Diversity is a good thing. If you doubt this, take a moment to reflect on gymnastics’ Final Five from this summer’s Olympics, the wonders of sushi or singer Nina Simone. Positive exposure to those different from us in color, religious beliefs or ethnic background helps us to see them as regular ol’ people, instead of some sketchy/idiotic/dangerous Other.
Teaching your kids to accept and appreciate diversity will enrich their lives, help them become more compassionate and worldly citizens, and give your family all kinds of excellent adventures. Here are 15 fun ways to add diversity to your kids’ lives.
Watch TV from around the world. Cable and even free local TV offer everything from Chinese game shows, Korean sageuk (historical dramas) and Danish political drama. Viki.com (it’s free!) is a great source of international fare, including “Yo Soy Betty, La Fea,” the original Spanish-language “Ugly Betty.”
Interfaith groups. Look for youth programs via interfaith organizations like the Orange County Interfaith Network (ocinterfaith.org). Particularly good is the Interfaith Youth Leadership Initiative free summer program for high schoolers. IYLI teens visit different places of worship, meet teens from other faiths and do community service. (Plus they earn $100 in scholarship money.)
Invite a foreign-exchange student to stay with your family. Not only do you get to share your culture and learn about theirs, but many programs also will pay you for each day you host.
Go book shopping. Get books about other religions and celebrate a holiday from another faith. (It’s even better if you can find someone from that faith who’ll let you join in with them.)
Seek out cultural festivals. Try the Southern California Indian Center Powwow at the OC Fair & Event Center in Costa Mesa (August), the Irish Fair & Music Festival in Irvine (May) or the Arab American Day Festival in Garden Grove (June). For a one-stop trip around the world, try the Orange International Street Fair (September) or the Global Village Festival in Irvine (September).
Take field trips to explore ethnic neighborhoods. Try Little Saigon in Westminster, Little Arabia in Anaheim or Little Seoul in Garden Grove. Take a trip to Japantown, Chinatown or Little Bangladesh in Los Angeles or Little India in Artesia.
Explore the world online. Look up tourism info from around the globe, watch travelogues or expand global literacy through educational sites like From Many Lands (frommanylands.com), which has games, maps and stories from countries around the world.
Watch movies from around the world. For a full-on cultural immersion, try a Hindi-language film at the Edwards West Park 8 in Irvine.
Encourage global thinking by checking out news from another country. You can tune in to BBC news on KPCC (89.3) or consider a short subscription to an international English-language newspaper like China Daily, The Sydney Morning Herald or Japan’s Asahi Shimbun.
Discover music from around the world. Try some Brazilian bossa nova, East German proto-electronica or Japanese hardcore.
Get active. Encourage kids to get involved with sports, music or activities that introduce them to a wider range of kids than they see at school.
Play. Find toys that encourage diversity, like Crayola’s multicultural markers featuring an array of skin tone choices, Duplo figures in a variety of ages and ethnicities or play food with a global flair. (Plastic dim sum exists!)
Read books that celebrate diversity. Try “Amazing Grace” for younger kids, “The Unforgotten Coat” for older readers, and “(Un)arranged Marriage” for teens.
Go museum hopping. Visit the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana to learn about art from around the world (littler ones will prefer the Kidseum’s hands-on exhibits.) Head up to L.A. to visit the California African-American Museum or to Long Beach to take in the Museum of Latin American Art.
Look for authentic local spots at which to try ethnic foods. This is our family’s favorite. Try the pho at Pho Crystal in Santa Ana, the ramen at Hokkaido Ramen Santouka in Costa Mesa or the German salami at Mattern Sausage and Meats in Orange. Go to town on this one – excessive consumption of wat and inerja, falafel and/or tikka masala is not “being a pig”; it’s “celebrating diversity.”
