Resources for Learning the History of Other Cultures

When I decided to adopt from Korea, I knew next to nothing about the culture. In what little mention of them there is in books, Korea, Vietnam, Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia are often presented as victim nations, poor and often governed by puppet regimes of other countries. This is not great for self-esteem. (Regarding self-esteem: I’ve always thought some women were too sensitive to non-inclusive language. I’ve always been fine assuming that “all men” included me. But as I get older I see subtle discrimination more than I ever thought I would, and I realize the power of hearing … Continue reading

Are Our Kids’ Cultures Represented in Their History Books?

I love the Usborne Encyclopedias for Children, volumes such as World History, World Geography, and Science. However, many of our internationally adopted children will not find their heritage represented. I know full well that you can’t cram all of World History into a children’s volume. I also accept that Western Civilization and American History should play the greater role in books written for American children, which my children certainly are. Still, I worry that they will begin to think that people like themselves had nothing to do with history. When there is mention of Asian history, that refers to China, … Continue reading