Tamales for Dummies

This is a better late then never post! Tamales are a big part of Christmas celebrations in Guatemala and other Latin American countries. If you have tried to make tamales and want to improve your methods or if you are totally new to this tradition Rockin Robins has something for you. They have posted a recipe for tamales complete with 9 pictures. This recipe explains what type of pot to use, how to roll the tamales, what masa packaging looks like in the store so you can find it, how to stack the tamales, etc...The recipe Rockin Robin uses is Mexican but the pictures and instructions are good for almost any tamale recipe so check it out:

http://www.cooking-mexican-recipes.com/tamales-recipe.html

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Race and Biology

What box do you check off for your child's race? Who needs to know? Doctors do right? Or is race purely a social construct? Radio Lab, a fun intelligent public radio program, explores the biological basis of (or lack there of) race. You can listen to this show online here:

http://blogs.wnyc.org/radiolab/category/podcasts/

You can also download it to your ipod or other MP3 player through itunes. Feliz Navidad!

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Guatemalan Christmas Decorations

For the past week La Antigua Guatemala Daily Photo has been posting gorgeous pics of Guatemalan Christmas decorations. You can almost smell those manzanillas. Check out the pinos, pascuas, gallitos and more...

http://antiguadailyphoto.com/

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Dealing with Party Poopers

Transracial adoptee and adoptive parent Paula from the Anti-Racist Parent blog has many wonderful Christmas memories. In this article she shares happy memories and she explains how she deals with offensive comments that inevitably surface at large holiday parties.

http://www.antiracistparent.com/2008/12/15/not-always-a-holly-jolly-good-time/

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Helping Mayan Families

Recently BRAG member Julie H. and several other adoptive families traveled to Guatemala to work with the Mayan Families charity. They have posted some beautiful photos and have written touching stories about their experiences on their blog. Here's the link:

http://www.helpingmayanfamilies.org/Blog.aspx

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Parrandas and Posadas

Latino holiday traditions are alive and kickin' in Philadelphia. Taller Puertorriqueno, the Philadelphia Latino Arts institution, is organizing "Parrandas- the Latino version of Christmas caroling" this weekend. For more information visit their calender here:

http://www.tallerpr.org/getdoc/8d20f9c1-f858-4d1d-99cf-3d670cd5d923/.aspx

To learn more about Latino traditions in Philadelphia see what the Historical Society of Pennsylvania has to say:

http://www.hsp.org/default.aspx?id=534

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Jewish and Guatemalan

One mom strives to raise a daughter who is proud to be Jewish and Guatemalan. She articulates the importance of incorporating birth culture, role models, and support groups into her daughter's life. Here's the article:

http://www.interfaithfamily.com/relationships/adoption/Raising_a_Jewish-Guatemalan_Child.shtml

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Dave Thomas Foundation

Celebrate adoption this Christmas. The Dave Thomas Foundation is selling Christmas ornaments to raise funds for children in the U.S. foster care system who need forever families. Here's the link:

http://www1.macys.com/catalog/product/index.ognc?ID=327855&PseudoCat=se-xx-xx-xx.esn_results

Don't miss The Dave Thomas Foundation annual television adoption special on December 23rd. It is full of heartwarming adoption stories. Click here for more info:

http://www.davethomasfoundation.org/Our-Work/A-Home-for-the-Holidays

Thanks to Angie for his info!

Cookies!

If you started baking holiday cookies, stop! You are probably missing a very important cookie cutter. Check this one out:

http://www.adoptshoppe.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=329

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Christmas in Antigua, GT

La Antigua Guatemala Daily Photo is a blog run by art director Rudy Giron in Guatemala. In a post from Christmas Eve 2006 he captures the outdoor market where apples and fireworks are the hot items. Rudy describes the foods and traditions that take place at Christmas time in Guatemala. To learn more click here:

http://antiguadailyphoto.com/2006/12/24/christmas-colors-from-the-antigua-guatemalas-market/

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Spanish Christmas Greeting

If you are in contact with your child's foster family you are in luck. One of our bilingual members wrote

this greeting for us (translation below).

