When I left my island in my mid-twenties, I didn’t set out to live a multicultural life. I never imagined that more than a decade later, I would be nurturing multicultural friendships in my American-born children. Multicultural living wasn’t even on my mind before I moved to the United States; at that time, Santo Domingo wasn’t as diverse as it is today.

Although I hadn’t consciously thought about it, my journey into multiculturalism began many years before I moved to the U.S., during my first visit in 1997 as an exchange student. That summer, I interacted with students from other countries and experienced American culture for the first time. This experience prepared me for the future; it felt natural to interact with other cultures, perhaps because I come from a country where tourism is the main industry.

Today, not only do I nurture multicultural friendships in children, but we also live and breathe multiculturalism in all that we do. You might think this comes naturally to me because of my work as a multiculturalism, diversity, and inclusion expert, but that’s not the reason. If anything, my work only amplifies my passion to spread the message and get everyone excited about a multicultural approach to living.

As a mother, nurturing multicultural friendships in children is as important as fostering kindness and good manners. We live in a multicultural society—one that is becoming increasingly diverse—and we must prepare children for a culture of understanding that leads to peace and freedom.

I believe it’s essential for children to have friends from different cultures, ethnicities, and backgrounds because that’s the true composition of this country. This belief is not just my opinion; research shows that cross-group friendships reduce prejudice by replacing fear of the unknown with real-life experiences. As a mom, I know that committing to multicultural living allows us to leave a legacy of harmony and wholeness for the next generation.

3 Simple Ways to Nurture Multicultural Friendships in Children

Nurturing multicultural friendships in children isn’t complicated. In fact, it’s very simple—there’s no “secret sauce” to doing it. While there are steps you can take, it must be an integral part of your family’s way of life. Here are three ways you can adopt a multicultural lifestyle that will help you nurture multicultural friendships in children of any age:

1. Lead by Example: This phrase defines motherhood; our kids are more likely to follow our lead when they see us living our values rather than just hearing about them. In the case of multicultural living, the most effective way is to model it yourself. Before trying to ensure your children have diverse friends, take a look at your own friendships and community. Do they reflect the diversity of our country? By exposing your children to people from different backgrounds—not only children but also the adults around them—you set the stage for them to see diversity as the norm.
2. Do Your Homework: Before enrolling your children in any program or school, add diversity and multiculturalism to your list of requirements. Although this may be challenging in some areas of the United States, it’s not impossible. When I moved from New York City to Raleigh, North Carolina, I researched the available schools with this in mind. The same applies to sports leagues, dance classes, or art lessons. Ensure you’re helping your children meet kids from diverse backgrounds.
3. Evaluate Your Church and Social Groups: If you’re already part of a social group or church, you likely have established friendships and a strong community. While you may not want to leave your current group in search of diversity, consider leading an effort to add more diversity to your organization. Create a group focused on attracting diverse members who share the same interests and/or faith. This will enrich your community and provide your children with the opportunity to befriend kids from different backgrounds.

I hope these ideas help you on your path toward multicultural living. As you can see in the picture, just by being exposed to children from diverse families, my daughter has built a beautiful rainbow of multicultural friends. To her, her Latina, African-American, and Caucasian friends are all the same—not because she doesn’t see color or differences, but because she can play, imagine, and be a kid with all of them, and that’s what’s normal. It’s an added bonus that these girls are also being raised bilingual, which speaks volumes about their parents and how they’re being raised to see possibilities in our differences.

Now it’s your turn! What do you do to encourage friendships beyond your own culture?