Bien à vous, Cheya: CTB

Chapter 1:

If you have traveled to other countries and experienced other cultures, what differences from U.S. views of women and men and masculinity and femininity did you notice?

I've traveled to many different countries but the one culture that I noticed a huge difference in gender views was Indonesia. I was born and raised until the age of 7 in Indonesia. Growing up in the States, whenever I visit Indonesia, I can sense the differences in the views of women and men.

Firstly, the men are viewed as the superior race in the Asian culture. However, what's interesting for the Indonesian culture is that the women are viewed as the wiser. Our saying goes something like this: "The man may be the head. But the woman is the neck." The man may be the face of the family, but the woman controls what goes in behind the scenes. Unfortunately, in cases where abuse is involved, in my culture the man is often the one that society believes and the woman gets the shame.

In Indonesia, chivalry is evident. Women are viewed as the one that should be respected in community settings. In public gatherings, the men brings the drinks, the food, pulls out the chair, etc. But at home, the women are the ones at work.

When it comes to masculinity and femininity, the Indonesian culture and views are very strict. If you're a male who acts flamboyant and has a feminine flare, you're automatically the black sheep. This also goes for if you're a female who acts tomboy-ish and is very masculine. Men are required to be as masculine as possible; this means acting dominant, even aggressive. And the women are required to be as feminine as possible; this means charming, relationship-oriented, etc.

Chapter 2:

Think about your relationship with your parents. How were your connections to your father and mother similar and different? If you have siblings of a different sex, how were their relationships with your parents different from yours?

Growing up, I was closest to my grandmother. She raised me and took care of me and my sister when we first moved to the States because both my parents had to work. As I grew older, my mother was home more often than my father. My mother worked 7am-6pm every weekday and comes home just before sunset on Fridays. My father worked 7:30am-10:30pm every Sunday and each weekday and comes home just in time for Sabbath. They worked very hard to make sure my sister and I had every opportunity as possible while being in the States.

But as a result of my father working hard every day, I spent more time with my mother. I talked about life things to mom, and only about car, soccer and occasionally Adventism with dad. It was different but it made sense at the time. I remember being in middle school and catching a glimpse of a scene from The Secret Life of an American Teenager, and the teen girl going car shopping with her mom and her dad getting really offended. Her dad says something along the lines of, "you go shopping for pads and tampons with mom, but you're supposed to go shopping for your first car with me." Ever since seeing that scene, I always recognized how I saw my dad as the masculine lead in the family.

My sister and I are the only two children in the family, so I don't have a sibling of a different sex. However, growing up, my parents preached on a consistent basis that as much as they loved raising daughters, their families would always say that it's 'easier to raise 100 sheep than one daughter.' I vividly remember my parents telling me that if I was a boy, I would be able to play outside longer, I would be able to go over friends houses, I would be able to do x, y, z.

Although being a man sounds like the 'safer' option, I quite like who God has made me to be,

Chapter 3:

To what extent do you think it is possible for women to be both politically engaged feminists and sexy and conventionally feminine?

Personally, I don't think that this is a valid question. This question alone presents the double standards that men and female have. However, from a societal's point of view, this question does come up very often. And if it doesn't, it's because 'sexy and conventionally feminine' politically engaged feminists aren't even given the platform.

Because of this, I think politically-engaged feminists are amazing and deserves all the admiration. But to get as far as the typical politically engaged man would, feminists would have to 'filter' themselves to an extent. This 'extent' borders the line of charming and sophisticated to flirty and vivacious. However, I feel that as long as women can prove their knowledge and provide strong arguments as politically engaged feminists, it shouldn't matter if they want to act sexy and conventionally feminine.

In fact, I think that it's time that we as a symbol of feminism can use it to our advantage!

Chapter 4:

Compose a letter to a significant man in your life. Drawing on the knowledge you have gained in reading this chapter, you might offer your own definition of what it means to be a good man or invite this man into a dialogue with you about issues related to men and masculinity.

