Diverse Presidential Candidates

I have never been so excited about an upcoming presidential election as I am in 2008. This year, the pool of candidates isn't simply a passel of older white guys. Even among the white guys, there is diversity of religion with one candidate being Mormon. But what I find most exciting is the fact that we have a woman as well as an African American man vying for the Democratic nomination. Hillary Clinton was speaking recently and made the point that there was a time that her mother couldn't vote, and now she is running for president. Obama is equally amazing with a mixed cultural background. His father was Kenyan, and his mother was white. And democratic voters are turning out in droves. So, it's obvious that I'm not the only one energized by our diverse choices. I'm glad that we're finally getting to a point in this country that we worry less about race or sex and more about the qualifications and ideals of our political candidates. Let's rock the vote!

Yeoboseyo! (Hello!)

I found one of my favorite college roommates, Lisa, through a service called "Off-campus Aggies". We hit it off immediately. We both enjoyed the same types of food, loved the Beatles, and had the same ultimate goal of working in advertising. She is still a good friend today.

While we shared a lot of interests, Lisa also taught me a lot about respecting differences. Lisa is herself of mixed race. Her parents met while her father was stationed in Korea. Her father is of Irish descent and has red hair. Lisa's mom is Korean. I lived with Lisa's parents for a summer while I had an internship in college. Her mom often cooks traditional Korean food, and there was always a jar of kimchi in the refrigerator. Lisa has always enjoyed sharing her culture with her friends. I have to credit her with introducing me to two of my favorite Korean additions to the U.S. – bulgogi (Korean barbequed beef) and noraebang (private-room karaoke).

Lisa and her sister parted ways when they chose universities – she Texas A&M and her sister the University of Texas. Additionally, Lisa's high school boyfriend, who is now her husband, attended the University of Texas. Little did we know back in college that we would both end up in 'mixed' Aggie/Longhorn marriages! The shared interests continue...

Yawng hee kyeh seh yoh! (Goodbye!)

Kaleidescope Family

My husband, Roger, may be an African American, but he is much more than that. As with all Americans, he is the product of many races and cultures coming together in the melting pot. His great grandfather was white and of English origin. His great, great grandmother was a full-blooded Cherokee Indian. And that's just on his father's side. His mother's side includes anything from a former slave to an Irish Catholic immigrant. Those that are ignorant bemoan the 'browning' of America. But Roger and I choose to enjoy and celebrate our differences.

Children are smarter than the rest of us and haven't succumbed to the pressures of the world yet. They may notice our differences, but aren't concerned about them. It took until my neice was 3 years old to become aware that Uncle Roger looked a little different from her. Ultimately to her, he is just Uncle Roger, and she loves him. A couple of weeks ago, she sat down next to me and asked me a point blank question, "Is Uncle Roger brown?" I said, "Yes." She responded, "I'm not." I said, "I know," and she shrugged her shoulders and ran off to play. That's all she wanted to know.

Roger's younger sister got married about a month ago. She married a very nice man who loves her very much. Her new husband happens to be Hispanic. As I sat at the wedding reception, I smiled as I watched the guests of many races and skin tones interact. It was a beautiful day in my kaleidescope family.