in the Sacramento area:

Catherine Mandella

http://www.sambandhaworldmusic.com/band.html

Books related to this activity, encourage appreciation for others or inspire further conversation about similarities and differences are:

 

This activity will help children see that many things in our world are different including people and different is “okay.”  Children will enjoy eating the foods and will be encouraged to keep open minds for trying new things.  There are many variations where the theme “Try it, You’ll Like it” can be applied to broaden the children’s experiences with the world around them.  It’s fun, educational and can inspire a wide range of conversations about things like differences, similarities, cultures and foods.  

Mulan

                                              Walt Disney's Mulan 
                                               

   1998

          The movie Mulan is a folktale about a young Chinese woman who disguises herself as a man to join the army so her elderly father will not have to fight.  Every family is expected to send one man to fight the Huns, but the only man in Mulan’s family is her dad.  He wants to be honorable and serve in the military but he is too frail for battle.  To protect him, Mulan pretends she is a man and goes to be trained to fight alongside the others.  Eventually she is forced to reveal her gender, but manages to courageously bring her family honor after all.

 

          I first watched this movie in 1998 when it came out.  My original thoughts about the movie were that I was impressed for its feminist message.  I thought it was much different from many of the Disney movies I’d seen in the past.  Mulan was a young woman who showed everyone she was quite capable of doing the work of a man.  She was a rare heroine to join the ranks of heroes like Prince Charming, Hercules, Peter Pan and Robin Hood.  In addition, I thought the animators did a wonderful job of depicting the characters, their clothes and culture.  When I finished watching it I felt as though I had learned some valuable information about Chinese culture.  Watching this movie now, after getting educated about racism and sexism, I realize I was quite naïve.   

    

          After watching the movie again, I felt there were several things children might absorb from watching it themselves.  First, I thought the appearance of the characters represented an American stereotypical portrayal of Asians, such as their slanted eyes.  Many of the characters looks very similar which could lead children to think all Asian people practically look the same.  In addition, there was no diversity.  All of the characters were Chinese which doesn’t reflect the diverse society children (at least American ones) live in.     

 

         













     
             The movie gives a very limited aspect of Chinese culture and could potentially leave children with incorrect impressions.  I felt the movie implied that parts of Chinese culture were wrong or barbaric.  For example, Mulan was restricted from being the tom-boy she wanted to be because of China’s patriarchal structure.  The movie made it seem like Mulan’s androgynous behavior would bring shame to her family and that this was a universal belief of all Chinese people.  Also, the government was trying to force the frail old man to go fight regardless of the fact it would probably get him killed.  This implied the government in China is cold-hearted and not concerned with its people’s welfare.  I felt like the creators mocked the Chinese inclusion of ancestors via the dragon by having Mulan’s dragon, Mushu, be the comic relief.  Children viewing this movie who do not already have an appreciation for Chinese culture may be inclined to use it as a basis for prejudice or it may cultivate misunderstandings. 

         Mulan’s actions could support a feminist perspective, but they could also be interpreted differently.  Mulan did do as well as if not better than some of the males she was training with, however she had to pretend she was a male to do that.  A genuine feminist would argue that woman are as capable as men and deserve to be treated as such.  They shouldn’t have to pretend to be a man in order to get the respect they deserve.  Also, Mulan was revealed as an unsophisticated tom-boy which is how many feminists are stereotypically portrayed.  In reality, feminists come in all forms, not just the “rough and tough” form.  Although Mulan’s actions did represent the courage, determination and strength many women have, it was not actually the best advocate for feminism. 

         

               I looked at a couple of websites to see if my thoughts were in line with others.  My thoughts were in agreement with most others I found.  However, I also found some additional thoughts such as a point made on Heroinecontent.net which was:

 “Throughout the story, Shang is in no way heroic. He likes Mulan when she proves herself as a man, but is immediately horrible to her when he finds out she is a woman, even after he's seen what she can do. Then, when she goes out of her way to try to help him even after he has rejected her, he is too stupid to figure out that she's right. So why in the world would the film end with him coming to "claim" her as a suitor?”

           Although Mulan can be considered as a feminist, she remains living in a sexist society which implies she should be grateful for being forgiven and chosen by Shang.  Also, at listal.com, it is mentioned how “westernized” the movie is as evidenced by the perfect English dialog and behaviors.    

       

          All in all, I’d watch the movie again.  I appreciate Mulan’s bravery to challenge the cultural traditions.  As with most movies, I’d recommend parents to watch this one together.  This allows the opportunity to discuss messages received about the characters, their behavior and their culture.  It also is a great time to help children develop anti-biased attitudes. 
  

