I really love the movie, the Namesake starring Kal Penn. It is long, but it really helps one understand the experience of transnational young men and women. Transnationals are those individuals who live among two cultures, sometimes caught between them. Their ancestry might be in one part of the world, but they live in another. Their parents might represent their country of origin, but the children are a blend of the two.
Sometimes these individuals are referred to as cultural marginals and third culture kids. They sometimes struggle with finding a balance between the culture at home and the culture at work or school. The Namesake captures the complexity of living among two worlds.
For more information check out the webinar Cultural Marketing and Belong or Bust: Third Culture Kids.
Showing posts with label Transnationals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Transnationals. Show all posts
Monday, May 25, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
Birmingham's Cultural Evolution Part 2
(Continued from Part 1) As I registered for graduate school, the diversity that UAB had attracted caught my attention. Students and scholars from around the world converged on a daily basis on the Southside alongside Blacks and Whites whose families had lived here for over a century. One of the most memorable moments was when students from Bombay, Japan, South Africa, and a few Middle Eastern countries asked if we could go to a soul food restaurant.
We ordered just about everything on the menu including: ox tails, chittlins', pigtails, greens, and sweet potatoes. We gave demonstrations on proper use of hot and pepper sauces. After describing what we were eating, many of the students commented, "We eat many of the same foods in our countries." I was amazed that okra is referred to as ladyfingers in some parts of India.
Eventually Olympic soccer converged on the City. Sister city activities with Japan, China, and Hungary began to capture my attention. Japanese visitors frequented Birmingham to visit the Japanese Tea Garden and the Samuel Ullman Museum. The cultural fairs sponsored by the Greek, German, and Middle Eastern communities could not be missed.
Oppressed people from all over the world looked to Birmingham as a beacon. The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute documented how the Movement influenced the world including recordings of "We Shall Overcome" sung by students at Tiananmen Square. South Africans escaping Apartheid sought guidance for building relationships across cultures.
Brian returned to Birmingham on several occasions still longing for our childhood experience. ..Stay tuned for Part 3/3
We ordered just about everything on the menu including: ox tails, chittlins', pigtails, greens, and sweet potatoes. We gave demonstrations on proper use of hot and pepper sauces. After describing what we were eating, many of the students commented, "We eat many of the same foods in our countries." I was amazed that okra is referred to as ladyfingers in some parts of India.
Eventually Olympic soccer converged on the City. Sister city activities with Japan, China, and Hungary began to capture my attention. Japanese visitors frequented Birmingham to visit the Japanese Tea Garden and the Samuel Ullman Museum. The cultural fairs sponsored by the Greek, German, and Middle Eastern communities could not be missed.
Oppressed people from all over the world looked to Birmingham as a beacon. The Birmingham Civil Rights Institute documented how the Movement influenced the world including recordings of "We Shall Overcome" sung by students at Tiananmen Square. South Africans escaping Apartheid sought guidance for building relationships across cultures.
Brian returned to Birmingham on several occasions still longing for our childhood experience. ..Stay tuned for Part 3/3
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)