Dear future husband,

I want a good man. What does that mean to to you?
You're a Christ follower. But do you really love God?
I need a good man who loves God.

I want a good man. What does that mean to you?
The struggle is real. But will you stay strong through our struggles?
I need a good man who is strong.

I want a good man. What does that mean to you?
Commitment is scary. But will you respect and stay loyal?
I need a good man who is is a promise keeper.

I want a good man. What does that mean to you?
A present father is what my future kids will need. But will you stay around when it gets hard?
I need a good man who doesn't give up when the going gets hard.

I want a good man. What does that mean to you?
Walking in my shoes is a difficult thing to do. But will you lend an ear and extend your hand?
I need a good man who fights for me and appreciates me for who I am.

I want a good man. What does that mean to you?
Community is necessary. Mentors even so. But will you keep your eyes on the prize?
I need a good man who talks to God before he goes to his friends.

I want a good man. What does that mean to you?

- C.W.

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"Language Influences Our View of Reality"
The phrase “language influences our view of reality” means that our experiences, the way we communicate, how we communicate to others and receive communication from others affect how we live, affect how we see the world and affect our personal reality.

I speak two languages, Indonesian and English, fluently and one language, French, semi-fluently. English and Indonesian has influenced my view of reality in the idea that my language has changed my perceptions of people. When it comes to Indonesians, the Indonesian language takes on a more respectful stance. When it comes to Americans, the English languages enforces a casual stance.

Non-Verbal Language of a Culture

It's extremely useful to understand the non-verbal language of a culture because it could be completely left-field for other cultures. Some things could seem unexpected but in all actuality, is really important in determining the signage of the culture.

For example, in Brazil, the "ok"- gesture that one makes with their fingers is disrespectful. In fact, in Brazil, it's equivalent to the middle finger. Where in America, the fingers shaped and gesturing "ok" is completely fine. But if Americans were to travel and headed to Brazil and did that shape with their hands to a Brazilian, it may be misinterpreted as a sign of disrespect.

I have had a misunderstanding in my own culture as well. For Indonesians, it is very rude to hand over things to people with their left hand. However, in America, we don't think twice about that. Because I had lived in the States for a long time, I was not conscious of this being a disrespect to others. So when I visited Indonesia, I was handing out plates during a family get together. I started with my left hand and was scolded by my grandmother. I hadn't realized that my family members were offended that I didn't use my right hand. I apologized and further explained that in America, this was not the case. But had someone else of a different language did that in my culture, they would not be able to explain what the actual intention was.

Obstacles to Reading Nonverbals
One huge obstacle to accurately reading the nonverbal messages of others is whether or not they are accurately giving nonverbal messages. The provider may know a nonverbal as one thing and the receiver may know that same nonverbal as another thing.

Among Us
Out of the problems and issues presented in the intercultural experiences of the authors, I found the story of adopted child with the White parents most challenging to address if I was the one having that experience. If I were the parents, I would most certainly give her a name from her real origin rather than a random Asian country. I would also inform her about her culture and heritage as she grows older and provide her an opportunity to be around people of her same culture.

"Changing the world is within the reach of every one of us. Once we understand our capabilities, we cannot avoid our responsibilities.” - Lustig & Koester (2006)
Simply put, as a competent intercultural communication, my capabilities and responsibilities are to use the skills and opportunities I have to speak for those who cannot.

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Importance of a person's sense of self-worth in media

It is extremely important to a person’s sense of self-worth to “see” people like himself or herself in the newspapers, on television, in magazines, and in other media outlets. Life in Hollywood is completely glorified, and because of that, it causes people to feel as if they are less than if they don't see someone they can resonate with in Hollywood. It's unfortunate but it is our reality.

Even growing up, I realized that there were not as many Asians on TV as I would have liked. And if there were, they were either portrayed as hyper-sexualized or as a nerd that has deep "weird" secrets. It made me think that I could never have huge goals because I didn't see any Asians portrayed in media who seemed respectable.