Works Cited:

"Mulan by Grace 12 Comments." Mulan. Web. 29 Apr. 2012. <http://www.heroinecontent.net/archives/2008/02/mulan.html>.

"Racist Disney." List. Web. 29 Apr. 2012. <http://www.listal.com/list/racist-disney>.

Henry and Mudge and the Careful Cousin

I read a book titled “Henry and Mudge and the Careful Cousin.”  It’s an early independent reader picture book by author Cynthia Rylant and illustrator Suçie Stevenson originally published in 1994.  The story is about a little girl named Annie and her adjustment to playing at her cousin Henry’s house.

The characters in the book are depicted as individuals.  It takes place at Henry’s house where he lives with his mother, father and dog named Mudge.  Annie and her father are visiting for the night.  There are many American cultural references in this story.  For example, Henry’s family is a single family home with a dog and fish as pets.  For fun Henry plays with his dog, plays Frisbee and collect baseball cards.  He also wears a baseball cap which is a sport enjoyed by many in America.  At dinner time the family sits down at the table together with silverware, glasses, plates and napkins while they eat hot dogs, chips, peas and milk.  The children wear their shoes in the house which is acceptable in most American homes.  These cultural references create the understanding that Henry has the stereotypical American family.

Henry had the power and wisdom in this story.  Annie was visiting for the first time and often it can be difficult to acclimate to a new environment.  Henry expected that Annie would be excited to play with his messy dog Mudge who brought him so much enjoyment.  Annie wasn’t pleased when Mudge licked her face and she was disturbed by Henry’s messy room, yet she remained a polite house guest by not verbalizing her discomfort.  Although he did ask Annie what she liked to do, Henry was the one to choose activities which they engaged in.  Henry had the wisdom to know that once Annie relaxed and participated in things he liked to do, she would also have fun.  He managed to find one activity which allowed her to open up and play like a kid.  In the end, she had a great time.

Consequences of behaviors were subtle.  The conflict was about Henry and Annie finding something they could do together.  Throughout the story, the parents did not get involved with their socialization.  Henry’s behavior was met with Annie’s resistance.  For example, Henry liked playing with his dog but when Annie frowned upon it, Henry stopped.  Henry’s parents seemed to be pretty relaxed about his behavior as evidenced by his messy room and the fact that he let his dog eat off his plate in the kitchen. 

Annie is presented as a “girly” girl and Henry as a “rough and rowdy” boy.  When Henry first meets Annie he thinks she is clean and dressed up.  She is wearing a frilly dress and shiny shoes.  The pictures of her in the book match her description.  She has a pink hair bow, stockings and is carrying a little purse.  Henry looks sloppy.  His shoes are untied and his hair is shaggy. 

According to various websites (cited below), the author and illustrator of the book are inside the groups they are presenting.  They were both once little girls like Annie.  They are also dog owners like Henry so they likely understand the rewards of having a pet like Mudge.  Both women live in America therefore understandingly have knowledge of American culture and families. 

For the most part the only voices heard in the book are the children’s.  There is minimal dialog from the parents.  The story is about Henry, his cousin and his dog and their actions and dialog are primarily what are recorded.  There is some dialog in the beginning where Annie’s dad greets Henry as well as some interaction at the dinner table between Annie and her dad where her dad asks her questions and she responds non-verbally.  Henry’s parent’s voices are not heard at all.

The illustrations and story reveal messages about aspects of the characters’ lives.  There are obvious stereotypical representations of genders.  Annie is a proper girl who wears fancy dresses and doesn’t like getting dirty.  Henry’s mom is also wearing a dress, as well as jewelry and an apron which implies she was the one who prepared the meal.  These are often characteristics related to the feminine gender.  Henry is a messy little boy who seems to have no concern for his own appearance or the upkeep of his room.  Henry’s dad is also messy as evidenced by the trash in his car.  These are characteristics often associated with the masculine gender.   All the family members are Caucasian and everyone but the mom has red hair which may be an indication they are of Irish decent.  The images reveal the family has modest furniture, vehicles and clothing, running water and a white picket fence around the yard which could imply they are part of the working class.  The fence, dog, dinner and single family home are all aspects of American culture.  Finally, roles determined by age can be observed as the mom is inside cooking dinner while the children are outside playing.