Foster Family Christmas Card:

Feliz Navidad!  Esperamos que ustedes esten gozando de la compañia de familia y amigos en esta epoca tan alegre.

Les estamos mandando fotos recientes de _________ (insert child's name).  Que maravilloso es de verlo

(use "verla" for a girl) crecer y aprender cosas nuevas cada dia. De nuevo les queremos agradecer por todo lo

que han hecho para nosotros.  Les pensamos con frequencia, y especialmente durante esta temporada especial.

¡Que suerte que tenemos de tener amigos en Guatemala como ustedes! 

Les deseamos lo mejor para las celebraciones y tambien para un año nuevo lleno de buenas sorpresas.

Con mucho cariño,

(Your names here)

Hint: On a Macintosh, Option n and then n again will give you the ñ with the tilde. For Microsoft word,
click on Insert>Symbol>Latin 1 and look for the “n” with the squiggle above it.

Happy Holidays! We hope that you are enjoying this holiday season. We have enclosed some recent pictures

of ________ (child's name). It is so exciting to see how much he/she changes and grows every day.

Thank you so much for all the love and kindness that you have shared with our family. We think of you often,

but especially during this time of year, when we realize that we have been blessed to have such special friends

in Guatemala. Best wishes for a happy holiday season and a new year filled with joyful surprises.

Sincerely,

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Latin Christmas Music

In the mood for some Latin Christmas music? AccuRadio has the answer. Check out their Navidad station. Warning - you may find yourself dancing across the kitchen and/or at getting down at your cubicle. Here's the link:

http://tinyurl.com/6k6hll

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State Dept's New Website

The State Department has launched a new website for Intercountry Adoptions. It contains a lot of information about the Hague. Here's the link:

http://adoption.state.gov/adoption.homepage.html

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Shopping Links

The season of giving is upon us. Below is a compilation of shopping links from the blog archives:

Need a hostess gift for Thanksgiving? How about a coffee made to pair with Thanksgiving foods? Pick up a pound of Starbucks Thanksgiving Blend (Guatemalan and Sumatran coffee).

http://www.starbucksstore.com/products/shprodde.asp?SKU=153788

Fair trade goods from Guatemala are just a click away:

http://www.gxonlinestore.org/all-guatemala.html

Looking for something more sentimental? Stay where you are:

http://shop.manyheartsonebeat.com/main.sc

For the super stylish person in your life Check out LAMA designs:

http://www.lamadesigns.com/

Mayan Treasures sells traditional Guatemalan clothing, worry dolls, hacky sacks etc...

www.mayan-treasures.com

Berhorst Partners for Development, an organization that works to strengthen communities in the Guatemalan Highlands, has made giving back easy and painless. They teamed up with the Buy for Charity website. Buy for Charity links to popular shopping sites like Target, Macys, KB Toys etc...and then donates up to 35% of your purchase to Berhorst (or another participating charity you choose). So Shop til you drop! Here's the link:

www.buyforcharity.com

Looking for a way to instill some Guatemalan pride in your doll playing kiddo? The website Terra Experience sells traditional Mayan clothing that fits American Girl. So cute! Here's the link:

http://www.terraexperience.com/

The Maya artists from the highlands of Guatemala have a website. The site has everything from large oil paintings to 2009 calendars. It is a beautiful website that is definitely worth a visit:

http://www.artemaya.com/

Don't forget stamps for all those Holiday cards. Show how proud you are of your family's Latino heritage with this USPS Latino stamp.

http://shop.usps.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10152&storeId=10001&categoryId=11834&productId=40101&langId=-1

What are we missing? Do you have a shopping link our group would appreciate? Please post in the comment section!

