Your Curiosity about My Biracial Child Isn’t Cute

Written by Rhea St. Julien and illustrated by Brad Amorosino

“Look! It’s a poodle!” The backwards-capped, Ray-Ban–wearing bro called out from behind my daughter and me as we walked down Valencia Street.

Whipping around, my voice shaking with sudden rage, I said, “Did you just call my daughter a poodle?!” My three-year-old skipped along, her Afro bouncing with her, blissfully unaware that I had started an altercation with a stranger. Maybe she’s used to her mama going off on people by now.

“No, lady, I was pointing out a real poodle in a window.” I looked around. I didn’t see…