Inter-generational, Inter-racial groupings

Michael5000's bus stories reminded me of this little story, from a whole different era, and a whole different cultural setting.

Around 1976-77, I was a high school student living with a white American family (and if you didn't know already, I'm Asian). I don't notice it so much any more, but back then, it was the norm that kids helped with chores like yard work, or they worked for a neighbor for extra pocket money.

So I helped in the yard. Mostly I mowed the lawn, and I also helped my American mom with her gardening. This was in central Jersey, with very few Asian families. In fact, my high school had 3 other Asian kids. Two of them from the same Chinese family, and the 3rd one completely denied that she was Asian at all; instead, she wholly and completely identified only with the cultural and racial identify of her adoptive parents. We were once at a party for AFS students and host families where I overheard a conversation between her and a confused foreign student, who kept on asking Sue what her ethnic background was, and Sue's answer during that entire interrogation was 'Jewish, Jewish, and which part of Jewish don't you understand?!'

But I digress. Anyhow, I was helping my American mom in the yard, when this lady pulled up and asked my mom, pointing at me, "where can I get one of those?"

Not "can I hire her too?" If she misunderstood the relationship. Or "how much does she charge/how much do you pay her?" But "where can I get one of those?"

My American mom was livid. I don't remember being angry; being 16, 17, I probably just thought it was dumb. Our different reactions were perhaps not too different from the reactions of Michael5000 and his niece. I should note that I went everywhere with my American parents, and not once did anyone question the legitimacy of my being with them. Back then, child abduction was probably not on people's radars. I suppose it was both a more AND less innocent time, it just depends on which side of the tracks you were on.

Nowadays, if I seem to be having a marathon day in the garden, the Good Prince will sometimes come out, admire the yard, and tell me that for sure someone's going to ask him where they can get one of those. [Its now Saturday morning, I should add that here, in my own house, my own garden, I was once mistaken for hired garden help. And that wasn't so long ago.]

On other happier (or maybe not, since I seem to have injured myself), I took advantage of our good weather today and got a lot of yard work done. The dandelions are doing just fine, thank you very much. (And I worked on the Portland Open Studios web site too.)