Many of these backgrounds have one thing in common. They believe in keeping it in the family. By that I mean the cultural and ethnic family. I grew up in New York and love the variety of cultures because as the human race, we need each other and should be there to help another person. That's my personal belief.
I look at ancestry.com and see old world families and yes, you might now be saying, that was then, we live in a different world now. True and in many ways it's sad. Generations of Asians were always proud when a daughter married into her culture as is the way with Italians. Mama would say to a son, now bring home a nice Italian girl. Then what follows are the babies in Christening dresses, years of family photos, all Italian. Family celebrations were all Italian.
Yesterday I saw an old movie with Billy Crystal, who played a young doctor. His father who he didn't see for years was dying. The dad played by Alan--- for got his last name, an old comedian, but is Jewish as is Billy. Billy's girlfriend in this was a Christian and as a joke would address each other as, Hey Christian, hey Jewish. That seemed fine, and maybe because they looked alike.
A polish family I knew growing up had a Christmas party and I worked at a polish store where kielbasa was made. So one night I went home with my friend and was introduced to the biggest Polish family I ever saw and ouzo. Mom and dad and big brother got into an argument about another daughters boyfriend. He was Spanish, and when my friend got the camera out, at that moment the boyfriend walked in and all hell broke loose. The father started yelling, no, no he is not in pictures in broken English.
CRAPOLA, he sounded like my father who gave my sister a list of people she better not ever bring home.
Maybe it was that kind of upbringing that allowed me to be open to everyone. Who was I not to? My best friends as a kid was a lifelong friend my Jewish neighbor, Mr. Korsun, my Lutheran Norwegian minister and my Catholic Italian Grammar school principal, love of my life. I was blessed. It all comes down to who we identify with and who we're comfortable with.
As a last note, when I worked in Mental Health, we offered all kinds of groups and the population consisted of mainly white people, a few black people and a few Asian people. But there was another big group room called Senderos.
This group was Puerto Rican. I would visit that room daily, sometime twice a day and if a staff was out, I would work with that group. Why? I was comfortable and maybe because I saw how uncomfortable others were. seek out what you may not know about. you may be happily surprised.
I look at ancestry.com and see old world families and yes, you might now be saying, that was then, we live in a different world now. True and in many ways it's sad. Generations of Asians were always proud when a daughter married into her culture as is the way with Italians. Mama would say to a son, now bring home a nice Italian girl. Then what follows are the babies in Christening dresses, years of family photos, all Italian. Family celebrations were all Italian.
Yesterday I saw an old movie with Billy Crystal, who played a young doctor. His father who he didn't see for years was dying. The dad played by Alan--- for got his last name, an old comedian, but is Jewish as is Billy. Billy's girlfriend in this was a Christian and as a joke would address each other as, Hey Christian, hey Jewish. That seemed fine, and maybe because they looked alike.
A polish family I knew growing up had a Christmas party and I worked at a polish store where kielbasa was made. So one night I went home with my friend and was introduced to the biggest Polish family I ever saw and ouzo. Mom and dad and big brother got into an argument about another daughters boyfriend. He was Spanish, and when my friend got the camera out, at that moment the boyfriend walked in and all hell broke loose. The father started yelling, no, no he is not in pictures in broken English.
CRAPOLA, he sounded like my father who gave my sister a list of people she better not ever bring home.
Maybe it was that kind of upbringing that allowed me to be open to everyone. Who was I not to? My best friends as a kid was a lifelong friend my Jewish neighbor, Mr. Korsun, my Lutheran Norwegian minister and my Catholic Italian Grammar school principal, love of my life. I was blessed. It all comes down to who we identify with and who we're comfortable with.
As a last note, when I worked in Mental Health, we offered all kinds of groups and the population consisted of mainly white people, a few black people and a few Asian people. But there was another big group room called Senderos.
This group was Puerto Rican. I would visit that room daily, sometime twice a day and if a staff was out, I would work with that group. Why? I was comfortable and maybe because I saw how uncomfortable others were. seek out what you may not know about. you may be happily surprised.
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