"ĄHola amigo! żCómo se llama?" It was the second person that day who had uttered those same irritating words on my ear. Did they really not know that I spoke Portuguese instead of Spanish?
The exchange program had so far been more than what I expected. It was only my first day in a Canadian high school and already the unknown faces that passed by me at the hall smiled, waved and even welcomed me in slang. I had to admit that being a Brazilian had its advantages; they stared at me, not in a humiliating way, but as if I was the luckiest person in that room. After all, I was born in the land of the godlike soccer players and dwelled amidst the most seductive women on the face of the Earth.
But, I then realized that these stereotypical remarks were more than just joking statements, and instead reflected the little knowledge that students had about my country. The situation went from critical to dangerous the moment Peter asked, "Do you live in the Amazon forest? You know, with monkeys, and snakes and stuff?"
Fortunately, my exchange program enabled me to perceive that living in a different culture had made me more understanding to different traditions. Having experienced the Canadian way of life, I was more knowledgeable about their beliefs and accepted them more easily, for I knew what it meant to be a Canuck. With that in mind, I felt like it would be important for me to share some of my culture with by Canadian friends, that way opening their minds to the diversity of our human race.
I started talked about Brazil twenty-four seven; I showed people pictures of my hometown and even had my mother mail me a book about samba dance to share with my classmates. I taught them about Carnaval, about the strong influence of the Catholic religion in our culture and even dared to make some predictions about our economic growth. My mission culminated in a fifty-minute presentation for my IB Geography class about Bahia - the province I live in - and I left the country glad that my friends were becoming international students.
The truth is, though, that the world is big and my mission must continue. After this experience, I perceived that learning about other cultures helped people develop tolerance and respect, fostering a sense of cooperation that allowed me to preserve my Canadian friendships even after my departure. With technological advances sweeping away all boundaries, our world today is one broad community and its members must recognize that coexisting harmoniously is advantageous to all. By stimulating an atmosphere that values the mixture of diverging characteristics, communities avoid a "clash of civilizations" and guarantee the development of a deep-rooted sentiment of family defined by no particular trait other than being human. Through cultural acceptance, collective efforts generate more progress and human potential is no longer being wasted on the basis of irrelevant differences.
With that viewpoint, I trust that I will contribute to Rice University by promoting an environment that integrates minorities into all spectrums of the institution. One of the first actions I plan to take when I study in this college is participating actively in the Multicultural Community Relations, which seeks to enhance the relationship between the college and its smaller groups, both inside and outside the campus. Be it through luncheons, outreach programs or casual conversations with students, I hope to strengthen the Rice community in order to make sure that all have access to a fruitful college experience. One of the programs which caught my attention was the Empowering Leadership Alliance supported by Rice's Center of Excellence and Equity in Education. This initiative works to develop a national network of colleagues who share the common experience of being part of underrepresented groups at research institutions. By campaigning and sponsoring this project, I would be aiding undergraduates all across the nation who might be facing difficult cultural obstacles in receiving a bachelor's degree.
However, I could not forget to show my deep concern for a single aspect regarding Rice's social communities: it does not possess an association which I could be a part of. Being a Brazilian, I understand that I am a minority within minorities and thus, creating an organization specifically for the Luso-Brazilian population might prove to be a challenge. Nonetheless, one of the primary changes I shall promote within the university is widening the range of the Hispanic Association for Cultural Enrichment at Rice (HACER). Because the organization focuses solely on members belonging or descendents from Spanish-speaking countries, it unfortunately excludes the Brazilian community. However, if its spectrum were to expand - assisting individuals that instead fall under the broader "Latino" category - such problem could be resolved with a simple, yet efficient measure. By coordinating a combined effort between the Hispanic and Luso-Brazilian cultures, this new joint association would guarantee a bolder approach to promoting diversity within the Rice family.
I trust that one day, as I'm sitting down in the Academic Quad, a friendly Rice student will approach me and say, "Oi! Como vai?" and, when we're finished greeting one another, he'll ask me about the favelas and wonder how those shantytowns have emerged in the center of most Brazilian metropolises. I'll be glad to tell him all about it and I'll be even happier to know that I had helped my Rice community become international.
