Spending a Day with Painful Memories of History

 As someone who grew up from an immigrant household in America, I would like to believe that I am somewhat considerate of other people’s cultural differences and values. If given the opportunity to do so, I absolutely love to hear about people’s cultures and what differences there are between mine and their background in regards to how we view the world. I’m not always one to admit that I watch 90 Day Fiance during my free time but what I can admit to is that many of the fights we view are frictions between cultures. I’m usually finding myself in the middle because, even if it’s a different perspective to mine, I am aware that people grew up with outlooks on life that won’t align with myself. I may not always agree with it and, from a Western perspective, I do think some things should be accepted but someone could easily look at my actions and think of them as heinous as well. And my results taking the Intercultural Sensitivity Scale shows that:

Intercultural Communication Skill								Total	Divide by	Average
Interaction Engagement items are 1, 11, 13, 21, 22, 23, and 24	4	4	5	3	5	3	3	27	7	3.9
Respect for Cultural Differences items are 2, 7, 8, 16, 18, and 20	4	5	3	4	5	5		26	6	4.3
Interaction Confidence items are 3, 4, 5, 6, and 10	3	2	2	3	1			11	5	2.2
Interaction Enjoyment items are 9, 12, and 15	5	4	4					13	3	4.3
Interaction Attentiveness items are 14, 17, and 19	4	4	3					11	3	3.7

However, by no means am I perfect and I am aware that there are areas that I need to work on. For instance, many times with cultural discussions, I find myself lacking in interaction confidence, especially if they’re in communities completely different than mine. An example would be my confidence speaking with black people who reside in the Los Angeles area. It’s not that I’m willing to have a conversation but rather, my lack of confidence stems from having to truly face the pain my race is causing people in those groups. As much as I don’t want to always admit it, I do understand that I do benefit from white privilege and having to face that head on makes me lose confidence in interacting since it’s easier to live in a world where it’s not a real factor, though I am aware that I will need to do more to reach out and be an ally. Religion is another cultural difference that I find myself not having much knowledge and that includes the history that these groups have. From history lessons, it’s no surprise that religious groups have been persecuted in the past and even today but there’s a difference between reading it in a textbook and actually witnessing fragments of that persecution that still have remnants today. 

Despite living so close to it, I have never visited the Holocaust Museum in Los Angeles. I’ve learned about the persecution of Jewish individuals during WWII but I’ve personally never delved deep into this subject on my own, which is why I want to use this activity to do so. The Holocaust Musuem in Los Angeles is the first survivor founded and oldest museum in the United States and it contains an immense amount of history through the documents that survivors compiled when they reunited. 

To be honest, I’m incredibly nervous visiting the museum because this is an uncomfortable topic in our history and it’s easier to distance oneself from the horrors by not actively engaging in these areas where stories of loved ones are under a common roof. I even considered taking the easy route and doing the virtual tour online but it wouldn’t give me the opportunity to be surrounded by the artifacts nor would I be able to ask questions and inquire further. If I had to reflect on what I expect to sense when I’m there, I anticipate that I’m going to feel incredible sadness at viewing the exhibits. I’m expecting to see images and stories of individuals who either lived through that traumatic time or had relatives that did so. I also believe that I will hear voices of the victims or relatives of them as well as they tell some part of their story, whether that is before, during, or after the Holocaust and how it affected their families. I’m not sure if they’ll have artifacts or displays where we’ll be able to touch them but if there are, I expect to be able to touch recreation of letters or documents. I’m also anticipating to see and hear from trained experts from the tours and be able to engage in conversation with them about their knowledge of the event as well as any cultural differences. I have almost no knowledge of Jewish culture nor their overextending history so it’ll be a difference for me. It’s also going to be uncomfortable seeing the horrors of my culture and how they contributed to the suffering of these people. While the Italian Jews weren’t as discriminated against as those who lived in Germany, there were still many that died from the rulings of Benito Mussolini and it’s going to be difficult taking away my ethnic pride to understand how my people affected their lives. 

 In addition to what I’m expecting to see, I’m also curious to see how my current perspective of the Jewish culture will change or be enhanced by visiting the museum. At the moment, a prior perception that I have is that Jewish people are individuals who are proud of their heritage and are family oriented. This ties into the perception that they’re highly educated as well and tend to excel in multiple lines of work by having an incredible attention to detail. It also appears that there’s a loyalty within their communities; when I was still going to my pediatrician who was Jewish, he shared his office with another Jewish individual and would recommend to me other doctors within his sphere. This also aligns with another perception that their culture, while having independence, are also able to communicate closely with one another and physical touch is acceptable with individuals they know. However, while they may be close to their families and those in their community, I also believe that they do strive for high achievements to excel in their field of practice. Of course, I’m aware that these perceptions are based on the interactions I’ve had with Jewish people over the years and what I hear from the media but I also understand that there’s more to their culture that I need to be educated on. 

