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Multicultural
Activities
Global Connection Days 2005: Colorful, Memorable, Universal!
By Ashish Rao
Three days of a whirlwind,
eclectic and exciting tour of the world: The Global Connection days
event at RCTC from Oct 12 through the 14th 2005 promised just that, and
delivered it without a hitch…as it has done through the past eight
years, thanks to the positive energy and leadership of Ms. Lillyam
Arroyave, who is a Spanish Instructor at RCTC.
Bringing together onstage cultures and people from as far apart as
Kazahkstan, Somalia, Romania, India, Korea, Japan, Mexico and many
other’s is no mean feat. Engaging the participants and, more
importantly, engaging a varied audience is yet another challenge. To
this end, a wide variety of programs were organized. These included
Panel discussions, keynote speakers, poetry readings, a fashion parade,
a dance extravaganza, Jazz bands, a special section of songs and dances
from Latin American countries, children’s arts and crafts activities
and world language stations.
Each event seems to draw curious students, faculty and staff by the
hundreds. For the panel discussions most of the audience were glued to
their seats, with pen and paper in hand, eager to write down
interesting stories, reactions and comments from the participants. It
was obvious how much of valuable knowledge and wisdom was being shared.
In his welcome speech, President Supalla, outlined how Rochester had
emerged that much richer thanks to International students at RCTC.
Day 1
The first day’s Panel discussion was “Cultural Adjustment in the United
States” MC’ed by Tom Kerr of the Psychology department. Panelists
included students from Nigeria, Korea, India, Somalia, Kazakhstan and
Mexico. After outlining the nuances of Individualistic versus
collectivist cultures, Mr Tom Kerr then proceeded to elicit answers to
several questions. These ranged from gender roles in different
countries, to what panelists felt about American students and people,
what prompted them to come to this country, and what they sorely missed
from their own countries. The answers were as varied as the panelists
that were present. One Somali student missed camels and potatoes from
his backyard, a Korean girl sorely missed family, a Mexican girl
derided Mexican food available here in the states and pined for the
real stuff, while the India panelist discovered love for Indian music
only after he had left his own country. The evening session on the same
subject had panelists discussing the aftermath of 9/11 and how it had
impacted their lives, especially how visa officials picked on anyone
who looked “Arab.” Yet, how at the same time the panelists’ American
neighbors and colleagues were sympathetic to them and their ways of
life. Another topic that drew the most questions were those about
gender roles: how liberated were women in the respective countries? All
panelists agreed on the problem of women being sidelined in their
societies, and yet how westernization did bring on jobs such as in call
centers in India that women could hold, which helped them live
independently. Another tricky question about American Politics brought
to the fore comments from an anarchist, a closet socialist, and a
hapless victim of bad governance. It came as a surprise to many
Americans to learn through these panelists that the methods of
propaganda employed by politicians in other countries were several
notches more “melodramatic” than in their own country.
Usually, lunchtime at the cafeteria is a silent event. Not this day
though. With Laurel Panser as Lady Liberty leading the way, the Fashion
show parade was on. MC Teresa Tweeten from the Speech Department called
on the participants who represented Kenya, Saudi Arabia, China, India,
Somalia, Laos, Cambodia, Nigeria, Mexico, USA, Sudan, Vietnam, Russia
and Romania. The colors and garbs were spectacular, the applause was
resounding! More was in store, as these very participants treated the
audience to dances from their respective countries. The performances
ranged from the highly choreographed and sensually beautiful Cambodian
dancers holding lighted lamps and smooth, swaying hand movements, to
the shoulder-centric, wild, Saudi desert dance with the beats of their
song reminiscent of the Camel’s gait. The Indians put on a impromptu
street dance to a raucous Bollywood number, spelling out tales of
unrequited love and broken promises, culminating in the eventual union
of the lovers. Without a doubt, bright-faced Somali children in the
audience seemed to be the most enraptured by this extravaganza. And one
can only imagine when the Somali dancers appeared on stage, en bulk,
putting on a show that captured the essence of Somalia and all-American
Hip-hop, all at once! The Kazakh dancer treated us to a flurry of
colors and movements derived from her Russian ancestry, while the
Mexicans with their flowing skirts and vivid colors seemed to enliven
the paintings of Frida Kahlo, the great Mexican surrealist. The
Romanian couple brought in a whirling and knee tapping dance, derived
probably from the Cossacks of Russia. The dance-fest was capped off by
prayers and dancing by Native Americans, with feathered headgear and
chants.