Isolation and Marginality with Groups
I genuinely believe that students from many different groups still experience isolation and marginality. Because of this, we could incorporate change by having the desire to understand these students of different groups. And not only having the desire, but to also reach out and take initiative to invite these students to American functions. Change only needs to happen from one person.

Imahori's Decision to Change

As much as I am uncomfortable to the name change, I do understand why he made the decision. I am uncertain as to whether or not I agree, but I can empathize and see as to why he may have felt like he had no choice.

Growing up, I used to wonder why my parents didn't just spell my name 'Chelsea' and have it pronounced as 'Chel-sea' rather than 'Chel-see-yah". It made it more difficult for me to assimilate, I felt at that time. But as I grew older, I came to appreciate, embrace and love my name.

White Privilege
I accept the description of privilege, 'even if the white person does not have economic means', for those from European American cultures. Color matters. Not to me, but to many people it does. I love and embrace the fact that I am not white but I am conscious of the fact that not many people have this same belief as me.

I accept the description to apply for those of European American cultures because America was taken by Europeans. And so if we were to do a DNA heritage test on a random selection of White Americans, all would have a significant percentage of a heritage from Europe.

Going back to the color idea, let me give an example. Most European Americans are white. And so if they came to America and inhabited the country, they would choose to apply for a job. Let's say they choose to apply for the same job as an African American. This European American is most likely to be placed higher on the totem pole and have a higher consideration than the African American. Is it discrimination? Absolutely. Does it exist? Absolutely. But the fact that the European American is white, and he or she is applying to an American company and interviewed by White Americans, they have 'white privilege'.

Immigrants in the US

According to the American Progress, the majority of immigrants that migrate to the US today are from Asian countries. It is a strong tie between Asians and Latinos but the Asian population with the US seem to be increasing.

I feel that immigration in the US is more difficult now than it used to be. Countries of origin seems to not have changed. Public opinion seems to have changed drastically though. Or at the very least, the public opinion has seemed to be more vocal than it used to be. Back then, immigration was not a huge problem. Now, it seems as if it's the worst thing that could happen for America, which is very unfortunate.

Being an immigrant myself, I know that our family was trying to escape a life of sorrow and burdens. America seemed to be this land of hope and dreams. In some sense, it still is. Which is why there is a higher number of immigrants originating from certain parts of the world that are more terrible than the parts where life seems to be okay for them there.

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Stereotypes and Influence

Stereotypes, especially inaccurate ones, can be a negative influence on a child's cultural identity. The depictions of Indians as victims drunkards or savages causes Indian children to grow up thinking that they cannot accomplish anything. The depictions of Black people as "thugs", drug dealers or thieves causes Black children to grow up thinking that this is the only life that was given to them. The depictions of Hispanics as aggressive, gang members or lazy causes them to grow up believing that they are just dead-beats who are helpless. The depictions of Asians as sexual, bad drivers, and materialistic can cause Asian children to feel inadequate and senseless (The examples given here were 'bad' stereotypes, but when it comes to Asians, it's proof that even positive stereotypes can have negative influences).

Framing and Its Process

Framing is cognitive bias where people react to certain things in different ways depending on how they received it. It is the social construct of a social phenomenon. The process is essentially similar to agenda-setting theory where certain people in society place a focus of attention on something.

Frames for American Indians

"Natives were seen as “wild beasts” and “agents of the devil” who needed to be hunted down and killed or driven away. Nevertheless, Feagin judges white racism against African Americans as more harsh than against Native Americans, arguing that “whites have historically put more effort” into oppressing black people. He states: “While they have been the recurring targets of extreme white brutality and recurring genocide, Native Americans have not played as a central role in the internal socio-racial reality of the colonies or the United States as have African Americans.”"(American Indian Quarterly / Spring 2015 / Vol. 39, No. 2, p. 118)

Culture vs. Culture

It is not justifiable for a person from one culture to encourage a person from another culture to disregard their cultural values. One's culture is part of their identity. To disregard their culture is to disregard who they are as a person.