Overall, while I’m anxious about visiting, I also understand that I won’t learn anything without being uncomfortable and standing by with the limited knowledge I have. Not only is there a historical difference but a cultural difference that I need to learn and I think that this opportunity will open my eyes to varying perspectives. 

(A photo of myself in a replica model of a caravan that used to transport Jewish people to the camps.)

When learning about the Holocaust in school, we were taught how horrific the event was and the consequences that occurred from it. However, going through the museum today, I learned so much more about the struggles that Jewish people endured even prior to Hitler’s regime. When looking at the images of Jewish families, they looked like people; if one were to meet a Jewish person on the street, they wouldn’t be able to tell that they were different. Yet, for centuries, they have been persecuted and distanced because of their different religious beliefs. While it was not WWII levels, they practiced religion in heavy Christian countries that showcased their differences. I didn’t go into the museum with a mindset that they were incredibly different from myself but seeing the images and stories really solidified that they are human beings and there was no reason for this immense hatred towards them. Displays throughout the museum highlighted who these people are and put names to those who had to live through atrocities, allowing visitors to recognize humanity to build that connection. Solidarity ties into this because the museum was created from this concept. As mentioned earlier, this museum came to be with survivors of the Holocaust coming together and wanting to share their story. They had this common interest and they used that to create this museum that showcases some families who endured this part of history. This allows for social justice to be prevalent as well in the museum by representing the injustices that Jewish people went through and still continue to go through to this day. They’ve always lived a life filled with antisemitism and while the Holocaust is the biggest example of that, the museum shows how Jewish people were discriminated prior and even after the event.

The museum utilized different inclusive strategies to show the Jewish community. In a way, they used the idea of strength based perspective combined with reflective practice for their message. It is no surprise that millions of people suffered at the hands of discrimination but the only way that so much history has been preserved all this time is from individuals documenting and leaving traces behind that explain the horrors they went through. And even though they would have been heavily persecuted, there were non-Jewish people who risked their lives to save Jewish people’s lives during this time. The strength that the survivors and their families have is remnant of the strength based perspective because it was through their strengths that they are able to create change. If it wasn’t for their strengths, they wouldn’t be able to get their message across and show individuals why combating antisemitism is so important. This ties into reflective practices because their stories make individuals reflect on these past injustices and see why antisemitism is a problem to this day. There are people in our world who still discriminate against Jewish people and the museum does a fantastic job making one reflect on why it’s so important to fight against antisemitism. An interaction that stood out to me was during a tour that I happened to be a part for a bit of time. As the docent explained religious items and clothing that Jewish people were expected to wear, she brought up mention of the humiliation that they had to endure with wearing specific clothing. That stuck out to me the most because I knew that Jewish people had to wear the Star on their sleeves but to the extent of having to wear capes that wouldn’t allow them to use their hands or needing to make sure clothing was black and yellow, it really put into perspective how much degradation they had to endure. These clothing rules made them stick out well before the Holocaust began and it still sickens me to think that this was done to make sure people could mock and ban them from establishments due to them celebrating different religious traditions.

As I explored the exhibits, I couldn’t help my curious side from having questions that still remain on my mind after the experience: 1.In regards to stories and testimonies, I came into the experience anticipating experiences that would have painted my Italian heritage in a negative light since they also were a part of the experience Jewish people had to endure yet I saw nothing in regards to that. Therefore, I wonder, are there stories and artifacts out there that do portray what happened to those who lived in Italy at the time? What happened in Italy and if there was a lot more leniency, why was that the case? 2.I’m also curious on how the creators of the museum came together and decided to build it to showcase their stories. How did they find each other in California? What motivated them to step outside of their hidden identities to display their heritage? 3. Prior to visiting the museum, I had an idea that there were different jobs that Jewish slaves had to do in the camps but the museum didn’t speak much on what those positions were. What jobs did Jewish people mostly do before the Holocaust? What professions did Jewish people find themselves doing after? While a painful time, for those who did survive, were they able to use any skills they may have developed in the camps and apply them to future careers?

