India Masala is an event sponsored by International Education Week 2009 and cosponsored by the Office for International Students and Scholars, the Center for Multicultural Education and Programs, the Student Resource Center, GARBA at NYU, NASHA at NYU, and SHRUTI at NYU (who knew any of these organizations even exist?!). International Education Week is is an initiative to promote international exchange and foster greater global awareness.
A group of us from the cohort attended the festivities which included tastings of Indian food, listening to Indian music, watching traditional Indian dancing, and watching an Indian film (with English subtitles). This event is a great example of how we can teach different cultures in our classrooms. What better way to learn about the differences and similarities among us than to introduce a certain culture’s foods and art and start discussions from there.
My favorite part of the event was the movie. It is a beautiful tale of love, loss, friendship, and courage. One of its themes is the empowerment of the weak and oppressed- in this case a submissive housewife who later becomes a woman who learns to defy cruel tradition and live the way she wants to.
Until now, I was not familiar with anything Indian except the term slumdog (learned from the movie) and the fact that India had areas where female infanticide (deliberate killing of baby girls) was practiced until recent years (but that’s a different discussion). I heard the word masala before but never knew what it meant. It is a mix of spices used in Indian cooking and I found out it this case it refers to movies in Bollywood where there is a mix of genres (romance, action, comedy, music) in one movie. I would really like to attend more events like this one to learn about other cultures this way. That's all. Stela
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Hi Stela, I, too, don’t know much about Indian culture except their food is great! It seems like there were lots of activities highlighting Indian culture- food, music, dance, and film. You stated that you enjoyed viewing the film even though it had “English subtitles.”This reminds me how important that when students learn a new culture, they're provided with background knowledge-- either by read alouds or discussions. It looks like the event did a good job of introducing you to the cultural references and even cinematic style way before watching the film. I bet this made the experience more enjoyable, and easier to understand. This is something to keep in mind when teaching students about other cultures.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds interesting, Stela. I wanted to go to that event, but the people at Ticket Central said it was sold out! Was there any time for discussion at the event? It seems that what you knew of Indian culture before the event wasn't very positive. Do you think other people felt this too? And did learning more about the culture change these opinions at all? I think that it's great you went because now you know more about a culture you didn't before and can share that knowledge with your students. I hope the club has more events throughout the year that I can attend!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed India Masala myself. Good food, great people, nice atmosphere :) I couldn’t agree with you more about cultural exposure as a means of teaching students of our commonalities and differences. What better way to appreciate a different culture than to get an actual glimpse of it. New York City is unique in its multicultural background. All the different cultures that are represented right here in one city is in many ways unique and should definitely be taken advantage of. Having gone to an international school my entire life, being a global citizen was a big part of the school’s philosophy. We had a day dedicated to exploring different cultures, it was nice and fun but I think that it could have been taken to a new level. Challenging the students to look at more complex issues of cultures and where different cultures intersect and diverge can teach students to become more aware of others people system of beliefs and values. I thought the film was a great introduction into the exploring issues of religion and challenging the status quo.
ReplyDeleteStela, I liked that you mentioned “who knew any of these organizations even exist?” I’ve been fortunate enough to have a pretty close relationship with the Office of International Students and Scholars (OISS) as well as the Center for Multicultural Education and Programs (CMEP), NYU loves the acronyms. The OISS is a small office, that is literally responsible for all the legal document, support, and programming for the all the international students here at NYU. They do an amazing job at looking out for the international student body given their limited man power. My point is New York City like New York University has so much to offer and so many resources that it can seem overwhelming at times. NYU has over 400 clubs so if you make a conscious effort to explore; you are more likely than not to find what you are looking for. Along those lines, New York City has so many cultural institution and museums with great education programs that can support you as a teacher. It is also important to remember that the people within your school community are valuable resource as well.