My Global Hustle

Raizin’ In The Sun 

That is the question I am asked more than any other. I used to wonder why people were so curious, but as I mature I realize that my upbringing was indeed unique and that I represent the new multicultural generation. We are the generation who may or may not identify with the nationality named on our passports. Our ethnicity might be completely different from the country where we were socialized. Our first language might not be the language of our parents.

My Jewish father from Greenwich Village and my black mother from Washington Heights sure did not ‘blend in’ physically in any way in our provincial Japanese environment. But instead of focusing on ‘blending in’ they negotiated the path of crossing cultures. With my siblings at my side, surrounded by nature in the beautiful mountains and clear rivers of my hometown, I became a product of my environment. These are my stories being a Raizin' in the Sun …