Zeneta

Cross Cultural Experiences

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If you’d like to submit a cross cultural experience, please reblog this post just like you were going to reblog a journal post. DON’T MIX THESE UP! This is for CROSS CULTURAL EXPERIENCES ONLY!

I interviewed Kristy, who I have met this year in school, and as we interviewed each other during this experience, we found out that we are alike in some ways and different too. We met up with each other’s moms and ourselves at a restaurant and as we discussed with each other with what we do in our everyday lives, we laughed at some of the similarities. One big similarity was that she and I both love K-pop (Korean pop), and so by doing so, Kristy was already aware with some of Korean lifestyle, but she didn’t know everything. Another similarity is that we were both born in the U.S.; L.A. to be exact. So we were raised in an environment that consists of much different diversity, such as the color of people, what they do, and much more. I asked Kristy and her mom questions such as “What language do you speak at home?” to “What do you do on holidays and what are your traditions?” and those two answers came out to be very different from my answers to her answers.
                 Kristy’s mom was born in Hong Kong and later moved to Taiwan for schooling, and her dad was born in Vietnam, and he was rich, but because of the Vietnam War, he became a refugee and also moved to Taiwan. And later, they moved together to the U.S. in the 1990s. And her brother, Willis was also born in the U.S. like Kristy, and right now she lives with both her parents.  Kristy is not pure Cantonese but is a percentage of Vietnamese as well. The odd thing about this is that she doesn’t know how to fluently speak her own language; she can understand, but not speak a lot. So she mostly speaks in English, but sometimes English and canto mixed to her parents, but her parents speak Cantonese to her. Whereas I speak Korean to both my parents, mostly to my mom, but English to my two brothers.
                Kristy and her brother have a closer relationship than she does with both her parents. They seem like best friends whenever we meet up at the most randomness times, whether it’s at school or an event.  While we were eating, I asked her and her mom what they eat on a daily basis, they said rice, and that’s what every Asian household typically eats, because as far as I know, I haven’t gone 3 days without eating some type of rice. For religion, Kristy’s family is Atheist, and my family is Christian. Kristy’s family just slowly became an Atheist, and as for my family, my parents have always wanted me to follow God, and believe that he is there for me, and know that he is good all the time from the day I was born.
               As for tradition, Kristy’s family goes to Hong Kong and Taiwan during Winter Break every year, and I have never gone out of North and South America, because ¾ of my relatives are here in the U.S. or in South America. For me, I go to Paraguay in South America and visit my grandpa’s grave every now and then around Christmas and New Year’s, and our family ends up going to the East Coast once in a while too. Adding onto that, for annual celebrations, such as Chinese New Year’s, she receives red envelopes with money enclosed, and gets together with her relatives and eats dinner together, and that is just like me on Lunar New Year’s, except we don’t get red envelopes, we just get an envelope with money enclosed, and we wear traditional dresses, or hanboks and bow to our elders, and wish them a great New Year’s and they tell us to do good in school, and to respect our parents, and for dinner, we eat rice cake soup. Kristy also celebrates the Moon cake Festival, also called the Mid-Autumn Festival, which is held in September or October every year. I asked them if they eat moon cakes during this festival, and they said that their family does. Koreans also have celebrations that maybe the Chinese do not take much seriously, such as children’s day, and on that day I remember how my parents would always buy me and my brothers toys, gifts, and even money!
       One last question that I asked her mom which will also be the last one that will be included in this experience write-up, would be, “What do you value in your life?” She responded by saying, “Family.” And I 100% understand that, and get why she said that. My mom’s answer was also like Kristy’s mom, which I didn’t find weird because I suspected that all Asian families value their families and children. My mom also told me that she prized, valued, and wanted her children to become people that they want to be, and to never let go of God.
      Through all this experience, there were a lot of similarities we discussed about that were not mentioned above. We basically do the same things every day and have the same routine during the weekdays. Even though Kristy is Chinese, and I’m Korean, there are so many similarities in us. Just like the one stated above, where we eat rice every day, for almost every meal as well. It was fun learning about what she does on her own cultures holidays and comparing it to mine. It made me and my mom think that we should always embrace our own tradition and culture and never compare it with others, because we are each unique in our own ways.
             

Museum Write-up

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If you’d like to submit your Museum Write-ups, please reblog this post just like you were going to reblog a journal post. DON’T MIX THESE UP! This is for Museum Write-ups only!