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Maryland's Guatemala House

Guatemala House is the first project being tackled in Heifer International's Global Village in Sharpsburg, MD. Heifer is trying to make the home as authentic as possible. A four hour program including Guatemalan games, folktales, clothing, and food has been developed for school age children. To learn more about this unique opportunity to learn click here:

http://www.shepherdsspring.org/heifer.php

To learn about Heifer's 15 different programs in Guatemala check out there website:

http://www.heifer.org/site/c.edJRKQNiFiG/b.2665753/

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Read Any Good Books Lately?

We want your opinion! The BRAG book club is looking for good book suggestions. We have already read:

A Euro-American on a Korean Tour at a Thai Restaurant in China by Chris Winston

Butterflies in the Wind: The Truth about Latin American Adoptions by Jean Erichsen

Titles we are considering:

Enrique's Journey by Sonia Nazario

Identical Strangers: A Memoir of Twins Separated and Reunited by Elise Schein

The Long Night of White Chickens by Francisco Goldman

Do you have any feedback about these books? Is there another book that you would recommend? We try to find books that either relate to adoption or Central America. Please leave feedback in the comment section below. Thanks!

P.S. - if you would like to join us (in person or virtually) please send an email to bragphiladelphia@gmail.com. We gather together 4x a year.

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Birthmother Loss and the Adopted Child

Loss is an issue adopted children have to tackle. In the article Dancing with Ghosts: Birthmother Loss and the Adopted Child Jean MacLeod writes, "Some adopted children will manage to cope with their adoption losses equably, but some will need a parent’s help to sort out the pain they feel from the ultimate rejection, and from the aching sense of missing an unknown mother." MacLeod talks about 8 emotional tools parents can utilize to help their child.
Here's a link to the article:

http://www.emkpress.com/dancingwithghosts.html

Have you used some of these techniques? Do you disagree with the author? How have you helped your child cope? Please feel free to respond in the comments section.

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Baby Views Race

One mom is confronted with the ugly truth when her toddler embarrasses her in public. Her idea that she is committed to participating in a multi-cultural society doesn't match her actions. What to do? Check out Baby Bigot: Is My Child Racist? :

http://www.babble.com/Am-I-raising-a-racist-baby-bigot-Erin-K-Blakeley/

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Brainstorming About Latino Organizations

Last Friday a small group of BRAG members met for a book club discussion. One of the topics discussed was connecting with the local Latino community. There does not seem to be a clear path to make connections. Below are a few community organizations for Latinos in our area. If you know of any Latino organizations or if you have ideas how BRAG members might make connections please post it in the comments section.

Here are some organizations that we know about:

Taller Puertorriqueno is a an arts organization based in North Kensington http://www.tallerpr.org/

The Latin American Center of Wilmington, DE promotes lifelong learning and life empowerment with a focus on the needs of Latin Americans http://thelatincenter.org/

The Latino Leadership Alliance of Bucks County strives to develop and implement programs that address those preventative health, education, and social issues identified by Latino residents as critical to their future and the future of their children http://www.llabc.org/

Saint Patrick's Catholic Church (don't be fooled by the name) attracts over 1,000 people every week to their 2 Spanish speaking masses http://www.saintpatrick-norristown.net/schedule.htm

According to Al Dia (Philly's Latino Newspaper) The University of Pennsylvania has over 23 Hispanic organizations. Here is an article that discusses them http://www.pontealdia.com/local/penn-the-other-hispanic-community.html

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Cultural Expressions

In early November all over Guatemala the deceased are honored. Take a look at the various ways this tradition is expressed in different parts of the country.

http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/11/03/guatemala-the-fiambre-and-other-foods-for-day-of-the-dead/

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Obama and Racism in the Family

It's hard to think of anything but the new president-elect today. Barak Obama, the product of a transracial family, has made history! Last March Obama talked about the racism in his home growing up.

"... my white grandmother - a woman who helped raise me, a woman who sacrificed again and again for me, a woman who loves me as much as she loves anything in this world, but a woman who once confessed her fear of black men who passed by her on the street, and who on more than one occasion has uttered racial or ethnic stereotypes that made me cringe..."

