5 Ways to teach your children about cultural heritage

Do your kids ask about their cultural heritage, their relatives and where they came from? Turn these moments into opportunities to discuss their history and the countries where their grandparents and great grandparents call home. Go beyond pointing to a location on a globe or map; be proactive.

Start by looking for events in your community that celebrate diversity. Annual multicultural festivals, dance demonstrations, food festivals, and music performances often celebrate specific cultures. For example, if you’re exploring Mexican culture, go to a Cinco de Mayo parade as a family in May, or dress up in honor of Dia de los Muertos in October.

Head to the library. Talk with the librarian about your cultural heritage and ask if there are any children’s books that explain ethnicities or feature characters with the same heritage as your children. Some larger libraries may even have children’s books on tape in foreign languages, so your child can see and hear other languages.

Take the experience a step further, and help your children learn the languages spoken by elders in the family. If your children’s schools don’t offer foreign language classes, check with local community centers, tutoring services, community colleges, and libraries for opportunities to take foreign language classes or seminars. Or, use an online program to learn basic words, phrases, and information about the cultural heritage of the language. If you or a local relative speak multiple languages, teach the children a few basic phrases.

If you travel to visit family members outside the country, consider making it a family trip when the children are old enough to appreciate the adventure. Seeing another county, meeting the people, putting faces to names, and living the lifestyle for a few days is a great way for your children to understand their cultural heritage. Plus, their relatives will make a personal and emotional impact. After the trip, help the children make a scrapbook of their experiences. Have them write short descriptions of the cultural differences they noticed during their travels.

It’s never too late to celebrate other cultures in your own home. Think about the many different traditions and customs and try them out in your day-to-day life. Whether you celebrate them through food, music, and home décor, or by practicing certain routines, your children will slowly learn more and more about their cultural heritage from a hands-on perspective. Speak with your relatives for ideas on how they celebrate their cultural heritage in their homes.