Ethnocentrism, Stereotyping, Prejudice, Discrimination, Racism, Tokenism

Personally, I've had a lot of experience in all the isms mentioned above. It's quite frustrating because you feel as if these things shouldn't happen, but it does. But I've realized that it does not affect me as much as it does if it happened to my parents. I would much rather have people act such a way to me than to do so to my parents. To see people act a certain way to my parents horrifies me and breaks my heart.

My parents are immigrants. My mom studied in England but she still looks and sounds Asian. My dad has lived in the U.S. for half of his life but he still looks and sounds Asian. My family have been U.S. citizens for over a decade and we still look and sound Asian. And just because we look and sound Asian, we get stereotyped and experience prejudice, discrimination, racism and tokenism.

When I was in high school and undergrad, I wasn't valedictorian. In fact, I wasn't even salutatorian. In undergraduate, I was in the top 5, but that's only because there were two people graduating in the Human Biology class of 2018. Did I get many comments about how I'm Asian and how I should have been number one and gone to medical school? Plenty.

My parents, my sister and I have higher car insurance rates than most people I know. And none of us have been at fault during accidents let alone have any major accidents. And none of us have had more than one traffic citation. I would also say that I am an impeccable parallel-parker. Still, our car insurance bill is ridiculous.

As a Christian, it shocks me even more when I receive any type of negative ism from other Christians. This past weekend, I was at New Life, a predominantly Black church. Not many people know that I am an Integrity director at the church. Being a director means that you're part of the New Life team. The team that meets for hours every week. The team that spends time and plays Escape Rooms together. Most of the time, I don't experience any negativity. But this past weekend, a participant didn't even want to hold my hand during prayer when we were prompted to by someone up front. And another participant just stared at me... Plainly stared at me, without any shame, rather with a piercing glare like "what is she doing here?"

My boyfriend is Black. And I love him so much. And because of him and his patience, I have been able to see a whole different side of racism that makes me question humanity. One day, someone had texted him saying, "hey man, I can't believe that a guy like you would be dating an Asian like her". Another day, someone else had said to his face, "you will not reach your potential as a Black man if you are with her."

Then there is also the fear that every time I say bye to him, I may not see him again. That every time I hear sirens and he just left, my heart stops and I frantically reach for the phone hoping that's not him. The fear that my future kids will not be accepted and loved for who they are but rather they will judged simply by the color of the skin of their parents.

When does it end?

While I wait for change, I can be a part of the change. I can be a diversity ally where I stand. I can love like Jesus loved. I can look at someone and learn to say "what happened to you?" rather than "what's wrong with you?".

References:

Dwanna L. Robertson. “Invisibility in the Color-Blind Era: Examining Legitimized Racism against Indigenous Peoples.” American Indian Quarterly, vol. 39, no. 2, 2015, pp. 113–153. JSTOR, JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5250/amerindiquar.39.2.0113

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Views of Death

I believe that death is inevitable. But that it is also something to not be sad about. Because of my belief being rooted in Adventism's views of eschatology, I see death as a quick nap. A pause before I am able to be in Heaven with loved ones.

One's view of death could greatly impact how they live their life. If one feels that there is nothing important after death and all there is, is just death, they may just live their life carelessly. If they are naturally a kind-hearted person, they may just be kind in their actions as well. But if they aren't and live with malice, then unfortunately that may be discomforting to know for the people they encounter.

If one lives with the idea that there are repercussions post-life, or if one believes in reincarnation based on good deeds, then they may live their life fueled by the desire to have a better future.

Historical Legacies of the US

We would like to think that a country and its people learn from their past mistakes. However, it seems that the phrase "history repeats itself" rings true.

Historical legacies of the United States and even other countries have a strong capability to produce discord and conflict. For example, although one may not want to admit, the US is strongly based on the the rivalry between Democratic vs. Republic principles. Legacies that have been founded on Republic principles can often push Republicans to stand true to their title and the beliefs that come with the title regardless of whether or not the belief would be beneficial to the progress of the country.

