In 1981, at the age of five, I emigrated from Wroclaw, Poland to the United States of America. I was fortunate to have grown up minutes from one of the most culturally and socially diversified cities in the world, New York City. It is there that I was exposed to a broad spectrum of ethnicities and communities. It motivated me to more seriously consider my own identity and as a result, consciously pursue a balance between my own two cultures. After extensive research and careful consideration, I decided on the Cultural Anthropology-Citizen Sustainability program because I found it to be exceptionally well suited for my personal academic growth and my unwavering passion to better understand and appreciate the beauty in the diversity of the human experience. I decided on the University of Utrecht not only for its impressive global reputation and high standard of education, but its diversified and internationally oriented academic community. I am certain the overall experience of studying at Utrecht will further encourage my international experience and broaden my cultural exposure. Moreover, it will equip me with the tools to be able to play an active role in finding solutions to problems associated with …show more content…
The point of developing this methodology was to create a curriculum for Ramapo College and for citizen scientists and the Native American community to adopt and maintain. My further interest in cultural anthropology stems from my extensive travel experience. I have found that traveling, domestically and internationally, in it of itself has brought me countless invaluable lessons that cannot be found in any
On the date August 2nd 2005, regarding the court case: Mount Laurel Township vs. MiPro Homes L.L.C., the Appellate Division of Superior Court reversed the ruling of a trial Court. The trial court entered an injunction – preventing actions against MiPro Home’s 16.3-acre parcel and dismissing Mount Laurel’s case. The ruling by the Appellate Division of Superior Court was later affirmed by the New Jersey Supreme court, and the United States Supreme Court. The Appellate Division adjudicated that Mount Laurel Township had not improperly exercised eminent domain in condemning the 16.3-acre parcel. Was Mount Laurel justified in confiscating private land because the municipality did not want a 23 single-home development on the MiPro site, and would
On April 15th of 2017 at 1 o’clock P.M., I decided to travel to the Lloyd Noble Center at 2900 S. Jenkins, in Norman, Oklahoma to attend the 103rd annual American Indian Student Association (AISA) Spring Powwow. The weather was great, was about 80˚, partly cloudy with a cool breeze. Walking around trying to find the lady I was supposed to be interviewing, I occasionally would catch the smell of food (popcorn, pretzels, and hot dogs, and Indian Taco’s), as well as, seeing several tables where one can buy hand crafted gifts. I attended this event, because I have always been very intrigued with the history of the Native American people; from the culture, regalia’s and their religion. I met with Shelby Mata the organizer of the event to get a better
Reading Response (Auerbach on Cushing): In chapter one of Explorers in Eden by Jerold Auerbach titled “Cushing in Zuni”, Auerbach gives a detailed summary of Frank Hamilton Cushing’s five year experience in the Zuni Pueblo. I was surprised to learn that Cushing was only a young teen when he came to Zuni. Additionally, I was shocked to read that Cushing had no formal training in Anthropology… in fact he didn’t even graduate from Cornell rather he worked at a very young age at the Smithsonian. Thus, my and many others critiques of Cushing stem back to his lack of anthropological training and Native American education.
In 1918 the Carlisle Indian Industrial School shut its doors permanently. What remains of this experiment started by Richard Henry Pratt are not just buildings, but ghosts and scars that refuse to be forgotten. The structures that once constituted this exploratory school now stand where the Carlisle Army Barracks are situated today, and while it may seem as if the only observable aspects to remind us of the past are tombstones and markers, the stories still swirl in this town that became flooded with the desire to assimilate Native Americans. Pratt believed Indians possessed the ability to become a complimentary asset to American society if they received the proper education. He insisted that it was necessary to remove the Indians from the confines of the reservation in order to separate them from their culture and traditions, and transplant them to a setting that encouraged the Native Americans to learn the English language, to work for a living, as well as become useful members of society.
The book argues that by promoting inclusivity and diversity, social differences cannot stand in the way of ethnic groups interacting in positive ways. Some other key themes in The Cosmopolitan Canopy include the importance of diversity and inclusivity; the role of public spaces in promoting social cohesion; the challenges of creating a cosmopolitan canopy in different urban settings; and the need for people to interact with those who are different from themselves in order to reduce social tensions and promote understanding. In addition, Anderson utilizes folk ethnography to explore the dynamics of public spaces in different urban settings, and to understand how people from different backgrounds interact with each other in these
For my reading response this week, I decided to talk about the stories I heard on the website, TheWays.org. The videos were so powerful and just amazing to watch. The first video I watched was the one called, Waadookodaading, which was about an Ojibwe language school (theways.org). There is such a large problem of these tribes losing their languages because they aren’t being passed down to the next generation. The video discussed how important language is to culture and how language give specific vocabulary to practices in a culture.