Day 2
The next morning Oct 13th, Dr. Stan Cram, Vice-President of Student
Development Services welcomed everyone for the day. Dr Julie
Rodakowski, Associate Dean presented the Keynote Speaker for the day,
Mr. Om Dutta Sharma, a cab driver in New York City who had opened a
school for girls in his village in North India. Dr Rodakowski had
worked extensively in India, concentrating her efforts in Women’s
welfare. She gave us Etiquette 101 on the dress code in India,
demonstrating with her colorful Salwar-Kameez!
Mr. Om Dutta Sharma, 70, is a pot-bellied, avuncular, easily
approachable person whose comments veer into social issues, philosophy
and world politics at the drop of a hat. With an M.A.in English and a
Law degree no less, he choose driving a cab in New York City because he
felt it kept him connected to the people. In his speech, he outlined
the reasons why he had decided to open a school in India. This included
a heady mix of Hindu philosophy which deems the female to be more
powerful than the male and how he wanted to create something that would
be a homage to his mother and father. Besides, most families in rural
India are loath to educate their daughters since they are considered
the husband’s property once they are married. So, to them, educating a
girl is not good Return of Investment! What they do not realize, he
pointed out is that women are the ones who tend to the young and are
thus the ones who instill values and morals into children’s minds. An
educated woman can offer so much more to a child. Also, with an Indian
economy that is gradually improving, women are in a better position to
obtain jobs as opposed to their uneducated peers.
Mr. Sharma, demonstrating his largesse, offered any and all of the
audience members a free ride when in New York City! A home-cooked
Indian meal done by no lesser that his wife Krishna, would be part of
the offer too! He also invited students and teachers to visit his
village of Doobher Kishanpur in Uttar Pradesh, and witness his school
in action. He exhorted Teachers to offer their teaching services in his
school for any period of time, all expenses paid! What Mr. Sharma
exemplifies is the fact that one need not be a millionaire to help
people. All one needs is a strong desire to help and a unwavering
positive attitude.
The Panel discussion “Embracing Diversity and Language in the
Workplace,” tackled questions such as differences in work ethic, and
the concept of time in different cultures. The panelists were also
asked how they dealt with language barriers in the workplace, and some
of the difficulties with dealing with people from different cultures.
Panelists included professionals from Hitachi, the Mayo Clinic,
Rochester public Schools, returned volunteers from the Peace Corps, an
IMAA member, and a clergyman from the First Baptist Church. Each
acceded to the fact that it was hard to acclimatize to people from so
many different cultures…be it their different sense of time or lack of
understanding of the ways of the west an many such culturally-sensitive
issues. 53 languages were being spoken in today’s public schools, which
spoke volumes of the multiculturalism prevalent in Rochester. All
panelists agreed that there was so much to learning to be done from
either end toward improving relationships, especially in the workplace.
Global Connection days draws junior and high school students from all
over Rochester. In fact, language activities for these students are
always a fixture in this celebration of cultures. Students are exposed
to languages from all over the world. RCTC International students teach
them the basics of the language including “welcomes” and “goodbyes.”
They are also shown different language scripts, and are encouraged to
write their names in these scripts, under the guidance of native
speakers/writers of these foreign languages.
Music and medicine is said to be common denominator of all cultures.
And with music comes the art of poetry. Di-VERSE-ity, a poetry reading
arranged by Winona State University’s Social Work Department, drew
poetry lovers to the art gallery on campus, also known as the Quiet
Room. Here, poems were recited that spoke of reactions to the Serbian
ethnic conflict, the rustic life of Sudan, eroticism in India, poems
inspired by the great American poet T.S. Elliot, the socially conscious
poetry of Mr. Muhammad Samad, and many more. The atmosphere was charged
with deep human expression and emotion that spoke of the collective
unconsciousness of us humans and the human condition.
Day 3
The final day of the celebrations included the Keynote Speaker Kim Sin,
a Cambodian whose parents fled the genocide wrought on by the Khmer
Rouge (Communist Soldiers) back in the seventies. With images of
depicting mass murder, slaughter and rampant pillage, Kim Sin spoke of
his experience in a refugee camp and described how his family escaped
the brutalities of the Khmer Rouge. He then went on to describe the
problems he faced in America, as someone who could hardly speak
English, and who did not have a clue as to the ways of the west,
including the fact that Pajamas were to be worn in bed rather than when
going to school! His portrayal of a life lived through such hardships
is an object lesson for all of us who live in relative safety and
comfort in industrialized nations, and seem to take things for granted.
The event was capped off with Latin songs and Dances from South
America, Children’s Crafts and language activities (Latin America,
Africa, China), and a Fiesta Dinner with mouth watering food from Latin
America.
The Global connection Days event has served the community well through
these eight years and will continue to do so. It has allowed us to
embrace each other’s culture, differences and social mores with open
arms. It has taught us o be appreciating, respectful and sensitive to
other peoples and cultures, and to be responsible world citizens.
Click
here for a the complete calendar of 2005 events
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