(to read entire speech click here: http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/03/18/obama.transcript/index.html )

If you have experienced similar attitudes in your own family and you want to see change check out The Southern Poverty Law Center's program Speak Up! . They respond to the question "What Can I do About Parental Attitudes?" here:

http://www.tolerance.org/speakup/family_parental.html

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Worry Dolls

Guatemalan legend has it if you tell a worry doll your troubles she will take away your worries during the night. There are many places online to buy worry dolls including Mayan-Treasures.com. One mom decided to have her daughter's girl scout troop make their own. Check out the adorable result and the simple tutorial here:

http://blairpeter.typepad.com/weblog/2008/10/no-more-worry.html

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All Saints' Day

Tomorrow is All Saints' Day. On All Saints' Day in Guatemala it is tradition to prepare a dish called Fiambre. The dish is traditionally shared while families visit the graves of loved ones. Also, in some of Guatemala's Mayan villages gigantic kites are flown on All Saints Day. Below you will see previous posts that relate to All Saints Day celebrations.

There is more than one way to make Fiambre. Here is an ambitious rendition from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel:

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/entertainment/halloween/sfl-fiambre-recipe,0,2936984.story?page=1

Check out this incredible video documenting the Maya of Guatemala celebrating. You won't believe their fantastically large creations can fly!

Real Simple Syndication

Having trouble keeping up with The Anti-Racist Parent, Guatadopt, BRAGphiladelphia, and all your other favorite blogs? RSS (real simple syndication) will help you stay up to speed. Here's a simple tutorial explaining RSS.

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Racial Jokes Among Kids

It may be difficult to tell when to interfere in your child's relationship with friends. The experts at Anti-Racist Parent discuss how to handle racial jokes among kids. Here's the link:

http://www.antiracistparent.com/2008/10/15/dear-arp-should-i-step-in-to-stop-racial-joking-among-kids/

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A Winning Team

What happens when a world renown chef and the most famous coffee company sit down to create the perfect coffee blend for the Thanksgiving meal? You get Starbucks Thanksgiving Blend, a mix of Guatemalan and Sumatra beans. This blend surpassed all others in blind taste tests. When it was paired with Thanksgiving classic dishes the other blends just couldn't compete. This year fight off the sleepy effects of tryptophan with a cup of Guatemalan Joe! It arrives in stores Nov.4th. Here's the full story:

http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/coffee-talks-turkey-starbucks-introduces/story.aspx?guid=%7B69A74A53-3CE7-42AE-BC2B-B5581171E6DC%7D&dist=hppr

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A Mile in Baby's Booties

If you have ever had a hard time explaining attachment issues to someone in your child's life then you must read Immense Loss; Walk a Mile in Baby’s Booties. The article is one of many insightful pieces found at A4everfamily.org. Here's the link to the article:

http://www.a4everfamily.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=53&Itemid=120

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Fabuloso Phillies

Al Dia, Philadelphia's leading Hispanic Weekly paper, is full of pride. They are happy to report four of our National League Champs are Latino. To read Al Dia's story about these fabuloso Phillies click here:

http://www.pontealdia.com/local/the-latino-the-latino-flavor-of-ruiz-romero-feliz-and-dobbs.html

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Museums of Guatemala

History, Botanical Gardens, Modern Art etc...are just a few of the intellectual pursuits you can explore in Guatemalan Museums. For a current listing of Guatemala's museums check out La Ruta Maya Online:

http://www.larutamayaonline.com/history/museums.html

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Library of Congress: Guatemala

Want to know more about Guatemala but don't know where to start? The Library of Congress has a list of selected internet resources you can find here:

http://www.loc.gov/rr/international/hispanic/guatemala/resources/guatemala-culture.html

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Latino pride

Here's a simple way to show you are proud of your family's Latino roots. Buy a book of funky Latin Jazz stamps from the United States Postal Service. You don't even have to leave the computer. Here's the link:

http://shop.usps.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10152&storeId=10001&productId=40101&langId=-1

