Diversity in schools

I grew up in Mississauga Ontario. Most people know that Mississauga today is a very diverse community filled with members of many different races. Today, caucasians are by far the minority. Growing up, that wasn't quite the case - my class pictures showed mostly white children with a handful of kids from different races. Most of my friends looked kinda like me, but I do have memories of a few kids who did not. I remember one girlfriend from middle school who was from Iran. I had a couple friends in high school who were black. I don't remember groups of kids sticking together - I don't think my circle of friends was exclusive or clicky, I think at the time our circle was a small cross section representational of the population in my high school.

Today and tonight Jack "performed" in his school's Christmas concert. Yes, it was a CHRISTMAS concert, complete with religious based songs. I was surprized they had such a concert, expecting one neutralized by terms such as "holiday" and generic songs appropriate for all the kids. That made me take note of what children were present in the classes. All of the classes were almost entirely caucasian. I noticed a couple of kids who were black, a couple Chinese girls, a couple who looked as if they could be from Middle Eastern decent, one that looked Native...

When we started researching international adoption we were prodded towards China because there is a relatively large population of families in Halifax who have children adopted from China. This produces a good source of support and community for us as parents and for Anna, a child growing up as a minority. Tonight's concert made it more obvious that we will have to actively seek out that community. I worry that Anna will feel out of place in such a seemingly white school and community. There will be many issues I can address as her mother, but I can't pretend to understand what it will feel like to grow up without peers who share her culture, her history, her looks or her heritage. Again I'm reminded of how much she will lose to come be with us, and how powerless we are to compensate for that loss.

N