Marisol McDonald Doesn’t Match
“People sometimes ask us, “What are you?” and sometimes even tell us we don’t match. But we know better. ”
Marisol McDonald is a seemingly mismatched person in all ways possible. She is a Peruvian, Scottish-American girl who speaks English and Spanish (sometimes together), writes in cursive and print, and enjoys her peanut butter and jelly wrapped in a tortilla.
Although everyone around her reminds her that she “doesn’t match,” her life makes perfect sense to her. When she does attempt to conform to everyone’s expectations she finds that she isn’t happy trying to not be herself. With a little encouragement from her teacher (who is a little mismatched herself), she determines that she is marvelous as she is and the rest of the world can deal.
According to the US Census Bureau, 9 million Americans chose two or more racial categories when asked about their race - and that was reported in 2013! Imagine the numbers now!
Despite this, it is still uncommon to find books that represent these people. Being biracial myself, I remember noticing that none of the girls in my story books looked like me. My mother recently reminded me of how hard she tried to find books featuring children of color and that it wasn’t nearly as easy as it is today (and we still have work to do!).
I distinctly remember feeling out of place for a long time. It started in Elementary School. Unless we were performing in Show Choir, it was not often that Black and White kids hung out much together. Being mixed race, I had to choose. I would try, of course, because I wanted to belong, but it never lasted.
I was never White enough for one group of girls. They wore Limited Too sweat suits, collected American Girl Dolls that looked like them, were proud of their braces. I didn’t have the money for any of that and the only American Doll that was even close to me was Addie - the little girl who was an enslaved child who escaped. Not great.
I also wasn’t Black enough for another. I couldn’t dance and I had “good” hair and didn’t have Nikes. These are things were pointed out regularly by my peers. Like Marisol, I didn’t match. I would get to play for short periods of time, but my inability to conform made it difficult for me to fit in for long.
Over time I learned to accept myself. This is because I started to travel, I went to college, I joined groups that represented all the different parts of me. I moved to Washington, DC where diversity is an understatement. For many, these experiences are not feasible, and we recognize that.
We suggest actively seeking out books that represent not only you and your family’s culture, but to look for a wide variety if diverse children’s books.
In the words of Rudine Sims Bishop, “Children need books that are MIRROS that allow them to see themselves and their own experiences. WINDOWS that they can look through to see other worlds that they can compare to their own and SLIDING GLASS DOORS that allow them to enter other worlds.”
Some things to think about…
What does your name say about you?
How do you decide what “goes” together when you are getting dressed? What is your favorite outfit? How does it make you feel?
Activity Idea: Talk to your family about what countries you are connected to. Learn about each of them and create a family tree.
Create your own unique recipe with your favorite foods!
Illustrated by Sara Palacios