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Searching for First Families

If you've wrestled with the idea of searching for your child's birth family then this article from the archives of Adoptive Families Magazine may interest you:

http://www.adoptivefamilies.com/articles.php?aid=1756

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Learning to Cook in Antigua, GT

Washington Post reporter Brigid Schulte heads to Guatemala's Antigua Cooking School and falls in love with a dish called Subanik. Read about her experience here:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/07/AR2008100701464_pf.html

Wanna make Subanik yourself? Here's the recipe:

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/recipes/2008/10/08/subanik/?s_pos=list

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Children Tangled in Paperwork

A serious paperwork glitch could prevent as many as 10,000 in process adoption cases to be delayed indefinitely or ended all together. Please take a moment to think about the children caught in this potential disaster and participate in JCICS campaign to resolve the issue. Here's the link:

http://www.jcics.org/I600A.htm

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Racism, a Thing of the Past?

Have you ever found yourself at a loss for words when someone expressed the idea that racism in America was a thing of the past? Then check out this piece from anti-racist expert Tim Wise:

http://www.redroom.com/blog/tim-wise/explaining-white-privilege-deniers-and-haters

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Fiambre

Fiambre is a dish shared in Guatemala on All Saints Day (Nov.1st). There is more than one way to make this yummy recipe. Here is an ambitious rendition from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel:

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/entertainment/halloween/sfl-fiambre-recipe,0,2936984.story?page=1

Up to the Highest Height

Check out this incredible video documenting the Maya of Guatemala celebrating. You won't believe their fantastically large creations can fly!

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

ESPN reports Latin cuisine is a big hit in MLB. Yankee stadium was the first venue to venture into recipes originating south of the border. Here's some of the buzz ESPN uncovered:

Rafael Toro, manager of public relations for Goya. "Eighty percent of the people who visit our stand are not Latinos. The food is a bridge to our culture and to our products for those fans"

The full scoop can be read here:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/hispanicheritage2008/news/story?id=3595706

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Celebrating Reading in 2 Languages

Colorin Colorado, a website for educators and families, has put together a bilingual book list for children ages 0-12+. Their list contains books that explore culture like Tales Our Abuelitas Told: A Hispanic Folktale Collection. You will also be direct to kid classics written in Spanish like the Caldecott Medal winner Snowy Day. Check out their website for the complete list:

http://www.colorincolorado.org/read/forkids/celebrate

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Photos Wanted!

This year the beautiful and practical Guatadopt calender will benefit The Do Good Charitable Foundation's: Orphanage Relief Project. The Guatadopt calender is a colorful photo collection of children adopted from Guatemala. Picture submissions are being accepted now through October 7th, so get your pictures in. Here's the link:

http://www.guatadopt.com/pages/Calendar2009.html

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Buy for Charity

Berhorst Partners for Development is a charity that works with the rural Mayans of Highland Guatemala. They describe their mission this way:

to work in respectful partnership with Mayan Guatemalans to have a positive impact on the problems associated with Guatemala's history of violence against indigenous populations, natural disasters, poverty, illiteracy and disastrously high rates of infant and maternal death.

They have a simple way for you to contribute. They raise some of their funds through the Buy for Charity website. Buy for Charity links to popular shopping sites like Target, Macys, KB Toys etc...and then donates up to 35% of your purchase to Berhorst (or another participating charity you choose). So Shop til you drop! Here's the link:

www.buyforcharity.com

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Friendship Program

After adopting internationally one family reaches out to a local immigrant family for help. The experience is much richer than they ever expected. "Forging Bonds with Immigrant Families" can be read in the Adoptive Families magazine archives. Click here to read:

http://www.adoptivefamilies.com/articles.php?aid=1433

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Huipils for American Girl

Looking for a way to instill some Guatemalan pride in your doll playing kiddo? The website Terra Experience sells traditional Mayan clothing that fits American Girl. So cute! Here's the link:

http://www.terraexperience.com/

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Identity Issues

A transracial adoptee shares her journey to make peace with her identity in the September 18th issue of the Chestnut Hill Local. Read her story here:

http://chestnuthilllocal.com/issues/2008.09.18/locallife2.html

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p.s. if anyone comes across part one of this story please share in the comments section

