How My Parents Learned to Eat- Books that address Diversity

How My Parents Learned to Eat is a quaint little book that tells the story of a little girl's parents, way back before they were married. An American sailor and a Japanese schoolgirl fell in love, but they were both ashamed that they could not eat one another's food. The sailor did not know how to use chopsticks, and the schoolgirl didn't know how to use a knife and fork. So as they dated, they never ate a meal together, each being careful not to bring attention to their perceived handicaps. After a time, the sailor learned that his ship was going to set sail for the States. He was terrified that he would lose the girl he fell in love with, but he also reasoned that it would be unfair of him to ask for her hand if he could not eat the food she ate. "It is hard to be happy when you're hungry," he thought. So, in secret, he went to a Japanese restaurant and asked the waiter there to teach him to eat with chopsticks. It was a long night, but he finally learned. The next day, he asked the schoolgirl to dinner. She accepted, but quickly panicked. She was afraid that they would go to a Western restaurant, and she would be mortified at not knowing how to use all the foreign utensils. She went to her uncle, who had lived in England for a time. He took her to a Western restaurant, and taught her how to use a knife, spoon and fork. She was frustrated, but eventually, she learned. When the sailor picked her up that night, he noticed she wasn't wearing her kimono. "Aren't we going to a Japanese restaurant?" he wanted to know. She corrected him quickly, saying that of course she could eat Western food. So they made a deal, they would eat Western food tonight, and Japanese the next. Eventually the pair discover their partner's secret was their own, and get married. And that, says the little girl on the last page, is why they sometimes use chopsticks and sometimes they use knives and forks in their home. I loved this little story. It was more a love story about acceptance of other people and their cultures than a story about the little girl who narrates the story. This book teaches children that even if something someone does is strange or new to you, they might be having the very same feelings, and that acceptance and learning about one another is the very best way to go.

This book was a great one compared to other books about combing cultures. It wasn't contrived, it wasn't trite, and it wasn't cliched, it was just a very realistic, naturally flowing story about two people accepting one another's differences and being better for it.

I learned from this book that literature that addresses diversity doesn't have to be agonizingly contrived. I also thought that this sounded like a very real story, and would not be surprised if it were one based on a true story. It is one of the better books dealing with diversity that I have read, for its strong message layered beautifully with an engaging story.