To my surprise, I expected to cry and feel superficial emotions while visiting but I didn’t do so. Rather, if I had to describe how I felt and still feel, it’s more akin to a silent anger and sadness that makes one think profoundly. History lessons told me some of the hardships that were endured but being at the museum individualized survivors and it pained me to see these people have to live lives of horror and humiliation. Prior to the experience, using the Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity, I would say my view of Jewish people and antisemitism was in the minimize phase in that, I knew that people of different cultures had differences but that my world view is similar to theirs and my beliefs would be their own. Yet, that’s not the case and the museum shared that. Jewish people have rich traditions and practices that are a part of their identities and even during moments when they faced persecution, they still held onto those different beliefs at the cost of their own lives. By no means do I feel like I am at the Integration phase of the model since there’s much more I need to learn about all different types of cultures but I do feel like I have entered a state between acceptance and adaptation and understanding that I need to further my perceptions. I think the museum was a fantastic first step in the right direction but there’s more I need to do to get to the integration phase. Since I am a shy individual, it’s important that I take small steps and in the future, I would like to visit other museums similar to this one. Another famous museum in Los Angeles is the Museum of Tolerance that focuses on the stories of the Holocaust as well as other groups that have been prejudiced against. I also want to revisit the Holocaust Museum one day and be able to listen all of the individual audio tours that are available and reevaluate how I viewed the artifacts the first time. It would also be beneficial for me in the future to look deeply into the questions I gained from the experience and seek answers for them, whether that is from a scholar in the museums to an actual survivor. Understanding the hardships of history is what allows us to grow and make sure that these never happen again. After this visit, I’m even more against the antisemitism that has happened in recent months and I want to be a better ally to those who still face discriminatory comments.

Sharpe, E., Mair, H., & Yuen, F. (2016). Community development: Applications for
leisure, sport, and tourism. State College, PA: Venture Publishing.

An Interview on the Perceptions of Identity

Interviewer: Elizabeth Piumetti
Interviewee: Jake Kuwata

 In a class that discusses community development, it’s important that we understand people in a deeper way and learn about their identities and their feelings on belonging. Therefore, what better way to explore this topic than with a fellow classmate of mine. I had the privilege of getting to know Jake Kuwata and more about his attitudes towards belonging, especially during his time at ASU. 

Jake is a current ASU student who is studying Tourism Development and Management with an emphasis on hotel leadership. With this degree, he plans to pursue a masters online and work his way up through the hotel industry to become a general manager; Four Seasons is the hotel chain of choice but he’s willing to be flexible and take opportunities as they come. 

When it comes to the dimensions of identity that he feels impacts his identity the most is his ADD diagnosis. For Jake, having this diagnosis does affect the way that he interacts with others and how he views the world. For instance, speaking with others creates a challenge in that the disorder does cause a lack of focus and can lead to varying thought patterns; therefore causing him to take those extra steps to truly listen and have that attention on others. It’s a disorder that can’t be turned off whenever possible and it’s one that he has had to learn how to navigate with his whole life. As one with a suspected diagnosis, I understand the struggles he described and felt validated in my own experiences as this does change the way we view the world and those surrounding us. Relationships are formed with a bit more difficulty and it requires us to find those with common interests in order for a connection to occur. 

However, another dimension that Jake brought up was his Japanese ancestry and this dimension has allowed him to have a positive experience with ASU that makes him feel like he belongs. First of all, ASU has a multicultural center where it’s a safe space for those in minority groups and is an area that has allowed Jake to visit and feel comfortable when on campus. In addition, his ethnicity has allowed him to connect with other Asian students on campus because of that similar connection of culture. Even if they come from varying backgrounds, they have similar views on how to treat others, elderly, school, etc, so it creates a connection based on culture. While he did mention that ASU could do better about the attitudes people have towards those differences, he does admit that for the most part, ASU is doing a good job of creating that inclusive environment. When asked if he feels his beliefs align with ASU’s, he agreed and believed that it is a good thing that ASU does try to build a solid school with varying backgrounds. As an institution, ASU does work to promote diversity in creating an innovative school and he does believe that this line of thinking is similar to beliefs that education should be available to a diverse group of people. 