     On the day of the field trip to the Museum of Tolerance, I knew I would learn something or things that I haven’t known before. When we arrived at the museum, just the atmosphere made me sad because I knew we were going to learn about the deaths of millions and how that happened. From the moment the tour guide approached us, he explained to us what we would be learning today, and asked us some questions such as, “Who knows what tolerance means?” He also explained about what we were going to see today in the museum, such as 3D replicas, and told us not to be a bystander when something bad happens.
   At school, we studied the Holocaust as a unit, a part of the book, and so honestly speaking, I did not focus on the number of deaths as “such a big deal,” but coming to this museum made me change my attitude so much. First off, while we were walking down the ramp to go see our first exhibit, all the pictures on the side made me think that even though Hitler tried to get rid of these people, there was hope back then that some would survive, and eventually tell us the story of the Holocaust. The first room we entered had all the news stations and computer technology that we have back at home, from CNN to other stations, and this showed the intolerance that was going on RIGHT NOW, such as the Trayvon Martin case and the shooting, and Jeremy Lin and his racial background. He told us then that we should keep from making history repeat itself, and that it is now stapled into my head. It made me think how small this world is. Next we were standing in front of two doors, one saying prejudice and the other unprejudiced. Of course, from our instincts one of us goes to the unprejudice door and finds it locked, and the tour guide says that it will stay locked, and maybe when we come back again, and not prejudge one another, it will open for us.
      Next, before learning about the women and the intolerance it has turned into, we came to a wall with a number of pictures, and the tour guide explained each and every one of them, and the one that stood out to me would have to be the one where a Muslim got shot because he LOOKED  like a terrorist. That made my jaw drop because that was when it came to me that the world, Earth to be exact, is an evil place, and yet we all decide to live in a place like this. The tourist explained that somewhere along their life route, the person who decided to shoot, saw or thought of something that made him or her want to do that to another person. An example of this type of person would have to be Hitler and his doings. And I was relieved that nothing like that has happened to me, and I hope it never will. After that we went into a dark room place with small screens, and watched a video and answered questions about how and when women are being raped in this world. And the girl’s reactions around me were exactly the same as mine. Then we later received a card with a teenage looking girl on it, and when I inserted the card in the computer, I got a brief description of her, and would later know if she survived or not.                                                               
           After that we headed for the Holocaust portion of the tour. I learned that while Jews were being exported and tried to go to another country, the US only approved of a handful of people to come in. We saw many videos of the Holocaust and basically got to experience what life was like when Hitler was in rule, and the café part during the Holocaust route hit me hard too because it was when Germany’s citizens and other people out of Germany were talking like their everyday lives, especially in one part, when an American says to her German friend to come with her, but refuses to do so. When we were entering a part where children and others; and able-bodied got separated, it killed me inside because I imagined my brothers and I getting separated. In that same room, we got to see a 3D image of the death camps, and the tourist explained that back then, some people would have to throw away the ashes of the dead, and would find that it’s one of their own family member’s ashes, and also explained that the people in charge of the death camps would lie to the Jews saying that they have to take a shower, but actually kill them through gas chambers. Then towards the end, we got to know whether the person on our cards survived or not, and I found out that mine was a survivor and a volunteer at the museum. When I heard her story, I was still in shock, and felt surreal that I was listening to a Holocaust survivor. The tour came to an end after listening to her story and somehow I wanted to hear more.
         In the end, I think that people’s intolerance comes from both human nature and their external environments because you could either be influenced by your peers, parents, or the world, or either you are the way you are because you were made that way. And in the end if we were made that way, there is always a choice to change it. But it’s just that a lot of  us and the people around us just choose not to do anything about it, and this is when we come into play and teach others that we should not prejudge, and stop from peoples acts of intolerance that has already happened in history, and to make sure that history will not repeat itself.

-rachel kim, period 3

Current Events

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If you’d like to submit a current event, please reblog this post just like you were going to reblog a journal post. DON’T MIX THESE UP! This is for current events only! Remember to INCLUDE THE NEWS SOURCE (link) of where you got your current event!

    If we thought education budget cuts here in the US was bad, we were all wrong. In Spain the teachers have gone on strike because of the cuts in budgets. Even though this crisis has spread all over the world, including Europe, Spain has been hit hard. Education and health care are the two most prized “value” for anyone, and both are being bombed on in Spain, with about $12.7 billion being lost. This was one way the government thought would be able to meet its more stringent budget target. By eliminating schools and health cares! The strike was planned by 5 of Spain’s main teachers’ unions—from nursery to universities. The strike took place in the main cities, most lasting several days against the cuts. One who joined the thousands in the strike said that it is ridiculous to try to get rid of education, because that should be the last thing on the list for strikes. One reason on why the government is cutting schools budgets is because Spain does not have one university in the world’s top 150, and the universities dropout rate is 30 percent, while European averages around 16 percent. Another would be the “lack of flexibility” of the students there in Spain, so they think it is no use to spend so much money on school. But even though large amounts of students do not do anything, what about the ones that want an education?
    Mr. Wert, Spain’s education minister also said that only 7 percent move out of their home region in order to study, while the Unites States has 68 percent, and Britain having 52 percent. Because of this, state universities will now be allowed to raise the amount of money the student pay, (fees) up to 60 percent.
    But the health care part is going in deeper than the education. The patients now have to pay a much bigger part on medicine, which will depend on their income. Through all this, I don’t think any good is going to come out, because these two main focuses, education and health, is among the basic rights of its citizens. So I think the next step through this crisis would have to be like Jose San Julian said, is to lower the politicians salaries before cutting off anything else. And to also talk and interact with its citizens instead of doing things that may causing many strikes, and before someone gets hurt.  

