Multigenerational Multicultural

Sitting in my kitchen this morning it struck me how much our family is like Las Vegas, multicultural. My American Indian grandson is eating his cereal, my Japanese husband is sleeping on the couch, my Eurasian daughter is upstairs waking her two daughters whose father is half-Jewish. My son's two Irish/British/Japanese daughters are off from school today for President's Day. My daughter is mistaken for Hispanic as is one of her daughter's. My half-Hispanic niece is working today, my half-German nephew is on his days off, my mom is German, English and Scottish and my dad was French, English, Indian and Irish. Oh, our dog, is an Akita from Japan, our fish are Siamese fighting fish and our frog is from, well, his mother.

We are five generations here in Las Vegas, all, like most Americans, from somewhere else, from California, Vermont, Massachusetts, Florida, Texas, Colorado, Indiana, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Scotland, France, Canada, England, Israel, and, well you get it, I'm sure. Neither can you tell by looking at us how 'small town' or multicultural are lives are. Our 'small town lives' reside in the middle of a big city. My grandson asks me, "how many toes does a frog have," as I'm reading an article about increasing crime in 'Sin City' the 'City that never sleeps.'

We live the midst of hotels and casinos, night life, and neon excitement, and we feel their presence in our quiet lives, daily. We live in a city of transients; we've lived here since the mid 60's. We go to Chinatown to buy 'nori' and then stop by the Supermercado for 'pico de gallo.' We go to th Haufbrau House for dinner and Soporo's for lunch. We buy corned beef to make for St. Paddy's Day, and hot cross buns for Easter. Appearances can be deceiving.

Oh, and by the way, a frog has four toes on the front legs and five on the back legs.