If you’re a U.S. Military BRAT, you may or may not have heard of a book published not too long ago by the Museum of the American Military Family.
“E Pluribus Unum: GRAICE Under Pressure” contains artwork by Brandon Palma and includes essays by Connie Kinsey and Valerie Bohnam Moon along with contributions by 20 military-connected writers ranging in age from 9 to 92.
The U.S. military consists of individuals coming from all walks of life, cultures, backgrounds and experiences. Regardless of the political climate, this organization is always under pressure — externally and internally. It represents an ideal. It’s highly structured, appears cohesive and sets an example for the nation and for the world.
The book asks a vital question:
How do MANY become ONE without losing ONESELF? How do we unite in service and still keep our personhood?
Using an anonymous survey and through written essays, the museum curated stories from hundreds of people asking them to answer a series of questions looking at their service through the lenses of GRAICE: Gender, Religion, rAce, Identity, Culture and Ethnicity.
While written by and for U.S. Military BRATS and their families, the book is resonant for anyone who grew up interculturally and/or between worlds — Third Culture Kids (TCKs), global nomads, domestic nomads, women in male-dominated spaces, multiracial people, trans people and many more.
The book is available to purchase exclusively on Lulu.com.
Also, with schools in North America having recently begun, the museum has collated an amazing collection of books about starting school and making friends.