The Indigenous Peoples Day Symposium was a panel presentation by four main speakers who identify as Indigenous Peoples. The presentation began with singing and honoring them. After this concluded, the first speaker, Chebon Kernell, gave his speech about Indigenous Peoples. Kernell’s was the most engaging in my opinion because he talked about how “a long time ago they were here” and their footprints were made right here on the TCU campus. He shared his own personal experience, beginning with when he witnessed that he was being taught, “this is how it was supposed to be, God’s will.”
It was only eight o’clock, but the sky was as dark as night when the cold and rocky bus ride I had endured for more than three hours finally came to an end. I traveled to Alaska with my mission team hoping to learn about the Iñupiat tribe and to evangelize about the gospel. Deeply buried near the edges of the Bering Sea, the Iñupiat tribesmen fish, farm, and hunt daily to provide for their families. They surprised our mission team by welcoming us with two large pots; one filled with walrus meat and another filled with their traditional dish of shimmered and shredded fish mixed with berries. Their hospitality was unexpected and helped me to experience their culture from the inside—something that I could never have experienced from a National
A segment of the documentary analyzes the impact of these schools on Native Americans today. Specifically, how the educational system is an integral aspect of the portrayal
The richness of El Paso, Texas relies on the vast diversity observed in each one of its citizens, which has opened the way for El Paso to develop as a multicultural city. Emigration has been one of the main factors that has diversified El Paso’s cultural background, citizens from all over the world have landed a foot over American territory and have made it theirs, several nationalities, several races, one community, one El Paso. Emigration has also caused the expansion of a plethora of traditions across the area, which has made El Paso’s culture an indispensable resource of the state of Texas. A diverse country, state or city is the one that values the difference in people and therefore recognizes that people with different backgrounds,
When my mission team friends from New York City, Raleigh, Detroit, Los Angeles, and Dallas first saw my home, desolate, ghetto, and barren were likely the words they thought of. While I understand their first impression, with persistent unemployment, alcoholism, and low college enrollment, our community is problematic in many ways. It is possible that we are now too numb to perceive these as problems, but my thought is otherwise. I believe that the unique, innate strength of the Hopis keep the tribal members firm against any challenge. The word “Hopi”, itself holds a lot of meanings such as: peace, optimism, respect, kindness, humility, and strength, or nahongvita. Residing with the Hopi people, I 've learned to have a different perspective and acquired their traits.
Ultimately, we have the potential to become an example to the world of the way a nation’s people can overcome their past mistakes and pave a future of cultural sharing for the benefit of all
Through serving others, I have come to realize that every person, regardless of one’s cultural background, has something to offer to the community. As an immigrant, I was quite hesitant about accepting new challenges. The fear of others’ judgment regarding my performance hindered my progress. However, through serving others in various capacities, I was able to interact and help people in my community, who themselves helped me overcome my fears. Whether helping patients at St. John Providence or assisting refugees at the American Red Cross, I was amazed as to how much my presence made a difference, especially for those who needed me to interpret for them.
Diversity has given me a strong determination to face any new challenge confidently. Every move was unique in its own way. I have understood that beneath every culture, people are the same and that each culture presents a new perspective, new life style and a rich learning experience. With this outlook on diversity, I am confident that I can blend with the student community from all over the world. I would focus on human values of the people I meet and endeavor to promote thought
The Ted-Talk, “What It Means to be a Citizen of the World” given by Hugh Evans was seemingly directed towards those individuals who “self identify first” as a “member of a state, nation, or tribe” and therefore are focused solely on the improvement of their closed-community rather than the improvement of the entire “human race”. Therefore, centering his audience at those individuals who remain outside the lines of being a global citizen. The main idea that Hugh draws up throughout his speech is the impact that the actions of a single individual; no matter how small, can have when one acts with the purpose of combating “extreme poverty, climate change, and inequality” on a global scale rather than a local one. In order to do so, Hugh introduces the stories of a few individuals who have been able to impact people that are “not [themselves], not in [their] neighborhood, [their] state, or even in [their] country” and along the way reveals his own journey to becoming a global citizen.