Julia de Burgos Books and Crafts

Taller Puertorriqueno is a Philadelphia institution that celebrates the arts of Puerto Rico, Latin America, and the Caribbean. They have an upcoming book and craft fair. Here is the description from their website:

The Julia de Burgos Books and Crafts Store hosts the largest outdoor Annual Latino Books and Crafts Fair in the region. Children are treated to workshops and storytelling while adults listen to literary lectures by renowned Latino authors, attend book signings, find bargains, and treat themselves to handmade jewelry and crafts.This year the fair will feature writer and winner of several awards Frances Negron-Mutaner introducing the book Sovereign Acts.

10/4 1:00-5:00 p.m.
2721 N. 5th Street
FREE

For more info about Taller Puertorriqueno go to their website:

http://www.tallerpr.org/

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Simple Day of the Dead Masks

If Halloween and/or Day of the Dead is your favorite holiday because you love arts and crafts then you must meet Kathy Cano Murillo. Kathy and her daughter make a Day of the Dead mask in this short how-to video. It's messy but looks pretty simple. C'mon, get creative:

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Can someone please explain...

Ever find yourself reading something about Guatemala and saying what do those numbers mean? The website NationMaster takes all those arbitrary statistics about countries and puts them in context. It gathers information from sources like the CIA Factbook and the U.S. Census Bureau and allows you to compare a statistic about one country to that of another. So if you want to know where Guatemala ranks in the world in "% of managers who claim corruption is a major business constraint" (1st) or how many Subway restaurants are in Guatemala (18) www.nationmaster.com has the scoop.

Guatemala's Independence Day

In honor of Guatemala's Independece Day here are some amazing pictures of Guatemala. The pictures are contributed by members of a group called Guatemala on the website Flickr.



If you have a homepage like My Yahoo you can have this picture feed sent right to you. Check out www.flickr.com for details.

Hispanic Lives, Latin Worlds make art in Delaware

Latino artists from our area express themselves at "Hispanic Lives, Latin Worlds — Simple Complexities" the exhibition at the Delaware Art Museum. Through many different mediums and a myriad of styles artists convey meanings. One reviewer writes:

The imagery in the exhibition's prints, paintings, photographs, mixed media works and installations capture ideas and feelings of universal importance, but especially meaningful to Latin Americans today. Included are references to ancient civilizations, nature, spirituality and the immigration experience. -Antiques and the Arts Online

This exhibition celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month and is on display until October 12th. For more information visit the Delaware Art Museum website:

http://www.delart.org/exhibitions/current/20080906_hispanic_lives.html

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Goya Latino Family Celebration with the Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies are pulling out all the stops tomorrow night at the Goya Latino Family Celebration. The Phillies' website lists these highlights:

Performances by:

Goya’s K-Company Dancers

Fuego Dance Company

Jimmy Jorge & The Latin Express

La Familia Rojas

S.T.E.P & Caliente Dancers

Pre-game recognition of the following award recipients:

2008 Latino Legend Award – Mariano Duncan

2008 Roberto Clemente Award – Jimmy Rollins

Presentation of 21 flags representing the 21 Latino Countries

Special on-field performance by Latin Grammy Nominee – Kevin Ceballo

Fans can donate a Goya food item at the Left field, First Base or Third Base Gate.

Goya will match the food donation to be donated to Philabundance.

