This is what being Indian is all about

My son recently completed second grade at our neighborhood public school. To be fair, our school district is pretty good. It is far from fabulous, but definitely high above average, so there is ample opportunity to get a good education.

In Mrs.C's second grade class, Zachary was one of three Indian children. One was one of the twin girls from Kindergarten and the other was a boy. Since Kindergarten, the Indian children in his school have accepted that Zachary is Indian, but they also grasp that he is half Indian. Althuogh he identifies fully with the other Indian kids, he still doesn't quite blend in with his comparatively fair complexion, chestnut brown hair, and Italian last name. Nevertheless, when he has rice with ghee in his thermos for lunch, he's definitely Indian.

As much as I had hoped for Zachary and the other little boy to befriend one another, it was bit meant to be. After some bumps along the way, by the end of the school year, neither boy had any patience for the other. Why might one ask? One word - competition. Zachary is pretty bright as is the other boy. Apparently the other boy had grown accustomed to being at the top of the class in first grade. Along comes Zachary in second grade and the top position is no longer a given for the other kid. So how does a seven- or eight-year-old react when his family's pride is riding on his position in class? Well you can imagine.

Each day there was a story about A. A did this, A did that. I tried to be nice to A, but he still said this, that, or the other mean thing. By the end of the school year, the two boys had resigned to loathe one another, which is unfortunate. The boy's father and I looked at the two of them and shook our heads in a bit of disgust. The father said to them, "I can't believe this! You two are supposed to be chums!" He continued, "Instead of being at odds, wouldn't it just be easier to be friends?" The boys both looked at us as if we had landed from Mars and shrugged, with wrinkled faces and muttered, "I guess so." Set aside your differences and get along? I think we have a better shot at being struck by lightning.

To be fair, I am all for competition among students. For those who are born leaders, it's a way for them to establish their superiority. For followers, the leaders set the bar so the followers can meet or exceed it. Zachary falls into the latter category. For the moment, he is definitely a follower. If there is someone better than he is, it motivates him to do better. He is happy to be in the pack, close to the front. I am hoping that he will find his groove sometime between now and high school and realize his own potential, but he is only 7.

And where was the other Indian girl throughout all of this? Natasha and her pal, a very bright first generation Chinese girl, merely sat and pointed and giggled at the two silly boys couldn't get along.

Summer Fun at the Beach

We joined a beach on the lake in our town this summer and we have been spending our days relaxing, playing in the sand, and frolicking in the water. The other day, after some swimming and jumping off the dock with some other kids, my son came back to our spot, dried off, and positioned himself face down on our beach blanket, much like other sunbathers that day. I inquired about his intentions:

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Laying out in the sun, Mommy. I need a tan."

His skintone is already a nice healthy olive. "Um, okay, why?"

"I want to look Indian."

My husband and I nearly fell out of our beach chairs laughing.