8 Lessons I Learned From My Alternative Parents

As a white, blond-haired young girl, I didn’t have much trouble finding dolls, celebrities, or models that looked like me. But just as it’s important for children from other cultures to be shown toys and influencers that reflect their reality, it’s also important for those of us that are privileged to learn an appreciation of other cultures — especially from an early age. Growing up, two of my favorite stories were The Rough-Face Girl by Rafe Martin and Mufaro’s Beautiful Daughters by John Steptoe — each a “Cinderella story” that offered a kid-friendly look at Native American and African cultures and traditions, respectively. This wasn’t unusual in my childhood home — and these stories were not presented as “alternatives” or in a way that felt either forced or patronizing. Instead, these types of books sat alongside Disney picture books, just as my favorite American Girl Doll, African-American Addy, sat alongside lighter-skinned dolls.