(Photo of ASU's Multicultural Center)

When asked about what people need to know about him in order to feel more accepted and welcomed, Jake brought up that there’s more to an individual than what they see on the surface. From an exterior glance, one would see his physical identity dimensions and his initial shyness but there’s more to him than that. We actually spoke in great detail about how people aren’t only bound by their surface level identity dimensions but that there can be other communities that they are a part of. For instance, we both found a common ground in anime and gaming and we discussed how those are communities we are a part of but wouldn’t be shown immediately to someone unless a more in depth conversation happened. The idea is that there's more to him than what is superficially shown and in order to bring out that comfortability, Jake wants individuals to not judge a book by its cover and actually get to know the person underneath. 

At the moment, Jake is a part of the Tourism Student Association where he attends the varying meetings and events that they host. Being a part of this organization has pushed him to go out of his comfort shell and meet other people, ranging from other students to important figures in the tourism field. Despite being a shy individual, these events have allowed him to network and put his foot in the door, creating a presence in the field that he’s wishing to work in the future. The hope from attending these meetings is being able to create a connection with individuals that forge relationships he may need in the future. Beyond this, he does plan on pursuing a master’s at ASU, allowing him to have more of a voice at the school. 

While he does attend in person classes, Jake also feels the lack of opportunities that are available for online students. When an individual is able to be integrated into a community, they are able to fulfill those relationship needs and are reported to have higher levels of mental and physical health. On the flip side, when individuals don’t have that strong sense of community, they run the risk of lower mental and physical health as they don’t fulfill those hierarchical needs (Sharpe et al, 2016). In the case of school and ASU specifically, some benefits of belonging in the community is creating relationships with other students and having the opportunity to network with higher ranked individuals in their future. From this, it creates a sense of pride to be a part of ASU and one wants to pursue more avenues with the organization. However, when one isn’t allowed to be a part of the organization, it runs the risk of that individual not feeling like they are a part of it and they lack that deep connection and belonging.

For ASU, they are incredibly struggling with this in the online department and that’s where most of the barriers Jake and I noticed came from. As primarily online students, there are many barriers that we face in order to be integrated into ASU. We actually had a lengthy conversation where many events at ASU are for in person students only and that many students have complained about not being able to be a part of research organizations because they are only available to in person students. Clubs and organizations are also a good significant indicator of this as many will have events that cater to those who live in the Phoenix area. And we also noticed that some events that had online options were limited to specific time frames that require to be on at that time or they can’t make it, which defeats the idea of online classes being flexible to one’s schedule. The focus on in person classes hinders the development of online students and is a huge barrier. 

When discussing what ASU can do to be more inclusive to online students, we discussed that there should be more opportunities open for online students to pursue. For example, have more research and networking events that online students can attend and will be mindful of their flexible schedule. Moving further than that, we also brought up the issue of classes and how we feel that at least classes in the Tourism major don’t allow for discussions between classmates to occur. Jake mentioned that he enjoys in person classes because he has the ability to see and interact with the professor along with other students in the room. It’s easier to see the body language an individual has and more discussions are facilitated in a classroom setting than an online one. The problem that comes with online classes is that, since one can’t make personal connections with others, it becomes difficult to be able to engage in conversation in discussion boards. Though it would be incredibly hard and would require delicate handling, one way that ASU can improve on this is figure out what types of discussions students prefer and ask questions that allow for different perspectives to shine through. Of course, this would need to be handled with care so people feel comfortable sharing their perspectives but it would allow for more deep conversations and discussions that can penetrate the ice surrounding belonging. 

Overall, speaking with Jake was a blast and I absolutely enjoyed being able to have the conversation with him on these topics alongside other interests we had. I got to learn a lot about how he views identity and issues surrounding ASU when it comes to the inclusion of online students. He was able to provide insight that I wouldn't have gotten from only my experience so it was absolutely wonderful.

(Screenshot of how long our conversation was. Since discord is an easier platform to use for communication, we decided to use that, which is why the names are displayed differently)

(A photo of us saying hello to the camera!)

A Time I Wasn't So Proud Of (But Learned A Lot From)

 This was in the year of 2018. I was in my last semester as an undergraduate at San Diego State University and trying to make lasting memories with the friends I made during my time. At the time, I was a part of a Christian Sorority known as Alpha Delta Chi. My “Big Sis” (in layman terms, it's just a cuter way to say mentor) and I agreed to meet up for lunch so she picked me up from the sorority house and took me to Hillcrest. For those who aren’t familiar with the area, it is a town in San Diego that is known for its restaurant scene with a heavy presence of LGBT residing in the area. My Big Sis parked into one of the lots, we walked around into a delicious but strange candy store, and had brunch at “Snooze”. It started off as a typical day that suited two typical girls. At least, until things took an unexpected turn…

(A photo of Hillcrest, San Diego).

