I've been asked twice now, when I'm out and about with Isaac (without Papa), "What nationality is he?" Although Papa always tells me I should have just replied, "He's American!", I feel like I understand what they're trying to ask (his ethnicity) and answer that he's half West-African and half European-American. Or do I understand? Do people think Isaac is somehow from a different country, that he would actually be a different nationality? I find it hard to believe that that is the case since people always say he looks so much more like me. However, I think Isaac also looks a lot like the Compaoré side. Here's a picture of a
cousin, who by the way, is super cute, that you can compare to. Isaac's great-grandma was wondering if that was where those big eyes came from. I think so. A lot of the other little cousins have those big eyes too. They are just so adorable and I can't wait to go meet them.
Maybe, if that question is asked again, I should reply as Bumpa suggested, "He's half Burkinabé, 1/8th Swiss, 1/8th Portuguese, 1/16th each German, Italian, and Irish, and 1/32nd each Norwegian and Swedish." Then they'll get confused at Burkinabé and I'll have to explain that that's West African. Or, I could say that he's half Bissa, since Papa really is 100% Bissa. Hm.
I find that people who have métisse (half-and-half!) kids or the potential to have them also particularly dote upon Isaac. There was a lady in the Market of Choice deli that was just gushing over him one day, "Oh, he's sooooo cute! I want a little Brown baby too! But, my fiancé is too old to have any more kids..." (sad face). Then, she had to explain that her fiancé is Hispanic (Mexican? I don't remember...). I always find it paradoxical that people have to explain their significant other's ethnicity. I feel like it shouldn't have to be explained, because it shouldn't be assumed that they are with someone of the same ethnicity. Then again, it kind of has to be explained because
I just met you! I know nothing about you! Heck, I don't even know if you're in a relationship with anyone. People seem to think that I will somehow divine that information with minimal, minimal cuing. I'm getting better at it though.
Monday, at the bank, we had a similar experience. This particular bank is cool except for that fact that the line moves so slowly that you can get to know quite a bit about another person's life story while waiting, and when you're not actually getting to know anyone, it can really be a drag to stand in line. I digress. The lady in front of us turned around, complimented Isaac, said he looked wise and looked like he was destined for great things, that he had a mission to accomplish on this earth. She asked if he was my first, and said they just were so absolutely in love with their first baby and it's a good thing they had more because otherwise he would have just been spoiled rotten. She said she had four boys, and their hair was just like Isaac's when they were little. I guess the hair comment should have been a major cue, but it didn't click until she started pulling out a family picture that her husband was Black (I'm pretty sure African-American; she didn't mention anything about him being from somewhere else). She then proceeded to show me pictures of her four handsome boys, the youngest being 19, and talk about how she was glad they moved to Eugene from Berkeley (although I must admit that the Berkeley piece of info made perfect sense :)) because she thought it was a very nice place for her sons to grow up, and that it was generally pretty accepting.
I would like to think that times have changed a bit though, and that for my baby growing up, it will be easier for him in more places than it would have been in the past. Although I find it a little silly that it's not often pointed out that the president is, in fact, half and half like Isaac and not fully "Black", I think there are more mixed-ethnicity couples than there used to be, and that in America, this is always going to be the trend. If you think about it, just 100 years ago it was probably almost taboo for someone to marry outside of their ethnicity at all. For example, if an Irishman married a German lady,
oh boy!, that was probably a little shocking and gossip-provoking. Now no one bats an eye if Norwegian-German-Italian boys marry English-Finnish-French girls. Okay, at least not in the Pacific Northwest. I can't speak for North Dakota where we visited once. Who knows? I'll have to ask my friend Sarah's husband, since he is a native North Dakotan. Anyways, it seems like a lot of kids Isaac's age are multiracial so it may not be such a big deal for me and Papa and Isaac as is was for the lady in front of me in line and her kids as he grows up. I think the important thing is for him to learn that God made everyone and so God loves everyone. That simplifies it a lot but that's really all that matters.
On a side note: We found the
My Little Book about God book! It actually had been missing for several weeks and I was so sad because there is a beautiful little drawing in it of a boy that looks kind of like Isaac, and someone I didn't know mentioned that he looked like that boy in that book. It has resurfaced from under the couch.
I have probably recounted some of these things in other posts but wanted to put it all in one place because it seems like more recently people have been commenting more on how Isaac looks different than me (while, of course, still looking exactly the same :)). It is true that the skin is an organ with a very large surface area and so it is something that is noticed right away. No one classifies people based on their liver type (unless, of course, you are a hepatologist). However, I just realized in the past few days why it is so weird to me when people point out that Isaac is different than me in some way. He actually isn't any different from me than any baby is from their mama. He's 50% genetically like me and 50% genetically like Papa. That's how every baby is. The beauty and wonder of it all is that in being 50% like one person and 50% like another, you can end up 100% yourself.
Isaac has also taken an keen interest in my hygiene. Here he is making sure I brush my teeth well. He is fascinated with toothbrushes and toothpaste. We would let him have a toothbrush, but it would have to be a gumbrush for him. We just love this little hairstylist.