A current example is the legacy of how people view politics in general. It may not be a positive legacy but people still see politics as dangerous and something to avoid.

National History Shaping National Identity
National History plays a significant role in shaping national identity. The events that occur within a nation are what decides the characteristics that the nation embodies. For example, within the United States, the history has been the fact that Americans go to a country or a place that is not their own, wreak havoc then and then attempt to claim the country as a part of US territory and then call it their own. From the outside, other countries see the US as an unfaithful and unkind country.

Application of the Four Stages of Minority Representation in Media
The four stages of media representation for minority groups are:

1. Non-representation, 2. Ridicule, 3. Regulation and 4. Respect

Within the current activities in media, it seems as if we are now in the regulation stage. The minority group is represented but in limited, socially acceptable roles. And if they do hold a lead role, statistically, they are financially compensated with significantly less than that of a person in the majority group.

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Personal Family History

(see Consider This, p. 96 of Samovar, Porter, McDaniel, and Roy, 2017)

My family would be classified as formal. Indonesians are pretty strict and prideful of their family name and legacy. But Chinese-Indonesians are a completely different level. Informal is a rare word that only shows up in our vocabulary in times of need and desperation (i.e., hitting rock bottom). And since hitting rock bottom is not permissible, then informal is not even in our dictionary.

It's interesting because as formal as we are, as Manadonese, jokes is what we thrive on. At least, when we're family. Anyone and everyone could be the subject of these jokes. It always depended on the day or the last person who did anything worthy of making a joke on!

In our culture, the elderly are treated with the ultimate respect. They would be given the best seats, first in line for food, hand-shaken and more. Conflict was dealt in a direct manner. I find that this worked to my advantage because I learned to address conflict in a respectful way rather than being passive-aggressive and letting emotions build up.

In our family, both parents were the decision-makers. I would say that in our culture, the father tends to 'wear the pants' in the family. But we have a saying our culture, if translated directly: "the man is the head, the wife is the neck." So although the man in the house declares the decisions, we all know that the woman led him to said decisions. In my immediate family, there is only my parents, me and my sister. Although there were 2 girls in the house, I still notice different child-rearing practices being followed. As the oldest, I carried most of the responsibilities and the standards were exceedingly high for me. I would get in trouble for things that wouldn't even be a thought if my sister did the same thing. I had more and harder chores than her as well. I wish I had a brother so I could experience that, but I do remember my parents always saying, "I would rather raise 100 cows than one girl." I guess they thought having sons would be easier than raising daughters.

Cooperation in our family is stressed. However, competition in the culture is stressed more than family. The values that we have as a family is highly impacted by our faith in Adventism. Growing up, my parents paid special attention to raising my sister and I in encouragement of one another. If we ever did have any competition, my mom would remind us of the story of Cain and Abel and how jealousy is one of the ways that the Devil uses to tempt us and to damage families.

In my family, I was rewarded in gifts. Indonesians are not known to say "I love you". Their love language was gifts, so I'm used to being given little gifts here and there or surprises to the park or Chuck E. Cheese. When I'm punished, my family is Asian, so corporal punishment is usually the first and only tactic.

When it came to religious matters, I was required to go to church every Saturday. I was born and raised in the Adventist church. Indonesian Adventism is highly conservative; all hymns and no drums. I am glad that I was able to leave home for University and explore my own way of worshipping God. However, I am still faithful and I believe in Adventist doctrines.

Invisible Culture

“Culture exists in the minds of people, not in external or tangible objects or behaviors”.

It's often said that much of culture is invisible because it's non-existent. It's really created and dependent on society. The culture of society in 2000 is different than the culture of society currently because of how society has evolved. That being said, we created culture.