There are also more stereotypes revealed in the illustrations.  Many of them are gender specific.  Annie has difficulty handling the dog kissing her.  She is grossed out and immediately grabs for a wipe to clean her face.  In some of the pictures she is holding her purse with both hands in front of her belly making her appear timid.  This is a stereotype associated with femininity.  During dinner she daintily cuts her hotdog to eat it in pieces which is also something that might be expected of a lady.  Henry on the other hand is portrayed as a dirty boy.  He walks around with his shoes untied perhaps because he doesn’t know how to tie them or because he is too lazy to.  He also rolls around on the dirty ground with his dog and eats cookies pulled out from under his bed in his filthy room.  Henry doesn’t understand why his female cousin Annie does not like the same things he does.  The characteristics revealed about him match those typically associated with the masculine gender. 

The same problem arises over and over in the story then is finally resolved.  Henry is trying to find something he and his cousin will both enjoy doing.  Annie is not interested in playing with Mudge as Henry expected she’d be.  So he tries to present her with something else.  He thinks she will be interested in his fish, but she says they stink.  So he tries to interest her in some cookies, but when she sees him pull them out from under his bed in his messy room, she refuses them.  Finally, Henry convinces her to try playing with a Frisbee.  They wind up throwing it around until it gets dark and Annie allows herself to get dirty and play like Henry. 

I would recommend this book.  It is something I think a lot of kids can relate to.  The message I got out of it is how sometimes we have to try new things to find out we like them.  Also, we need to accept that not everyone is going to like everything we like.  Finally, the book has some humor like when the dog kisses Annie she gets grossed out.  I think children enjoy reading books like this because it seems like something that might happen in real life.        

Bibliography

"Ohio Reading Road Trip | Cynthia Rylant Biography." Ohio Reading Road Trip. 2004. Web. 11 Mar. 2012. <http://www.orrt.org/rylant/>.

"Sucie Stevenson." Sucie Stevenson Fine Artist, Children's Book Illustrator, Henry and Mudge. 2011. Web. 11 Mar. 2012. <http://www.suciestevenson.com/bio-artist.html>.

                "Welcome to Live Oak Media." Live Oak Media. Web. 11 Mar. 2012. <http://www.liveoakmedia.com/contributorinfo.cfm?ContribID=214>.

  

(All of our kids, Christmas 2011)

Scroll down to see before pics, when we first got these little guys. The boys had long hair and an earring in one ear. We since then cut their hair and took out their earring. They are all healthy and well adjusted. Were a happy and diverse family.

(The children were adopting)

Hello Everyone. My given name is Lisa Marie, in which my parents were a huge Elvis fan and I was named after his daughter. There were a lot of Lisa Marie's in the 70's. My first language is English. My mom is of Mexican decent and I do speak some Spanish, and my dad is Swiss which I learned little German. English was our main form of language growing up. I was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin where both my parents met  back in high school. When my dad enlisted in the Marines, we were stationed in Southern California where I mainly grew up, along with my 3 younger siblings, 2 brothers and a sister. After an honorable discharge from the Marines, he found a job at a Power plant near San Diego, but got a job transfer when I turned 11. We then moved up to Lake County away from the city life. We stayed there until I graduated from high school. After graduation I met my future husband at my job and we moved back to his home town of Sacramento, in which we have been living here ever since, raising our three children. 

My race and ethnicity is Mexican/Hispanic and Swiss. Growing up we focused on both cultures. I was baptized and raised Catholic from my mother's side. They believed in large families. She was raised with eleven brothers and sisters. Around the holidays we incorporated my dad's heritage of Swiss. The Swiss side of the family seem more formal, especially around preparing meals. It was always a huge event. Merging both sides of cultures, I grew up experiencing a rich diverse culture of ethics and traditions. 

It's important to me that people have an open mind of Diverse ethnics and not be so native when meeting different people. I believe that we should respect and learn from our differences, as we all are different in our morals and beliefs coming from our own cultures. Racism is real and you would think after several years we would accept each other, but sadly this isn't the case. I believe teachers educating parents and children that may be arrogant or native would help better understand and may change the way people think about diversity. We are so quick to stereotype others. It comes down to people to have a willingness of an open mind and wanting to change.

