Celebrating Asian Heritage Month!

Transcription

1 S P R I N G E D I T I O N S P R I N G Q U A R T E R M A Y Celebrating Asian Heritage Month! For information about the Office of Ethnic Programs and Services and for more pictures Check Out U.c.EPS on Facebook! During the week of May 9 through May 13, the Office of Ethnic Programs and Services celebrated Asian Heritage Month with a week of educational and socially conscious events. Beginning with Henna on Tuesday, Martial Arts Fusion on Wednesday, Becoming American documentary and discussion on Thursday, and ending with comedian Eliot Chang on Friday; this week of events brought together not only the Asian student community but drew diverse students into relevant discussions. By breaking cultural boundaries, EPS celebrated Asian Heritage Month with a series of events meant to not only increase knowledge about Asian cultures but to break stereotypes, barriers, and begin cross-cultural conversations.

2 P A G E 2 Henna Henna has been used since the Bronze Age to dye skin, hair, fingernails, leather, silk and wool. In several parts of the world it is traditionally used in various festivals and celebrations. For skin dyeing, a paste of ground henna (either prepared from a dried powder or from fresh ground leaves) is placed in contact with the skin from a few hours to overnight. Henna stains can last a few days to a month depending on the quality of the paste, individual skin type, and how long the paste is allowed to stay on the skin. Student artists from DAAP, George Hakim, Pooja Kwatra, and Ronak Makadia created beautiful designs on the hands and feet. Come visit Ethnic Programs and Services in Steger Student Life Center Room 555! Martial Arts Fusion The Martial Arts Fusion provided an opportunity for attendees to learn selfdefense and inner strength. Any martial art promotes healthy lifestyle with physical fitness and stress relief. The workshop and demonstrations included several different Asian martial arts techniques such as, Kendo, Taekwondo, Shotokan Karate, and Shaolin Wu Shu. Participants were introduced to these styles beginning with a brief history, description, demonstration, followed by individualized group workshops where everyone actively learned defense techniques.

3 P A G E 3 CINCO DE MAYO FIESTA On Thursday, May 5, 2011, the Office of Ethnic Programs & Services, Latinos En Accion (LEA) and the Residence Hall Association (RHA) collaborated for the Cinco de Mayo Fiesta. The Cinco de Mayo Fiesta was a cultural event dedicated to educating the University of Cincinnati student population on the actual significance of Cinco de Mayo. The real significance of Cinco de Mayo is to celebrate the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, The Battle of Puebla was one of the major battles leading to the ultimate Independence of Mexico which occurred on September 15, In comparison to the popularly misconception that Cinco de Mayo is a holiday dedicated to the Independence Day of Mexico. The Cinco de Mayo Fiesta brought together a diverse population of students, faculty, and staff to celebrate this national holiday by riding the mechanical bull, gladiator jousting, and eating free Chipotle burritos. Check out more pictures on the U.C.Eps Facebook page!

4 Becoming American: The Asian Immigrant Experience Becoming American: The Asian Immigrant Experience discussion began with segments of a documentary focusing on the shared and common immigrant experiences of the Asian American communities. Issues that the documentary and discussion touched on are methods of early immigrant transportation, economic hardships, family relationships, education philosophy, language barriers, and Asian slavery in America, the fight for Civil Rights and more. This discussion was a vital and much needed educational component of the Asian Heritage Month as it not only promotes the pride of Asian American origins but also teaches others about the history of Asian immigration to America. On the East Coast and West Coast where there have always been a greater influx of immigration, the issues associated with immigration are discussed frequently and general knowledge about immigration is more prevalent however in the Midwest, where diversity is not always prevalent or inherent, students benefited greatly from this program. Eliot Chang Written By: Carlo Cruz The Office of Ethnic Programs and Services in collaboration with Residence Hall Association, closed a week of Asian Heritage Month celebrations with a hilarious performance by Eliot Chang. The L.A.- based comedian delivered an interesting mix of topics that truly lived up to the "High Inappropriate" tour title. It didn't matter whether you were a sorority girl, Facebook addict, or avid photographer -- Chang had a little something to say about everyone. In a unique texting-based Q&A session, the audience learned more about Chang's history and motivations as a comedian. In celebration of Asian Heritage Month, Chang's successes represent the progress of Asian Americans in mass media and entertainment. As the Asian American community moves forward, Eliot Chang stands at the forefront of representing Asian American culture. Not only does his comedy support the voice of the Asian American community, but it also shapes a new figure for the typical Asian American.