Globalization vs. Families

Globalization has impacted life in general; therefore it has impacted the way families behave and our relationships. New stresses, challenges and opportunities occur from globalization and new immigration patterns. For well-off families, globalization benefits them because they are exposed to more opportunities such as traveling, education and experiencing different cultures and languages. For those who are struggling, globalization could progressively push them into poverty.

Assimilation of a Child

Personally, I believe that when parents adopt a child trans-culturally, they should have a healthy balance of ensuring that the chid has contact and knowledge of his/her birth culture while at the same time helping them assimilate into the new culture. As the child gets older, I believe that its' the parents responsibility to leave it up to the child on whether or not the child chooses to learn more of their birth culture. Regardless of how the adoption occurred, the child has a right to make that choice him or herself.

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Childhood, Culture & Traditions
Until the age of 7, I lived in Makassar, Indonesia. It was and still is a predominantly Muslim city. I only remember growing up in one big house. But I am often told of stories of the first family house I had ever lived in. Back then, my grandfather was a well-known Adventist preacher in Indonesia. As you can probably imagine, a Christian evangelist in a Muslim country did not bade well in the community. Not long after I was born, the first family house I ever lived in was burned to the ground by our neighbors. Stories of my mother running around the house grabbing all the paperwork and sentiments resound in my head. Persecution of Christians was common in cities that are predominantly Muslim in Indonesia. Statistically, about 85% of the cities in Indonesia were predominantly Muslim. But I also remember how every Christmas, my family had made gift baskets for the 'pete-pete' as we like to call them in Indonesian. The 'pete-pete' were common transportation in Indonesia made of bikes and drivers who would bike a family of 5 all day long in the scorching sun just to make a living. Our family was known for these gift baskets so every Christmas, a line of pete-pete would wait outside our door. This soon became a family tradition that were modified and brought to the States when the US finally became my home.

At 7 years old, I hopped on a plane and flew to a country whose language I barely knew besides singing "Somewhere beyond the blue". If we had stayed in Indonesia, my family would be comfortable. We would certainly be well off. But at 7 years old, I remember walking into the 2-bedroom apartment in Dover, NH. One bedroom were my cousins, the other bedroom was for my parents, my sister, and me. I'm proud of my parents and I'm proud of my family because we have certainly come a long way in 15 years. But looking back, I'm grateful to have such experiences and to be able to be reminded of where I came from and the struggles we had to get to where we are now. The journey of green card and citizenship definitely was not easy. And to be honest, it's not easy as we see our church members going through the same struggle and having a less fortunate outcome than us.

Cultural Identity
Based on Lustig & Koester, "cultural identities are formed through a process that includes three stages; unexamined cultural identity, cultural identity search, and cultural identity achievement."

To me, cultural identity is the feeling of belonging to a group. It is formed by society, by certain values or beliefs, by upbringing and more. Rigid adherence to the culture of our youth is much desirable but not as feasible as it used to be. Some can argue that this may be caused due to technology and the addiction of technology of our youth today.

Cultural identity, to me, is more of a nostalgic notion than a reality. We as a carnal individuals desire to belong to something. We long to have 'cultural' norms and long to seek pride in our identity, in who we claim to be. Cultural identity is not in its pure form due to the fact that it is a feeling that is created and molded by a specific group of people. As cultural identity shifts from generation to generation, there is no longer any form that could be labeled as 'pure'.

If someone asked me to explain my identity, I would say that I am Indonesian-born, Asian-American raised woman who believes in the doctrines of Adventism. I genuinely feel that my characteristics and personality has been formed by my cultural background as well as my beliefs and values that has been cultivated by my choice of religion.

"Minory Majority" Nation
The United States becoming a "minority majority" nation may actually be a great thing! As a minority, I feel that this will influence cultures to mingle and assimilate. People will be pushed to grow out of their ignorance and learn how to treat others as they would like to be treated. The dominant culture values that currently exist may no longer be dominant. Instead, cultures will level out across the board.

Generalizations of Life in the States
Unfortunately, the relationships between social attitudes and television does not accurately reflect. We all know that broadcasters use their streaming power to influence their viewers.

