In class we have been preparing to perform our very own Broadside Ballad. We decided on the theme of “Diversity Appreciation” here on campus. We will be performing our ballad Tuesday, February 15 at 2:30 at the Coulter Science Center Lecture Hall. Because we have been discussing this theme it is diversity appreciation that I will address in my blog, Enjoy!
For this blog we were assigned to read “Advancing cultural understanding through a “celebrate diversity!”” This article was about Staten Island’s initiative to rebuild their community after the terrorist attacks of 9/11. After this time, Staten Island lost many of its people and there was a lot of tension between different cultures. People were questioning of each other and isolating themselves to only the people they knew. I feel like this is the main reason people don’t reach out to people in other cultures, they are simple afraid to go outside of their comfort zone. But we must take that chance if we want to expand our experiences and the experiences of others. Culture differences are only as large as you allow them to be. The members of the New York Center for Interpersonal Development (NYCID) and Wagner College knew the important of this diversity and set for on a mission to revive the cultural appreciation that make Staten Island what it is.
To do this they started by reuniting neighbors and exciting the community once again. They did this through get-togethers that occurred throughout the year. These once a month events included, pot-luck dinners, interactive study circles, festivals, etc. After the success of these ventures the NYCID decided to host an enormous event called Celebrate Diversity! This event had theatre performances, art shops, music, dancing, awards, games and shows for children, and of course, tons of food! However, this event took a lot of work from those in NYCID, Wagner College students, and those in the community themselves. But in the end each individual’s hard work paid off in a great celebration and appreciation of the immense cultural diversity of Staten Island.
I attend Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri and we are ranked the second in the nation for the amount of international students we have. Students here are from a very wide variety of backgrounds and cultures and it is very important for all of us to be understanding and appreciative to one another. If we don’t we won’t be able to have a unison community and we will be divided just like Staten Island was. We cannot allow fear of the unknown take away from the bond we could have as a community. I have friends from South Korea, Thailand, China, Germany, Britain, Oklahoma, Virginia, Texas, Arkansas, and many more. They have enriched my life and I believe that if we show by example people will see being friends with people from other cultures is not frightening, but immensely rewarding then Westminster College can move towards a greater diversity appreciation.
I do believe that fear of the unknown is a major factor affecting diversity, sometimes you take a look at the world as a whole and see the brutality often portrait by other countries and cultures and it is the same fear other countries have for us. I don't think that fear will ever go away but by coming together and comunicating we can lessen its effect.
ReplyDeleteThis does raise a very interesting conflict that today's society is dealing with: people should be treated as equals no matter color, speech, race, ethnicity, and so on. One example where I have seen this conflict is a time when me, an American kid, and a bunch of my Korean friends were walking past the frat houses. The frat guys were yelling some racial things towards the Koreans, and it really made me uncomfortable. It made me even more uncomfortable when I had to
ReplyDeleteexplain to the Koreans that the frat guys weren't being nice, but that they were talking bad about them. I realize that this is a mild example of the conflict, but it's an example nonetheless. Things like this shouldn't be happening in today's society, and I believe, very optimistically, that we can end it one day.
By the way: I'll be there for the Diversity Appreciation Presentation.
And Question: How important is music in the question of diversity?
Hey Nicholas,
ReplyDeleteSmall examples such as these happen a lot in many different places and its saddening because nothing good can ever come from them: all that can come is pain.
I believe that music is very important when it comes to the question of diversity. Music at its core allows us to both express emotion and feel emotion from any given piece. When it comes to diversity many songs have chronicled the struggle towards acceptance and equal rights for all people. Music allows a group of people to share and work towards common goals, and as you will see in our presentation we use music as the vehicle to celebrate and understand diversity.