Panel: Diversity is essential for understanding others
By KRISTEN ALLEN
News Writer
Students spoke about the importance of going abroad and being open to new cultures at Wednesday's student-run forum, "McCulture: Americanism vs. Cross Culturalism."
"To enjoy cross culturalism, you need cultural diversity," said Carol-Luc Jonard, a French exchange student at Notre Dame.
Going abroad not only opens students to new cultures, it also gives students a better awareness of their own culture and identity, the speakers agreed.
"Cross-culturalism is founded on friendship and mutual trust," said freshman Annamarie Bindemageo, an American who lived in Germany for eight years. "Understanding it and promoting it is the basis for personal identity and international peace."
"Going abroad is first interesting because you learn about the French culture and also about your own culture," Jonard agreed.
Immersing oneself in a new culture is not always an easy thing to do, however.
"You need to be daring to step out of your own self because it's scary to be faced with new ideas and choices," said junior Lina Sidrys, who studied abroad in France and is of Lithuanian origin.
Sidrys also warned of the danger in having too strong a national identity because of the risk of ignoring the identity of others. She emphasized the importance of awareness and understanding.
"The key to cross-culturalism is looking through a different lens to view culture from a different angle," she said.
"[It's] the idea that people are the same the world over but you have to look at your own identity to be able to fully understand different cultures."
Angela Cantu, a junior who spent a year in Spain, agreed.
"We [the United States] are one of the most diverse and developed countries in the world and mutually one of the most ethnocentric," she said.
Cantu also spoke of nationalism in Spain and the difference between Spain and the United States, "Spain's essence thrives on the collective, `Ogullo de ser espanol' — pride of being Spanish," Cantu said. "It's a very passionate and unifying force — a concept of self that seems so clear to them and yet so muddled for us."
Many countries are resentful of the United States, senior Tim Keller said. He spent the summer working for Honeywell Corporation in Moscow. He discussed the Russian perception of Americanism and the need for better education.
"Compared to communism, democratic Russians have to worry for the first time about where they are going to work, where their children will be educated, and where they can obtain healthcare. Under the communist regime, all these needs were provided by the government," he said.
"Other countries are exporting their goods to Russia, so much so that Russian-made consumer goods are almost nonexistent. The result is a severe cash outflow resulting in continued stagnant domestic development," said Keller.
"It doesn't really matter what field you're going to work in," said Bindemageo. "Cross-culturalism is going to help you personally, and in your career."
The discussion panel consisted of five students of different cultural backgrounds and experiences. McCulture is a student-run forum sponsored by The Nanovic Institute for European Studies.
All News Stories for Wednesday, March 1, 2000
