easing the journey of representation for multicultural families

Written by BLK Oceans Staff

Meet Nafeesah Allen, Ph.D., expat, multilingual magazine writer, mom to third culture kids, and the founder of Third Culture Kiddos. To overcome the lack of bilingual early reader story books that depict Black children as protagonists, she created a dual language series to fill the gap.

We caught up with her to learn more about how her company is putting representation at the forefront for multicultural children.

Why did you start Third Culture Kiddos?

“Someone once said that necessity is the mother of invention. This book series is just one of the things I've invented to ease the journey of representation for my kids and the many other multicultural families that embody diversity. When I set out to find simple rhyming bilingual books with Black characters, I searched continents and scoured the web for titles but repeatedly came up empty. As a professional writer and migration scholar, I knew that if my kids needed this, then were many other children, heritage speakers, traveling families, Afro-Latinx origin people, and curious minds everywhere who also needed it.  

“When I set out to find simple rhyming bilingual books with Black characters, I searched continents and scoured the web for titles but repeatedly came up empty.”

Third Culture Kiddos now has 5 bilingual titles for sale, and our success has been due to our simplicity. Our books are easy to read and motivational. Kids, parents, and educators alike enjoy our books because there's a positive message and relatable stories that spark discussion and further conversation.”

What was the inspiration behind the story of "Xavier, The Super Hero" and "Xiomara, The Super Hero"? 

“When I set out on this project, I was living in Africa. I knew I wanted to write a simple story that a child in Brazil, Portugal, Mozambique, and America could all read and see themselves. So, I stuck with something that every kid loathes - going to the doctor. I wrote this before the pandemic, when I was taking my firstborn to get his shots. As a mom, I wanted him to know that this was for his own good, but it was hard to explain that to a screaming toddler. Using that as my starting point, I built a storybook that showed how bravery in the face of fear could really turn us into change makers beyond our wildest dreams.”

What’s in the future for Third Culture Kiddos?

“In addition to the Xavier and Xiomara series in English/Spanish and English/Portuguese, I recently released "The Princess Inside" in English/Spanish. These titles are all available on Amazon.

Over the coming months, you'll be able to buy these titles in more bookstores.”

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