The exchange program had so far been more than what I expected. It was only my first day in a Canadian high school and already the unknown faces that passed by me at the hall smiled, waved and even welcomed me in slang. I had to admit that being a Brazilian had its advantages; they stared at me, not in a humiliating way, but as if I was the luckiest person in that room. After all, I was born in the land of the godlike soccer players and dwelled amidst the most seductive women on the face of the Earth.
But, I then realized that these stereotypical remarks were more than just joking statements, and instead reflected the little knowledge that students had about my country. The situation went from critical to dangerous the moment Peter asked, "Do you live in the Amazon forest? You know, with monkeys, and snakes and stuff?"
Fortunately, my exchange program enabled me to perceive that living in a different culture had made me more understanding to different traditions. Having experienced the Canadian way of life, I was more knowledgeable about their beliefs and accepted them more easily, for I knew what it meant to be a Canuck. With that in mind, I felt like it would be important for me to share some of my culture with by Canadian friends, that way opening their minds to the diversity of our human race.
I started talked about Brazil twenty-four seven; I showed people pictures of my hometown and even had my mother mail me a book about samba dance to share with my classmates. I taught them about Carnaval, about the strong influence of the Catholic religion in our culture and even dared to make some predictions about our economic growth. My mission culminated in a fifty-minute presentation for my IB Geography class about Bahia - the province I live in - and I left the country glad that my friends were becoming international students.
The truth is, though, that the world is big and my mission must continue. After this experience, I perceived that learning about other cultures helped people develop tolerance and respect, fostering a sense of cooperation that allowed me to preserve my Canadian friendships even after my departure. With technological advances sweeping away all boundaries, our world today is one broad community and its members must recognize that coexisting harmoniously is advantageous to all. By stimulating an atmosphere that values the mixture of diverging characteristics, communities avoid a "clash of civilizations" and guarantee the development of a deep-rooted sentiment of family defined by no particular trait other than being human. Through cultural acceptance, collective efforts generate more progress and human potential is no longer being wasted on the basis of irrelevant differences.
With that viewpoint, I trust that I will contribute to Rice University by promoting an environment that integrates minorities into all spectrums of the institution. One of the first actions I plan to take when I study in this college is participating actively in the Multicultural Community Relations, which seeks to enhance the relationship between the college and its smaller groups, both inside and outside the campus. Be it through luncheons, outreach programs or casual conversations with students, I hope to strengthen the Rice community in order to make sure that all have access to a fruitful college experience. One of the programs which caught my attention was the Empowering Leadership Alliance supported by Rice's Center of Excellence and Equity in Education. This initiative works to develop a national network of colleagues who share the common experience of being part of underrepresented groups at research institutions. By campaigning and sponsoring this project, I would be aiding undergraduates all across the nation who might be facing difficult cultural obstacles in receiving a bachelor's degree.
However, I could not forget to show my deep concern for a single aspect regarding Rice's social communities: it does not possess an association which I could be a part of. Being a Brazilian, I understand that I am a minority within minorities and thus, creating an organization specifically for the Luso-Brazilian population might prove to be a challenge. Nonetheless, one of the primary changes I shall promote within the university is widening the range of the Hispanic Association for Cultural Enrichment at Rice (HACER). Because the organization focuses solely on members belonging or descendents from Spanish-speaking countries, it unfortunately excludes the Brazilian community. However, if its spectrum were to expand - assisting individuals that instead fall under the broader "Latino" category - such problem could be resolved with a simple, yet efficient measure. By coordinating a combined effort between the Hispanic and Luso-Brazilian cultures, this new joint association would guarantee a bolder approach to promoting diversity within the Rice family.
I trust that one day, as I'm sitting down in the Academic Quad, a friendly Rice student will approach me and say, "Oi! Como vai?" and, when we're finished greeting one another, he'll ask me about the favelas and wonder how those shantytowns have emerged in the center of most Brazilian metropolises. I'll be glad to tell him all about it and I'll be even happier to know that I had helped my Rice community become international.