Meet Founder, Author and Curator Amita Roy Shah

Dr. Amita Roy Shah is the founder of hybrid parenting. She started hybrid parenting to help parents invest in the cultural well-being of their children.

Today, in the 21st century, there is an imperative need for parents to help their children understand, communicate, and work effectively with people from diverse cultures.

This site was created to empower parents with a better understanding of how to explain diverse topics to their children (e.g., cultural festivals, religions, values, beliefs).

As a former educator for Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) she is passionate about helping teach all children about the diverse cultures that exist in our world today.

During her time designing curriculum for an educational publisher in the D.C. area, Amita found a gap in the curriculum. There was a critical need for multicultural books that exposed all children to the Asian Indian culture.

She wrote the award-winning book It’s Time for Holi! to help fill that need. It’s Time for Holi! teaches all children about the Indian Festival of Colors. This book helps children understand how an Indian-American family celebrates Holi, it connects children to an understanding of why Holi takes place during the spring season, and is aligned to the Common Core Standards for Grades K-2.

Amita is currently in the process of writing a new children’s book: Lights, Camera, Diwali! This book will provide children with an understanding of why Diwali, The Festival of Lights is celebrated and how it is celebrated by an Indian-American family.

Amita completed her doctorate (Ed.D.) from the Department of Curriculum and Teaching at Teachers College, Columbia University in 2013. She is currently an adjunct professor at San Jose State University in the Department of Child and Adolescent Studies.