CONVERSATION FOR ALL FAMILIES OF ALL ETHNICITIES BRACING CULTURE AND ALREADY HE’S MAKING
A DIFFERENCE OUR JEN
TOBIAS-STRUSKI HAS THE STORY.
♪
>> THE INSPIRATION FOR MY BOOK IS ACCOMMODATING VARIANCE KNOW OF BRINGING MY PARENTS MY
FAMILY TRADITIONS.
>> I BELIEVE THAT IN ORDER TO
KNOW WE’RE GOING TO GO. YOU
HAVE TO KNOW YOU COME FROM.
>> MARCUS PEOPLE’S IS YOUNG AND
DISHES CURRENTLY STUDYING FOR
HIS DOCTORATE AND DESPITE
LIVING AT HIS GOALS. HE STILL
FELT LIKE SOMETHING WAS
MISSING.
>> THERE’S A COMMON NARRATIVE
THAT I NOTICE I NOTICE THAT
THERE IS AN IDENTITY ISSUE
IDENTITY WITH MY PEERS AND I
NOTICE THAT I I WENT THROUGH
MYSELF AND ALL THESE QUESTIONS
BECAUSE I LISTEN TO A CERTAIN
TYPE OF MUSIC I SPOKE A CERTAIN
WAY SIDE TO TRY TO PUT ME IN A
BOX.
>> GROWING UP WITH THE HISPANIC
MOTHER AND AN AFRICAN AMERICAN
FATHER HE HAD TO GET USED TO A
LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT WHO HE
WANTS.
>> THE COMMENTS OF CAN TOUCH
YOUR HAIR.
WHILE YOU LOOK YOU YOU LOOK SO
DIFFERENT OR YOU SPEAK WELL FOR
THIS TYPE OF ETHNICITY I COME
HOME AND ASK QUESTIONS OF MY
PARENTS, THEY DID A GREAT JOB,
SAYING HEY YOU KNOW OUR FAMILY
IS ONE NO MATTER WHAT YOU LOOK
LIKE ON THE OUTSIDE OR INSIDE
IS COMPLETELY THE SAME.
>> THE SOLID FOUNDATION OF HIS
PARENTS AND 3 SIBLINGS HELPED
INSPIRE AND PUSH HIM
TO PUBLISH PROUD TO BE IN
BETWEEN AS MY LITTLE BROTHERS
CAME INTO THE PICTURE WE.
>> HAVE DIFFERENT HAIR TEXTURE
YOU KNOW OUR SKIN TONES
RESEMBLE BUT YOU CAN KIND OF
TELL A BIT OF A DIFFERENCE BUT
EVERYTHING WAS A IT WAS FROM AN
EMPOWERMENT WE DON’T TALK ABOUT
IT SO OFTEN WE LEAD BY EXAMPLE,
WE DON’T BEAT IT INTO THE HEAD
BECAUSE I DON’T BELIEVE YOU
COME OUT IDENTIFYING COLOR WHEN
YOU WHEN YOU’RE GROWING UP IT
WAS SOCIETY THAT
IT RIPPED THE VEIL OF INNOCENCE
OFF AND YOU KNOW THESE
QUESTIONS AND CASEY MARK FOR
THE BEST OF FRIENDS, THE
BROTHER AND SISTER ALWAYS THEY
TOLD EACH OTHER.
>> EVERYTHING IN THIS STORY
CONNECTS TO EMBRACING CULTURE
INCLUDING THE ILLUSTRATIONS
DONE BY ANOTHER
SAN ANTONIANS.
>> I CAN’T I CAN’T BEGIN TO
TALK ABOUT THE BOOK
TALK ABOUT THE BOOK ♪ >> WITHOUT ILLUSTRATED MAKES
COPIES OF FLORIDA’S.