An exchange student may believe based on television shows that the United States is the land of the free, where anyone and everyone can peacefully come...

They may believe that if they follow their dreams, it's enough to get them to achieve their dreams...

They may believe that all non-American cultural stereotypes are true...

Stages of Cultural Identity
I am at the Cultural Identity Achievement. I'm Indonesian, Manadonese to be specific and I'm proud to be a Manadonese. I'm even more proud to have achieved United States citizenship so that makes me Asian-American. Granted, there are qualities of the Indonesian culture that I may not like or may not agree with, but regardless, I know who I am and I'm not ashamed.

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My Name, the History and the Significance

Chelsya Ernina. When my first and middle name is spelled out, it appears as if every letter was given deep thought before eternally assigning it to a beloved daughter. Little did we know that this was actually not the case. Well.... not for my first name at least.

I was born in 1996. And in 1996, Chelsea F.C. reached the FA cup semi-finals. They had been in a losing drought for over 2 decades, but my father was faithful. In 1997, my father's intuition was right, for Chelsea won the FA cup, 2-0 against Middlesborough. Yes, Chelsea is spelled with an 'e'. Not a 'y'. But if anyone asked my family where my first name came from, without skipping a beat, my father would proudly say, "the 1996 Chelsea F.C. of course!". They may have just wanted to be a little extra special by spelling it with a 'y' and having it pronounced Chel-see-yah.

The past couple of years, my last name on forms and Facebook has switched between Ernina, my middle name and Waworuntu, my last name. At first, it was not at all intentional. I just felt that it flowed better. One day, my mother said to me, "you should use your middle name more often, it's quite beautiful." That night I went to sleep thinking, "it is beautiful, isn't it?".

My grandparents' names (from my father's side) are Ernest and Helena. My grandparents' names (from my mother's side) are Berni and Eni. When my parents decided to combine the four names, Ernina was the result. This is probably the most significant reason why both my parents and I hold this name close to our hearts. But another reason is that I may just feel extra connected to my little sister. Her middle name is Bernika. As you can see, her name was derived from my grandparents as well. And to me, this is why I love my name.

Covarrubias vs. Waworuntu

When reading about Covarrubias and her different names such as pet names, family names or even terms of endearment, it was quite hard to find a parallel to my family. But I genuinely believe that this may be due to the different cultures. For Indonesians, our name is our name. No nicknames, no family names. Well.... unless you have a little sister who was unable to say your name and what she had coined at 3 years old stuck forever. Cheya.

A Teacher's Influence

A child is at school for 1/3 of their day for approximately 36 weeks in a year. Therefore, a child is influenced by the teacher and their classmates for 1/3 of their day for 70% of their year. So when a teacher does not learn the student's name correctly, it makes sense that there will be psychological implications in the future. A teacher's influence is greater than most making it extremely important for him or her to show genuine care for a student and learning how to pronounce it properly.

As a teacher, interacting with students from other cultures may be somewhat difficult but if treated with a positive manner, this could provide for a monumental teaching lesson (though subconcious) for everyone else in the class. In avoiding negative consequences, the best policy is honesty. If struggling, a teacher could admit that they are having a hard time pronouncing the student's name, but are willing to learn. Then, simply ask the student if he or her could go over it with the teacher.

“For my father, a human being’s maximum sin was to be ignorant and mediocre."

My perspective is similar but also different to that of Covarrubias' father. Have you ever heard the saying, "ignorance is bliss?". I don't necessarily agree with that statement, but I see and understand that sometimes, not knowing and not understanding certain things can keep you out of trouble.

Is it a "maximum sin... to be ignorant and mediocre?" I don't think so. I do think that when being aware of one's ignorance and choosing to not do anything about it, especially on topics that are significant and could alter people's lives, then that could be categorized as something close to sinful. Such as being ignorant of certain experiences, certain histories, and certain aspects that are often problematic in society.

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Bien à vous, Cheya

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