Oh yeah and the Phils play the Milwaukee Brewers too! Get all the details and ticket discounts at the Phillies website. Here's the link:

http://philadelphia.phillies.mlb.com/phi/ticketing/latino_night.jsp

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Kids Corner at the Smithsonian Latino Center

Next time your kiddo hops on the computer try directing her to the Kids Corner at the Smithsonian Latino Center. It is a must see! Children can explore the museum via their mouse. They can listen and learn about Latin music. They can experience interactive stories like the one detailing Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead). They can even watch short interviews of famous Latino politicians, artists, writers and more. Parents who are a little short on time but want to know more about Latino traditions will also enjoy it! Here's the link:

http://latino.si.edu/KidsCorner/index.html

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Guatemala's Independence Day

Guatemala's Independence Day is next week, Sept. 15th. This post from Guatadopt's archives provides a succinct explanation of the holiday:

http://www.guatadopt.com/archives/000217.html

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Américas Book Award

The Américas Book Award for Children and Young Adult Literature is organized by the University of Wisconsin. They describe the award this way:

The Américas Award is given in recognition of U.S. works of fiction, poetry, folklore, or selected non-fiction (from picture books to works for young adults) published in the previous year in English or Spanish that authentically and engagingly portray Latin America, the Caribbean, or Latinos in the United States.

To see this year's winners click here: http://www4.uwm.edu/clacs/aa/pdf/aa08final.pdf

To learn more about the award and read about past winners click here: http://www4.uwm.edu/clacs/aa/index.cfm

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Latino Artists in Philadelphia

The Philadelphia Sketch Club presents Cultural Collision: Latino Artists in Philadelphia. The exhibit features "Philadelphia area artists who have Latin American origins either through birth or heritage and whose work reflects Latin American artistic traditions either in general style or content." The show takes place at the Gallery of the Philadelphia Sketch Club and runs through Sept. 24th. For more details click here:

http://www.sketchclub.org/exhibitions/Cultural_Collision2008.html

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Together as Adoptive Parents

Together as Adoptive Parents or TAPLINK is an adoption resource for Pennsylvania families. Visit their website at www.taplink.org and search in your county for support groups, subsidies, therapists, tutors, and more.

Guatemala Vacation Package from AAA

"Discover the rich culture and geographical diversity of Guatemala with this 7 night package that explores the heritage and traditions of this fascinating country" is how AAA describes their "7 Night Best of Guatemala" vacation package. Pricing starts at $917 per person. Here's the link:

http://aaa.p.delivery.net/m/p/aaa/email/preview.asp?cid=12798269762&pid=330462&mid=1102353268

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7 Common Transracial Parenting Mistakes

How much diversity do my kids need? Am I allowing my child to use racism as a crutch? Psychologist and adoptive parent Willie B. Garrett tackles these issues in the article "7 Common Transracial Parenting Mistakes". The article was originally published in Adoptive Parents Mgazine in 1999. It can currently be found in more than one location on the internet. It seems the points the author is making still hold true. Here's an excerpt:

current thinking suggests that to raise a child who can cope with prejudice and have a positive racial identity, parents must be of the same racial group. This is contrary to my own 20-year experience as a therapist and to reports I have received from other therapists. The vast majority of children we see who have identity and behavior problems are being raised by same-race parents and are living in their own cultural community. More than anything this suggests parenting is an art, not hard science...as an African-American psychologist who specializes in psychotherapy with adoptive families, I have observed that parents of transracially adopted children commonly have problems related to the following seven issues.

Please feel free to post comments about this article in our comment section. Here's the link to the full article:

http://www.informedadoptions.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=298&Itemid=31

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For your sweet tooth

Dessert anyone? Flan de Naranja (orange flavored Flan) is on Food Network's list of Classic Guatemalan Dishes. Check out the recipe, it sounds delicious:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/priscila-satcoff/flan-de-naranja-orange-flavored-flan-recipe/index.html

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Entertainment in Spanish

Want to work on your Spanish while watching movies? About.com has compiled a list of the top Spanish Language U.S. movies on DVD. Included on the list is a film about Guatemalans called El Norte, about.com writes "This film, in both English and Spanish, tells the story of Guatemalans who leave oppression and poverty in their homeland only to find that life in the United States is far from ideal." To see the complete list click here:

http://spanish.about.com/library/reviews/aatp-video-us.htm

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Listen to this!

