Intercultural Engagement
The experience I discussed with the group was my outing to the Mankato Youth Program. This group outing was part of the Wealth Gap Colloquium that focuses on how wealth inequality influences socioeconomic inequity based on race, gender, religion, and immigrant status. The focus of the field experience was an introduction to an after-school/day program for at-risk students K through 12. During the visit, we discussed the cultural challenges that are dealt with, from language, and financial resources to religion.
During the visit, we engaged in a role-playing exercise in which we learned how people from differing backgrounds and cultures live by different rules. For example, people of various socioeconomic backgrounds will live with different rules. Where we live, our address, or our zip code can often determine our social status and may play a role in how we are treated, our access to resources, and social opportunities. This exercise would also fall under the cultural competence umbrella where people develop insight into the challenges people may face in accessing healthcare or public services.
This experience helped me develop more insight into the challenges faced by those of diverse backgrounds. The program director discussed her background allowing me to reflect on my background. Typically, when people grow up, they develop an egocentric sense of the world and imagine their life experiences as universal. Where I grew up, I believed everyone else had the same experience and I developed an egocentric view of the world. To me, everyone had a single-family home with a two-car garage and traveled to Colorado every summer, and only realized poverty existed when I moved to Detroit Michigan.
Another cultural reflection was based on context. Having traveled to several other countries, a person's sense of wealth and value can be dependent on context. In Thailand for example there are many benefits such as access to abundant tropical fruits, low cost of living, beaches, and tropical forests. It also depends on what we value as important as well. I would rather have access to tropical fruits than high-speed internet.
Power dynamics becomes a challenge in programs that address youth who do not have access to resources, for example, participation in a program that requires access to transportation. Due to someone’s immigration status, they may not have a driver's license or the funds for transportation. People who are natural born may be perceived as more powerful as they have a generational impact on the community. For example, their land ownership or contribution to a community like a family that has several generations in the local police force. The book that accompanies the Wealth Gap Colloquium, “The Broken Ladder, outlines in detail such inequities that influence social status and wealth.
Ethnocentricity develops in each of us from childhood, from the books we read writing within our cultural view to our day-to-day experiences. As I mentioned above as a child, I only had my small world to compare everything, and without experiencing other cultures I would simply project. When two cultures engage both sides express some level of ethnocentricity. As evidenced by the Mankato Youth program visit, cultural expectations around discipline were evident in the experiences of the staff. Some cultures may not see physical discipline as abuse and may expect that physical discipline is appropriate in school setting.
One of the aspects of the Mankato Youth Program that was discussed was the language barriers faced by the staff. Most of the volunteers and staff in the program were local and not from the community they serve. Often the children may be the interpreter for the parent, which causes the child to be placed in a position of adult responsibility, this may result in an unequal power dynamic between the parent-child and those serving the child.
Intercultural engagement has always been challenging, mostly due to the fact I skipped over the foreign language requirements in school which resulted in cultural isolation. I still consider cultural competence to be significant, especially when providing healthcare or community services. When we do not take into consideration cultural differences we may place people in harm's way. One example of unusual cultural expectation has been the use of witch doctors in the treatment of the medically ill.
As far as my work with art and the art community is concerned, I have taken into consideration the importance of such programs as SprayFinger, a program for art started by Payton Scott Russell, a street artist. His program looks at disadvantaged youth and provides them with an artistic outlet that is consistent with the culture of the community. The program uses spray-painted street art as a medium to engage local youth in the Minneapolis area. By doing so he can engage youth that would otherwise not have an outlet.
