The day after the 2016 presidential election, filmmaker Carlos Sandoval
found Ku Klux Klan fliers on the seats of the Long Island Railroad and
recounts how his Cuban American niece Lexi's world was shattered by the
election--she is one of thousands of children wondering if they will be
deported or denied benefits under the Trump administration. Other
children are taunted on the playground, have their head scarves ripped
off, or are left to wonder, Does Donald Trump not like brown boys like
me? And girls everywhere are devastated that a crass and bigoted bully
was elected over the woman poised to become America's first female
president.
In the wake of the election, even the most thoughtful and progressive
parents across the country found themselves at a loss for words.
Borrowing its title from the memorable election night question posed by
Van Jones, How Do I Explain This to My Kids? brings together moving
first-person accounts by parents including novelist Mira Jacob, Pulitzer
Prize winner Viet Thanh Nguyen, scholar Robin D.G. Kelley, New York
Times blogger Nicole Chung, and others, who recount their best efforts
to parent effectively in the current climate. The second half of the
book features advice from leading child psychologist Ava Siegler, whose
bestselling book What Should I Tell the Kids? established her as an
authority on talking to children about difficult topics. From racism and
homophobia to anti-Semitism, lying, sexism, and bullying, Dr. Siegler
provides concrete advice for parents of kids of all ages--grade
schoolers, preteens, adolescents, and young adults--for helping their
children navigate a complicated, difficult time.