I'm a person with a huge heart. I have a lot of patience and love raising children. I feel that I take after my mom and grandma's. They were a big influence in my life. They were all homemakers and taught me the importance of caring for others as well as myself. Even though I'm of Mexican/Swiss decent, I've mainly been raised the American way. I think both my parents adopted the freedom of what America offers. I remember growing up, hearing them talk about how hard it was living in their countries before migrating to America and how they don't take things for granted living in America. I feel grateful that I grew up experiencing a difference in cultures when visiting my mom's side of the family and my dad's. It was so different but both very welcoming. I loved going to different festivals as a child. I remember dressing up in costumes for the event and learning the different dances and tasting the different ethnic foods. It was an exciting experience to be exposed to my different heritages. My grandparents that were Swiss, always told me stories of how they survived the war and what they had to do to survive, and how they finally came to America. It really makes me feel fortunate of the era and place I live in now. I couldn't imagine going through some of the things they had to do to survive. It really hits me hard when I watch movies that relate to World War II.

My husband and I of 21 years have three biological children. Two sons that are 19 and 13 and a daughter whose 17. My oldest son just started Sierra College, which I'm so proud of him. He wants to go back to Japan as he was an exchange student in senior year of high school. He would like to teach English to Japanese high school students. He loves the Japanese culture and tells me he feels like he's one of them when visiting. He's 6'2" which obliviously makes him stand out, but wasn't treated any different, just marveled over. He loved the attention he got from the Japanese girls who gave him gifts. He hopes to live there one day. My daughter is in her senior year of high school and plans to enroll in college to get a degree in Cosmetology and wants to move to southern California to pursue her acting/modeling career. Our youngest is in Jr. High and loves to skateboard, play video games and football. 

We were very young, early 20's when we had our children and the past years I've mostly been a stay at home mom caring for young children by doing Daycare and more recently Foster care. We had about 20 kids come through our home the past three years. We did respite for a sibling set of 4 boys that were seperated and were coming up for adoption. Our family immediately bonded with them and requested the agency if we could take all 4 boys in hopes we'll adopt them. During that time, we had an 8 month old little girl, now 2 years old, that we knew we wanted to adopt before getting the boys. Four months later, we got all the boys and had them and the little girl for about a year and half. The boys are now 21 months, 3, 4 and 6 years old. Were now coming close the next couple months of final adoption. People think were crazy starting all over again, but it feels right. Our kids adore them and are a huge help. My job currently with the agency, besides providing a safe and caring environment for the children, is taking them to their Drs., Dentists and therapy appointments and in the past, visitations with their bio parents until parental right were terminated last summer. I also do monthly paperwork for each of the children. It's a lot of work caring for the kids and having 3 out of 5 days of the week with Social Workers, Adoptions workers and therapist coming to our home. I also keep my home in CCL compliance. Once adopted it all goes away, except for the therapy. I'm looking forward to having my house to myself again and no more paperwork! Were in the process of looking for a bigger home to purchase. We like to move after school is out or close to it, not to interrupt their routine as transition is really hard for these little guys. We are now a family of 10 and have the big family we always wanted. Routines, Communication and working as a team is what makes our family work. 

I feel that learning more about cultures and diversity will help me better understand others that are different from me. I think it's important to educate yourself so you don't offend and can communicate better with others of different cultures. The children were adopting are of Irish decent and we would like to incorporate their heritage with ours, but I don't have any knowledge of their culture. I'm also getting my degree in Liberal Arts/education. When the kids are a little older, I plan to with my degree apply for a teacher's position as a Special Education teacher. I also feel learning more and understanding about diversity and cultures will help me be a better teacher for the students and parents. I feel communication is key and with a little more understanding, I'll be better able to communicate with others.  

When my time isn't consumed with caring for children, I enjoy spending time outdoors soaking up the sun reading a book, taking college courses, bowling, watching movies, finding a variety of plants and candles to decorate my home, scrapbooking, occasionally coffee or lunch dates with girlfriends and pizza nights with my family. I also enjoy "happy hour" with my husband every Friday night at our favorite restaurant, talking about our week. I love listening to 80's music and whatever is current on my radio in the car while running errands. Every month, my husband and I drop the kids off at another foster home for the weekend, also a good friend of ours. Our teens go out with their friends or we spend time with them. Mostly my husband and I have the whole weekend without any kids and sometimes get a hotel in or out of town to spend some quality time together. It's the highlight of my month and I always look forward to it. It also helps me to recharge myself when sometimes it gets overwhelming with all the kids. This about sums up of who I am. I look forward to getting to know you and make some new friends. Maybe we can get coffee? :) 

(Before pics of kids) Scroll up to see current pics.

 Brothers when we first got them at

18 months, 4 1/2 yrs & 2 1/2 yrs. old

First day we got him at 6 months old

First day we got her at 8 months old

Our 3 children

My hubby and I