Bill Belew has raised 2 bi-cultural kids, now 34 and 30. And he and his wife are now parenting a 3rd, Mia, who is 8.

Little girls need role models, too.

I love my daddy, but I don’t want to be like him. I mean he has a big nose and a big belly and a … (Ed. Mia!!)

I want to be like my mommy. She is pretty and hardworking and loves her mommy and daddy and and …

But my daddy, the world’s best,  knows some things about how to be. How to act. I know this because my two big brothers are really really good at what they do. One is an artist and the other is a scientist.

He tells me stories. He teaches me about people and making my dreams come true and how to act.

So, how does a daddy teach a little girl to be more determined?

The best way is to show me people I respect and show me how they did it and encourage me to be like them.

Simple, eh?

I love the princesses. Not because they are beautiful and such … but because of the way they act.

Belle, Rapunzel, Ariel, Mulan, Anna … gosh, all the girls pretty much had their eyes set on a goal and just made up their mind that they were going to accomplish that goal no matter what.

I guess the lesson is I need to make up mind what it is that I want to do and that it is worth doing it.

Maybe my daddy can give me the tools to get it done. If not, I’ll figure out how one way or another.

I think figuring things out is what being determined is, right?

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Talk to Bill and others about their experiences raising bi-cultural Japanese-American kids.