As I’ve never been to Hillcrest before, we decided to walk around the area a bit before we had to part ways. It was a simple town, nothing too fancy that I could see in the daylight (though I’m sure it had a strong and colorful nightlife). However, the part that stood out to me were the groups of homeless people that roamed the streets or huddled in clusters in shaded parks, trash littered around them. A bit of context: I am from Los Angeles and while there are certainly amazing areas to go to, a big reality is that there are a lot of homeless here, especially when you get to downtown. Growing up, I would more often than not see homeless individuals who are erratic and become aggressive when they want something. In fact, I was taught from an early age to avoid them as much as possible because if you engage with them, it’s a roulette on whether you’ll hear gratitude or you’ll hear harassment and most times it would be the latter. It may be a cruel perspective to have and certainly one based on privilege but this is what I grew up and believed.  

So one could imagine how I felt when a homeless person walked up to my big sis and I and asked if we could buy him food and things from CVS. 

As ashamed as I am to say this, my immediate internal reaction was to say “I have no money, I’m sorry” and walk as fast as I possibly could. He was tall, African American, and gave me unsettling vibes and, being a privileged white girl, I didn’t want to stand around him much longer. 

But before I could speak, my big sis said, “Sure! Let’s go get you something to eat. There’s a Shake Shack nearby, would that be okay?” 

I won’t lie. During the entire excursion to buy this individual food and hygienic products at CVS, I was ready to run to the hills. This was out of my usual comfort zone and completely not what I was grown up to do. I’m a young white girl standing by an older black, homeless man. In any other circumstance, our differences wouldn’t have made us cross paths, but here we were, connected by my big sis. I barely spoke and kept my guard up the whole time because I was waiting for something to happen but my big sis took it in stride. She asked questions, offered more than he was asking for, and graciously helped him. I could only look at awe as she didn’t hesitate to help and speak to this man like they were old friends. I remember when we parted ways with the man, I made a comment that was shocked by how much she helped this man and she just simply responded with “If he was just asking for money, I probably would have been a bit suspicious but he just wanted food and some things so I felt it was the right thing to do.” 

Even though this encounter happened years ago, it’s one that still resonates with me because of how much my perceptions were completely challenged that day. I’ve grown up with people mostly ignoring homeless people on the street and using the same tactic of just walking away as fast as possible. If there’s any community effort to help, it’s usually through protected means such as shelters that are run by dedicated organizations. Yet, despite this common approach that I’ve seen throughout communities, here was my big sis going against the grain and didn’t have the same perceptions that most would have had. This incident was an important lesson in that, it made me aware of my negative perceptions and understanding that they need to change. 

From personal experience, even if we have this awareness, it’s incredibly difficult to stand up and fight against it. If one has a low level of empowerment, they might be aware of the injustice that happens but won’t be able to confront it head on (Wasson & Jackson, 2013). However, in my personal opinion, we as a society need to push through that uncomfortable feeling that we have and confront these injustices or negative perceptions. And in order for society to move in that direction, empathy and compassion are key components that need to be integrated into our lives and to break that, we need to move away from our own personal biases and consider altering perspectives so we can expand our own. An important skill to create empathy and compassion is to listen to what others have to say and process their feelings and emotions. While it may be beneficial to go out and experience other cultures to see their values, even listening to those different from us and hearing their thoughts can expand our outlook and give a different perspective (Management Library, 2022). Further developing compassion also relies on us being able to express vulnerability and reflect on suffering, especially within ourselves. When we are able to be compassionate to ourselves is when we can open that mindset to listen to others and showcase compassion (Sharpe et al, 2016). Unfortunately, as much as society wants to create this image that life is beautiful and grandiose, the reality is that the world can be cruel and that at the end of the day, we are humans with emotions. With creating compassion and wanting to fix issues in our communities, we need to embrace both the positives and negatives to make sure that solutions are geared towards that (Sharpe et al, 2016). 

Management Library. (2022, January 18). How to Develop Skills in Empathy
https://managementhelp.org/interpersonal/empathy-skills.htm

Sharpe, E., Mair, H., & Yuen, F. (2016). Community development: Applications for
leisure, sport, and tourism. State College, PA: Venture Publishing.

Wasson, D., & Jackson, M. (2022, December 1). Assessing Cross-Cultural Sensitivity Awareness:
A Basis for Curriculum Change. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 29(4), 265-276.