A Place to Call Home

Intro:
When I was very young, I remember gathering in my parents room with my siblings at night. We would sit on the ground with so much curiosity paying attention to every detailed story my parents had of the Nigerian civil war. There was one evening when my aunt happened to visit. As you would expect, we swarmed her like bees eagerly waiting to hear a different version of the same stories. The stories of war, famine, death, refugees and immigration.

What:
Last week, I got opportunity of listening to three individuals share their own stories about their journey (or parent's journey) to the United States. They represented the largest migrant communities in Minnesota (Hmong, Somali and Latino). The three guest speakers shared stories of their lives in the United States and also the cultures of their individual communities. The guest speakers were also able to shed some light on the process of gaining refugee status in the America. One of the stories that I found very interesting was a story on Hmong marriages. The speaker representing the Hmong community explained how the Hmong societies are arranged into clans with each clan having a distinct last name. He said that it appears puzzling that he can't get married a Hmong girl he never met or has no known family relationships with him. However, he could be allowed to marry his first cousin who has a different last name from him. I found this quite interesting because in my culture (Ibo, Nigeria), it is the exact opposite. When asked about stereotypes about his community, the speaker representing the Hmong community mentioned that some Asians did not appreciate the stereotype that "Asians are generally smart". I found this very interesting because in my culture, we take pride in all "positive" stereotypes and would try to reinforce them even if these "positive" stereotypes are untrue or didn't apply to everyone in the group.

So What:
I observed a lot similarities between the Somali culture and my culture. In general, I was again reminded that there isn't a single immigrant story and that I should be careful not to make certain assumptions about immigrants. Some of stories shared by the guest speakers reminded me of the stories that my parents told me. What I have come to understand is sometimes I might be so engrossed with the "immigrant story" that I forget to pay attention to the  individual telling the story. The presence of different cultures in Minnesota and the entire United States shows the importance of pluralism. The presence of diversity around us calls for a proper understanding culture. Not a passive form of cultural understanding but one that entails active engagement. This definition of cultural understanding perfectly aligns with the concept of pluralism. As an international college student studying in the united states, I came with already established beliefs, likes , dislikes and biases. I constitute a part of the diversity in the United States. A thorough understanding of myself in comparison to the different cultures around me is a great step in achieving pluralism. I can then utilize this understanding to serve other different cultures equally and just. This thorough understanding is described in level 4 of  "Self Awareness" in the global citizenship rubric.

Now What:
To progress to this level of culture understanding, I will participate in deeper conversations with my classmates. I also attend a weekly french conversation table and will use this opportunity to understand my beliefs in comparison to the general beliefs of the French people. I plan to utilize this understanding to create an environment in Nigeria where cultures can peacefully interact. I will start by sharing my understanding of pluralism with my family and close friends. 

End Note:
People migrate for different reasons.