5 P A G E 5 Tacos on Tuesday Worldfest began with a dynamic personality in the form of Dr. Juana Bordas, President and founder of Mestiza Leadership International and Vice President of Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership. Dr. Bordas is also the founder of Mi Casa Women s Center, the founding President/CEO of National Hispana Leadership Institute, and The Circle of Latina Leadership. Her list of accomplishments however does not do her justice. In person, she is dynamic, energetic, and full of life. She danced her way into the UC Mainstreet Cinema and asked everyone to join her, imparting her lover of salsa, soul, and spirit to all. In the spirit of Worldfest and Dr. Bordas love of diversity, the Office of Ethnic Programs and Services and Latinos En Accion hosted the traditional Tacos on Tuesday. Bringing the liveliness of Latin music through the halls of Steger Student Life Center, over 300 students joined in celebrating Latin heritage through the traditional food catered by Taqueria Mercado. Marinated chicken, grilled beef, slow cooked pork, seasoned rice, salsa, freshly made tortillas, chips, and more. The crowning glory of the event however was the tres leches cake made by Panaderia Las Mexicana, a local Fairfield bakery. Come visit Ethnic Programs and Services in Steger Student Life Center Room 555! International Fashion Show The Worldfest International Fashion Show is a collaboration of students from diverse cultures and countries. This year students wore traditional clothing from Africa, Latin America, East Asia, and South Asia with special performances by UC Breakdance, UC International Dance Team, Black Arts Collaborative, and Habeeba s Dance of the Arts. From Nigeria, Ghana, South Africa, Peru, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Japan, Vietnam, Cambodia, and India, the beautiful garments wowed the audience. Exciting dance performances roused the crowd from their seats.

6 P A G E 6 Holi Festival The Office of Ethnic Programs and Services in collaboration with Worldfest hosted the first ever Holi Festival. Translated as the Festival of Colors, Holi is a traditional holiday celebrated by Hindus and Sikhs. It is a celebration of Radha s love for the Lord Krishna (Hindu god). Radha applied colors to her skin to usher in the Spring, a season of love, prosperity, and abundance. During this festival, participants threw powdered colors in the whole of the color spectrum symbolizing the colors of spring, bestowing love on everyone. Emcees, Priya Srivastava and Sunny Patel welcomed over 250 guests to traditional North Indian food. Ms. Ronak Makadia and Ms. Pooja Kwatra danced to a contemporary Bollywood song and the UC Bhangra Team wowed everyone with one of the happiest performances ever seen. There are no words to describe the Holi game itself (please see pictures).

7 P A G E 7 The Rafael Rennella Scholarship Banquet On May 13, 2011, Latinos En Accion (LEA) in collaboration with the Office of Ethnic Programs & Services sponsored the annual Rafael Rennella Scholarship Banquet at the University of Cincinnati s Stratford Heights Banquet Hall. The Rafael Rennella Scholarship is in dedication of Rafael Rennella, LEA Founder, who was a student leader at the University of Cincinnati. He came to Cincinnati from Argentina in 1979 and eventually earned a Bachelor of Science degree in engineering at U.C. in Rafael left a legacy of service and accomplishment. Upon graduating from U.C., Rafael began working with Procter & Gamble as a systems analyst. Rafael s life and labor were cut short at the age of 26 when he died of an asthma attack in The annual Rafael Rennella Scholarship recipient was Ms. Milena Fernandez, first-year student in the Computer Engineering program. Mr. Alfonso Cornejo, President of the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in Cincinnati, attended to recruit volunteers for the new H-100 Community Outreach project.