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/23/world/europe/education-and-health-care-cuts-met-with-strike-in-spain.html?_r=1

Current Events

askmrwood:

If you’d like to submit a current event, please reblog this post just like you were going to reblog a journal post. DON’T MIX THESE UP! This is for current events only! Remember to INCLUDE THE NEWS SOURCE (link) of where you got your current event!

The Historic Presidential Election in Egypt is taking place today. Egypt will finally (maybe) have a president now, and even though they have decided on this, some people are saying that they will not vote, just like some citizens here in the US, because they say that it’s hard to trust a government or country after all the revolution, and revolting that’s been going on so far. I understand that, but I think when you are given a chance and right to vote, that you should just go for it. Others say that they will vote, and that they are extremely happy because now the citizens have a voice in their own country, and that they now get to help decide who will run Egypt.  Now in the election, twelve candidates are running, but none are expected to get a “majority rule” this time, but if that changes they are expecting to have a runoff next month. This election may lead to a major turning point in history, Taleb, a consultant says that it may “open a window-a small window,” even for democratization, and overall, security and stability. And in the end, it just may have been a contest to see who will get to draft the new constitution for Egypt, but if the citizens do not like it, then they may have to revise. The candidates for this election include two rivals, and two former officials. In the end, no one knows what will happen, and even the citizens suspect that this kind of government will not stand for long, and may end up collapsing. But overall, the election will help with militaries say and others say. I think the only next step for this country is to watch and see what will happen, and if the presidential election does not help them, then maybe the US may have to step in a little bit more to help, or if it all fails, then maybe they were never meant to have a president in their country and may have to “experiment” with what type of government works best for them.

http://www.npr.org/2012/05/22/153282525/egyptians-prepare-for-historic-presidential-vote

Current Events

askmrwood:

If you’d like to submit a current event, please reblog this post just like you were going to reblog a journal post. DON’T MIX THESE UP! This is for current events only! Remember to INCLUDE THE NEWS SOURCE (link) of where you got your current event!

NATO agreed on a security transition in Afghanistan yesterday. They have stated that Afghan should start taking care of their own business, and that the US troops must be sent back to their homes and families. Obama has used this issue during his campaign for presidency, but now he would want to exit from this conflict, saying that he wants to stop the war now in Afghan. But this is not resolving the reopening of supplies and other tensions. One solution is that Pakistan has to be part of this in Afghan to help resolve this. Unless both of the two countries resolve the issue, no one is going to have the type of security it needs in 2013. Now, Obama says that it’s hard to get out of this conflict, and hard to turn back, but he no longer would want to make others suffer in the US and other countries. Along with that, he says that while this is going on, he is not planning on abandoning Afghan; he will stay close with them and with partnership. I think the only solution to this would be to bring Pakistan in just like President Obama states, because I think the only way to resolve this is by ending some of the issues that they have with each other first before thinking of anything else or trying to do anything else.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/22/world/nato-formally-agrees-to-transition-on-afghan-security.html

Current Events

askmrwood:

If you’d like to submit a current event, please reblog this post just like you were going to reblog a journal post. DON’T MIX THESE UP! This is for current events only! Remember to INCLUDE THE NEWS SOURCE (link) of where you got your current event!

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/14/world/asia/arsala-rahmani-is-assassinated-in-kabul.html?ref=world

Mullah Arsala Rahmani, a member of the Afghanistan Peace Council was assassinated today, and may leave a big impact in Afghan. He was killed by a gunman while heading to an inaugural of a new government body, which eventually got canceled because of his death. They are still underway with the investigation, but one says says that since Rahmani was a former Taliban minister, it may be possible that they did it, but the spokesman for Taliban went on the phone and has stated that they are not the ones behind the assassination, and it is also not possible that he did it because Taliban has never done anything to make him mad. The site reports that it will leave a big impact in the country because he was an important go-between talks for peace conferences. He was also a trusted leader and someone who played an important role in ensuring the peace talks in the conferences.  Adding on, he also was part of making the Talibans and Haqqanis moderate there schools and education system. I think that because of a death of a very important person, that they will either have to halt everything right now and take it one by one slowly, and investigate more to find out who killed Rahmani and why.