Over the last few days, I have many well intentioned people asking me how *I* felt about the Cheerios controversy. For those who are just like me and missed the dramatic headlines, Cheerios has a new commercial that features a biracial family. Don’t see what is so sensational about that? Me either.
What makes this story news worthy is the way the wonderful world (and I say that with both appreciation and sarcasm) of the internet has responded to this commercial. While there was commentary in support of the commercial on YouTube, the negative and often flat out vulgarity of comments that were expressed at including a biracial family ultimately caused General Mills, maker of Cheerios, to pull the comments section.
Back to everyone asking me how I viewed it personally, well, that is because I am an interracial relationship and my daughter is Asian American. To be honest, it amused me— the first few rounds of questioning– because I forget that I am in such a “unique” relationship. Though now in America, the Census Bureau reported a 32% increase of people reporting as multi-racial from 2000 to 2010 which is exactly why I believe General Mills decided to include a slice of a modern day American, just as they feature every other race in other advertising.
To be honest, the last few days have really been the first I have ever given thought to what it means to have a biracial family and how it impacts my daughter. I was raised not to see race, when my now husband and I started dating I described my husband’s dark brown eyes and black hair to my mother but forgot to mention he was Asian because I really hadn’t considered it. Not that it mattered though to her.
I now realize though, after viewing the heartbreaking ignorance of some of my fellow Americans, that racism is still very much alive and that I need not to go upon my naive way. Evelyn is still young enough that I pray she is not going to be the target of any outwardly racism, but I know just a few short years from now we will be immersed in a public where I can’t count that each person we encounter will share what I believe shouldn’t be idealistic views.
I applaud General Mills for representing my family in their advertising. I also respect and admire their decision that they will not pull the commercial as they indicated that they believe they are simply representing an American family. I hope to continue to see more families like mine reflected on my TV screen and in movies, and I wish nothing more that with our changing generations that controversies such as what is happening today will be a thing of the past.
