The final project day was great. It was great seeing
everyone exhibiting their culture presentations. It was funny how Luther and I didn’t
have an issue with portraying our negative U.S. stereotypes (Americans are
stupid gun nuts), where Ahmed and Rosana chose milder stereotypes to deconstruct
(Peru is more than just Machu Picchu, not all Saudi Arabians are rich). I guess
part of that is because we acknowledge that part of the U.S. stereotype is
being loud and proud in ways that aren’t dignified, where other cultures still
have a dignified self-image and don’t easily mock their own culture (especially
in America, where the threat of racism and xenophobia are not a
joking matter). Anyway, I was very proud of Rosana and Ahmed, who spent a LOT
of time giving speaking presentations to tons of people; peers, teachers, and
other staff had lots of questions for them. They fielded a lot of questions.
Ahmed especially, who is usually quite reserved, gave thoughtful answers to a
whirlwind of curious audiences. It felt like a press conference at times, but I
got to go around and look at other group projects and it was so neat to see
people of many cultures and nationalities talking about the deeper aspects of their
culture, sharing history, values, beliefs, and more. It was a really wonderful finale
to the cultural workshops and an awesome thing to be a part of. I’ll never forget
the experience.
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