In conclusion, my experience with the Wealth Gap Colloquium allowed me to challenge my thinking about culture, diversity, and wealth. It has allowed me to expand my understanding of the cross-cultural influence on wealth and access to resources. For example, people who immigrate to the United States may have differing experiences of integration based on their education, religion, and generational wealth. Power dynamics may be influenced by the size of an immigrant community, for example, if an immigrant community is large enough, they may be able to elect representatives from their community. The colloquium also touched on issues of language barriers, and the power dynamics involved. Children sometimes need to act as translators for their parents, resulting in a familial power imbalance. As far as my philosophy is concerned, I continue to recognize the impact of my ethnocentricity and how it may interfere with understanding others. The main takeaway from this engagement is to remain mindful of the importance of cultural competence and the need to apply skills of engagement. Artistically, intercultural awareness will allow for a greater and more meaningful experience with art.
Andrew Revira is a ceramics artist who was born and raised in the Midwest and received his BFA at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Through the ceramics department and coordinating with the Mudworks ceramics club, Andrew came to campus and gave a lecture on his artistic style and how his Hispanic heritage influenced it. Through a grant from the Northern Clay Center New Institute for Ceramic Education, he has been speaking to groups about how his Mexican heritage has contributed to his artistic identity. Andrew uses imagery that is considered pre-Hispanic or the period before the colonization of Europeans. The purpose of the demonstration and lecture was not just to learn about the methodology around how he creates the imagery through the use of slip and glazes but also to understand how the imagery relates to his pre-colonial heritage. The imagery he has chosen is related to death specifically the day of the dead. He relates to his upbringing and how death was portrayed by his grandparents and that this was in conflict with the anxiety he had about death. After he learned more about the artistic expression and the meaning of the death imagery, he was able to address his anxiety. He has also adapted the imagery of Mexican Catholicism which is heavily influenced by the Virgin Mary. Having also grown up within the Catholic Church is understandable how one is influenced by idolatry. He discussed how he utilizes forms in his work that reflect pre-colonialization as it best reflects his true Hispanic heritage. His forms use particular cut edges that are only found in ceramics of the Mexican region of Latin America. He has also incorporated dietary influences into his work such as the creation of taco plates and stoneware cooking pans for making traditional bread. When I first started working in ceramics the instructor introduced the class to a ceramic style called Mata Ortiz. In the 1980s it was discovered that several artists had revived an old Mexican art technique of the Paquimé tradition. Similar to Andrew Rivera the artists were attempting to recreate pre-colonial identity. As a result of the town recapturing an old cultural identity this small town of 2,000 people in northern Mexico now employs nearly 300 people making this unique pottery. This artwork is now highly sought after and has raised the living standard of the inhabitants out of poverty. Andrew's presentation provided me with the opportunity to understand the importance of cultural influence on artwork, as well as how artwork can help express cultural identity. For Andrew his exploration into art allowed him not only to understand the importance of his culture and appreciate his family's cultural ties but to also address his issues with anxiety over death. Becoming more familiar with how other cultures deal with death he was able to put the concept of death into to better perspective. Further experiences that address intercultural engagement have included Indigenous Night an event that highlighted the importance of retaining indigenous identity. This is an event that is held every year at the Minnesota State University, Mankato campus, and involves lectures, demonstrations, and dinner. One of the main speakers, a current student, spoke about retaining the Dakota language and the challenges of keeping people interested. Demonstrations of the dancing method and meaning were also provided. This year I had the opportunity to attend the Wacipi (meaning “we all dance”) a traditional powwow of the Mdewakanton. This event is a yearly gathering of the Mdewakanton and involves educational exhibits and discussions as well as traditional dance, music, and food. During this event, I was allowed to learn about the tradition of the powwow drum, regalia, and dancing. Traditional foods w ere also emphasized, though it was still reflective of colonial influence. Plenty of educational materials were available that touched on the local history of the Dakota nation. These last two events were important in my cultural development as they allowed me to gain a meaningful understanding of the indigenous culture. Living in the Midwest we are surrounded by Indigenous cultures, and it is important to have a working knowledge to gain a better appreciation. When people lack an understanding of diversity it can result in detrimental relationships and prevent personal growth. With all of the cultural experiences I have gained more appreciation of culture and reinforced my understanding of being open-minded, and welcoming of diversity.