Do you love a certain type of Latin Music? Whether it's Salsa, Latin Jazz, Rock Alternativo, Dance, or Inspirado you can listen to it at Batanga, the free Latin music radio website. Every possible Latin music genre can be found there. You can even build your own Latin radio station on the website. It's free, fun, and right at your fingertips. Here's the link:

http://radio.batanga.com/en/radio

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Building Bridges

Why is it important to connect with our child's ethnic community? This was one of the topics recently discussed by a few moms from our group after reading the book A Euro-American on a Korean Tour at a Thai Restaurant in China. Chris Wintson, the author of the book, feels it is the most effective way to combat the racism our internationally adopted children will inevitably face. Here is an article she wrote on this subject:

http://www.informedadoptions.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=158&Itemid=31

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Book List for Guat Adoptees

A young boy dreams he is traveling through a jungle and arrives at ancient Mayan temple in the book Mario's Mayan Journey . In the story My Pig Amarillo a young Guatemalan and his grandfather search for his lost pet pig. These are just two books recommended by Informed Adoption Advocates. Their complete list with detailed descriptions can be found here:

http://www.informedadoptions.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=310&Itemid=66

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30 minute meals Guatemalan style

If you want to incorporate some Guatemalan food into your home but haven't had the time, check out this discussion on the Guatadopt forums. You will see several great suggestions for quick Guatemalan recipes:

http://guatadopt.com/discussions/index.php?topic=8246.0

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U.S. 1-0 over Guatemala

2 ejections, one stretcher, 5 stitches, 40 fouls. Let's just say last night's World Cup tourney match wasn't pretty. The U.S. ended up on top 1-0 over Guatemala. For all the gritty details click here:

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=244622&cc=5901

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The Showdown!

Yesterday the Washington Post wrote an article about all the emotion behind tonight's World Cup qualifying game Guatemala vs. U.S.A. Today ESPN breaks the game plan down discussing formations, coaching, the athletics of Guatemala's Mario Rodriguez, the US teams skills (or lack there of) on the road, etc... To get the full analysis click here:

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=564119&sec=us&root=us&cc=5901

To watch the match tune into ESPN2 at 10pm tonight.

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Can't Lose

Philadelphians and Guatemalans have something in common. We carry with us the heavy burden of losing sports teams. Relief may be on the way. Guatemala, a nation who loves soccer, has attempted to enter the World Cup tournament 12 times in the past 50 years and has never succeeded. This year may be different. Guatemala performed well in June's qualifying tournament.

Guatemala's shot at the World Cup tourney continues tomorrow night when they take on the heavily favored U.S. team at Estadio Mateo Flores. According to the Washington Post this match "will set the tone and, with victory, provide a jaded country (Guatemala) with renewed optimism." So Philadelphians with ties to Guatemala, tomorrow night is your night. For once we can't lose! It's either a victory for Guatemala or a victory for the U.S.A. To read the full article in the Washington Post click here:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/08/18/ST2008081802730.html

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Speak Up!

As a member of a multi-racial family your desire for a tolerant society may be stronger than ever. The Southern Poverty Law Center has created an excellent resource people who want to be part of the solution, Tolerance.org . How to prepare, respond, and follow through when your co-workers makes racial slurs, your brother makes a racial joke, or your parents show bias are the types of situations discussed. Here's the link:

www.tolerance.org/speakup

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Feria del Barrio

Taller Puertorriqueno is a Philadelphia institution that celebrates the arts of Puerto Rico, Latin America, and the Caribbean. On September 7th they will host their 25th Annual Feria del Barrio (Neighborhood Fair). To learn more about this and other upcoming events go to their website:

www.tallerpr.org/A/Calendar-of-Events.aspx

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