Today I attended the International Day that took place at the Engineering building. I did not know what to expect from this event but there were several aspects that I not only enjoyed but learned from as well. First, there was a young boy (no older than 12) playing authentic African music when we walked in. He was playing mostly percussion instruments and it was fascinating! He was very talented and his teacher was there announcing what the names of the songs were and why they were important in the African culture. She taught us one song "Sunshine in Africa" that she teaches to all her music students. This teacher was also a professional African dancer and has toured to many places to perform with a company. It was interesting to see this kind of music and dancing occur in Michigan. I didn't realize that it existed in places other than Africa. It would be wonderful to have these types of people come into my own classroom one day to teach about diversity and multiculturalism. I loved that their heritage was protected through their song and dance today.
Another aspect of this international day that I really enjoyed was the paintings and work of Julian K. Van Dyke. He is an artist, illustrator, author and actor. He has made illustrations in many children's books and when I talked with him he said that it was important to keep his illustrations authentic and true. I found it so interesting that his focus was the illustrations of these children's books and he said that the illustrations often tell another story. Although I have found this in some books throughout the semester it was interesting to hear him speak about it and get it from his insider perspective.
Finally, there was a Mexican group of dancers that performed later on in the day. They performed traditional dances and both males and females took part in the dances. They explained how their group began and they said it was as simple as they wanted to keep their culture alive and known. I think it proves the quest for students at all ages and people of all ages to keep and cherish their heritages. To me, that is why it is so important to have books that makes all students feel that their culture is being recognized.
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2 comments:
I wish I could have attended this! This is so beneficial especially since it is from an insider. Everything is authentic and you can actually learn about the accurate culture of others. I agree with you that it is important to cherish the heritages of others. Children would feel so proud of their heritage if it was discussed in classes and portrayed in books. It is also valuable to teach outsiders to find some similarities and differences in their culture with others.
Wow, I wish I could've gone!
I feel like there should be more events like this. I think everyone benefits from them... the group performing, the specific culture, even the "outsiders". I feel like this kind of event needs more advertisement too. It's such a powerful experience to attend something like this. More people should be given the opportunity.
I agree with what you said about this type of thing being a great way to teach multiculturism. It touches on the beauty of different cultures in a way that's entertaining and relatable.
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