Merging real stories with research and on-the-ground reporting, an award-winning journalist and immigrant explores multicultural parenting and identity in the US
Through her own stories and interviews with other immigrant families, Masha Rumer paints a realistic and compassionate picture of what it’s like for immigrant parents raising a child in America while honoring their cultural identities. Parenting with an Accent incorporates a diverse collection of voices and experiences, giving readers an intimate look at the lives of many different immigrant families across the country. Using empirical data, humor, and on-the-ground reportage, Rumer offers interviews with experts on various aspects of parenting as an immigrant, including the challenges of acculturation, bilingualism strategies, and childcare. She visits a children’s Amharic class at an Ethiopian church in New York, a California vegetable farm, a Persian immersion school, and more.
Deeply researched yet personal, Parenting with an Accent centers immigrants and their experiences in a new country—emphasizing how immigrants and their children remain an integral part of America’s story.
“An affirming guide to parenting as an immigrant.”
—Publishers Weekly
“Masha Rumer’s writing on immigrant parenting is well-researched, thoughtful, and incredibly helpful. As a bilingual parent, I would often find myself at a loss at how to approach my kids’ upbringing and education. What is more important: to preserve the riches of my old-country culture, or to make the assimilation easier? What would be the right balance between the two? And more importantly, how do I ensure that I don’t screw my kids up? Masha Rumer explores all of these problems in a manner that is both serious and deeply engaging.”
—Lara Vapnyar, author of Divide Me by Zero
“Though our population has become increasingly diverse, myths and misperceptions about multicultural child-rearing continue to abound. In Parenting with an Accent, Masha Rumer takes us on a fascinating and extensive global journey right here at home in America, introducing us to the world of immigrant families and how they raise their children. Through family profiles, interviews with experts, and extensive research, Rumer—an immigrant parent herself—offers unprecedented and much-needed practical guidance on topics such as assimilation, bilingualism, and childcare. Her book is sure to appeal to multicultural families, as well as anyone who wants to understand how the fabric of our society is changing for the better.”
—Christine Gross-Loh, author of Parenting Without Borders: Surprising Lessons Parents Around the World Can Teach Us
“Yes! This book is so timely and so important. Filled with real-world experiences and insights, and written with great warmth and wit, it is a much-needed guide that will no doubt have a hugely positive impact on the lives of so many families in today’s multicultural America.”
—Adam Beck, author of Maximize Your Child’s Bilingual Ability
“A timely update on the travails and glories of being an immigrant to our country told with thoughtfulness and compassion.”
—Gary Shteyngart, author of Super Sad True Love Story
“Growing up as an immigrant child and then becoming an immigrant parent can feel lonely and unsettling, like living between worlds. Masha Rumer’s Parenting with an Accent made me feel less isolated and more understood. Celebrating the wisdom and traditions that so many diverse heritages bring to parenting, as Rumer deftly demonstrates, makes us all richer and opens windows to see new possibilities for generations growing up in a fast-changing, complex world. This book is a great read for any parent wishing to understand their role through a wider lens.”
—Homa Sabet Tavangar, author of Growing Up Global: Raising Children to Be at Home in the World and Global Kids
Preface
1.
I Am the Grinch Who Stole Christmas
2.
The Beet Test
3.
Then Comes Baby in a Baby Carriage
4.
Vodka Rubs and Other Family Advice
5.
The Polyglot Boardinghouse
6.
Bilingualism: An Uphill Battle, Sometimes
7.
Standing Watch
8.
The Experts Weigh In
9.
Nannies and Daycares and Grandmas, Oh My!
10.
Protests and Myths
11.
Live and Learn
12.
“They Say Little Racist Things”
13.
Between Two Worlds
14.
Finding Home
Acknowledgments
Notes