SHE RELATED TO MY STORY
ON SUCH A LEVEL THAT I WAS LIKE
WOW IT GAVE ME A NEW
PERSPECTIVE
BECAUSE ALTHOUGH SHE IS LATINA
HER SKIN COMPLEXION IS
SOMETHING THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE
COMMENTS ON AND NOT REALLY
BELIEVE. THAT SHE IS WHO SHE IS
IN HER BACKGROUND IS WHAT IT IS
BECAUSE OF HER SCHOOL BOOKS
AND SO 2 LATEST THE STORY AND I
AND I HONESTLY WHEN WHEN
HER EYE CAME TOGETHER ABOUT
THIS PROJECT SHE FELL IN LOVE I
FELL
IN LOVE AND ILLUSTRATIONS
REALLY REALLY HAVE BEEN BROUGHT
TO LIFE THERE WAS NOTHING THAT
I REALLY EDITED THERE WAS
ABSOLUTELY NOTHING MARCUS HOPES
THIS BOOK WILL CONTINUE TO
SPARK CONVERSATIONS.
>> AND INSPIRE EVERY CHILD TO
EMBRACE THEIR CULTURE AND BEING
PROUD TO BE IN BETWEEN.
>> THIS BOOK RACE HERE
HAS DEFINITELY.
>> A TOOL IT’S A MECHANISM TO
HELP CHILDREN FIND AND SEE
EXACTLY WHAT THEY DO LIKE ABOUT
THEMSELVES WHAT’S IMPORTANT
WHAT HOME’S VALUE.
>> WE DIDN’T WE DIDN’T EXPECT.
FOR THIS TO BE AS IMPACTFUL.
MAINLY BECAUSE WE WERE JUST WORKING THROUGH IT AND PUTTING OUR PASSIONS AND WHAT’S INSIDE
OF OUR HEARTS ON ON SOME PAPER
WITHIN A BOOK.
>> AND SO WHEN WE’RE STARTING
TO GET ON THIS PICK UP FROM
FROM
THE COMMUNITY. IT’S VERY VERY
WHEN I SEE KIDS READ IT AND I
SEE THE SMALL INTERFACE THAT IS
WHAT BRINGS ME JOY AND THAT’S
THAT’S WHAT MAKES ME FEEL.
I’M LIKE I’M GETTING CLOSER TO
MY PURPOSE AND THAT I’M DOING
THIS FOR THE
RIGHT REASON.
>> YOU ALL ARE BIRACIAL ALL THE
SAME FAMILY AND ONE
BEAUTIFUL CREATION. YOUR HEARTS
BEAT THE SAME BRING THIS WORLD
SO MUCH HAPPINESS,
DIFFERENT HAIR OR SKIN TONE
DOESN’T DEFINE WHAT TRUE LOVE
IS FOR LIKE I HOPE THIS JUST
INSPIRES PEOPLE I REALLY DO
HOPE IT INSPIRES PEOPLE BECAUSE
EVERY SINGLE DAY JUST BRINGS A
SMILE TO MY HEART, I’M JEN
TOBIAS-STRUSKI.
>> I THINK THAT IS SO
INCREDIBLY CRATE HE WROTE THAT
BOOK AND NOW THAT WILL HELP
KIDS JUST REALLY FEEL MORE
EMPOWERED ABOUT YOU KNOW
THERE’S THE CITY’S NOW I GREW
UP IN THE PHILIPPINES. BOTH MY
PARENTS ARE MOSTLY FILIPINO.
I DON’T LOOK AT
OKAY, SO I I ALWAYS WAS THE
WARNING YOU KNOW THAT
KIND OF FELT DIFFERENT IN-CLASS
WRITING UP NOW SO
I THINK THAT’S ABSOLUTELY
WONDERFUL AND BEING BIRACIAL AS
WELL AS WELL, I MEAN, THAT’S
THAT’S HUGE BECAUSE YOU YOU DO
YOU DON’T REALLY LOOK LIKE SOME
OF YOUR
FAMILY RIGHT.
>> BUT YOU SEE YOU IT’S A PART
OF YOU TO PUT YOUR HERITAGE I
THINK THAT’S A GREAT BOOK WHAT
A GREAT CAUSE TOO.
YOU CAN FIND HIS BOOK ON AMAZON