Running Head: CULTURAL IMMERSIONS

Cultural Immersions Vanessa Charles Georgia State University

Running Head: CULTURAL IMMERSIONS

In the past I have never gone out of my way to experience other cultures. The most I have ever learned about other cultures was in elementary school. When I was asked to pick four cultures I had no knowledge about, I visited different festivals and events. I knew that it was going to shape me into a better social worker that would eventually become more culturally competent. The four immersions that I decided to attend were Japan Fest, Greek Fest, the Native American Festival, and The Reflections of culture.

Japan Fest
I had little to no clue about Japanese culture prior to Japan Fest. All I knew was Pokemon, and Gwen Stefani's Harajuku girls. I was a bit inexperienced going into this whole thing. My perspective eventually changed by the end of the day. Upon my arrival to Japan Fest, I was a bit uncomfortable. I do not recall being told how passionate people were about their culture. There were people dressed like preppy schoolgirls, cotton candy warriors, people in colorful costumes, things that made me second-guess coming to this event. I quickly found out what was going on was called Cosplaying. Cosplaying is a shortened word for "Costume play", where you dress up as your favorite fictional character. De Lisle Coelho (2011) states that Cosplaying is a popular Japanese pop culture that many young Japanese male and females do as hobbies. In this case, the attendees that I saw dressed up as their favorite fictional character from Japanese Animation, which is also known as Anime. This form of animation has become so popular in America, and as a result exposed more Americans to Japan culture. It made me appreciate the Cosplayers instead of judging them. Being exposed to different cultures are what this project is all about. The inside of the event shocked me even more than the Cosplayers; it was truly amazing. All of the booths gave you a little more insight into Japanese culture. They were all decorated so beautifully. A woman at one of the booths wrote my name in Japanese and it hangs above my bed. A surprising number of women were wearing a certain garment. It was T-shaped with long wide sleeves and a hem that stopped around the ankles. They were tied together with a sash that is tied like a bow in the back. The stunning silk fabric and intricate designs crafted onto them were breathtaking. They are called Kimonos, which I found out means something I wear. They are mostly worn on special occasions. The women at the event had on traditional footwear to accompany their classic attire. There were also men that wore kimonos as well namely sumo wrestlers. I learned that sumo wrestlers have to have it on when they appear in public places. A sumo wrestlers life can consist of eating heavily, dressing a certain way, and following standard Japanese sumo wrestling Tradition. The sumo wrestlers at Japan Fest did not wear the traditional attire however put on a great show. Since I have never seen a sumo match ever in my life, what I saw confused me. The wrestlers are in a circular ring when the opponent is knocked out of the ring then they lose. If their opponent takes them down then they loose as well. The match was really great. My friends and I were on the edge of our seats the entire time. I noticed that Japanese Americans were very into their cultures that were passed down by their parents. There were also many Japanese immigrants who came to American stick to their roots instead of being Americanized.

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Gngr (2013) addresses that the involvement with new culture initiates change in personality of immigrants that fit with their culture norms. Before I finally left, I watched a Taiko performance. There was a group of people on stage with really huge drums. When they hit them, they gave off a loud thunderous effect that shook the entire room. I was told afterwards that the drum was used long ago to cast away evil spirits. So they would bang on the drum to imitate thunder in hopes of forcing rain to fall from the sky. This was my favorite part of the fest. I enjoyed the powerful sound of the drums, the harmony, and the passion they had for performing. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Japan Fest. There were so many things there that I wish I had done. It was truly an eye opening experience; Japan has a really beautiful history. Their people have been through so much, and it was an honor to learn about it. This really was a wonderful way to experience Japanese culture. I am glad I had the opportunity. To educate myself more about the Japanese I will continue going to events that help me learn more about this particular group.

Greek Fest
All I knew about Greek culture before Greek Fest was the tedious, boring, homework I had on Greek Mythology in high school. I was a bit apprehensive going into all of this. I did not expect this experience to resonate with me, but it did. The traditions that the Greek are fond of are things I need to practice in my everyday life. The event was held at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral, which is a pivotal landmark in Greek culture. It is where the most important holidays are religious in nature in which the majority of Greek people practice. Orthodox religion has played a vital role in maintaining the Greek ethnic and cultural identity. When walking around the venue, I felt very welcomed. There were no bad attitudes in sight. Everyone was extremely nice and genuine. All of the guest that stopped by hoping to learn about their culture. The entire fest ran very well everyone did his or job graciously and well. The chefs put their time into the food they made. Tsoukatos (2007) addresses how in Greek culture the people believe that it is apart of their culture to show great customer service to people who are involved in their business. The only Greek food I was familiar with prior to this was Greek yogurt. The food here was delicious. I had the pleasure of trying a gyro for the first time. A gyro is a pita stuffed with lamb meat, tomatoes, lettuce, and is topped with tzatziki sauce. It was out of this world amazing, and to my understanding there are Greek restaurants around Atlanta that sell gyros. I am definitely going there whenever I get the chance. My friend that came with me, did not know what she should order. she never had Greek cuisine as well. She got a Souvlaki plate, which was a grilled pork kabob, and it was served with rice. We saved room for dessert. We ordered loukoumades, which were these fried bread balls, coated with cinnamon. Also, they offered a drive through option, so that people can enjoy these delicacies even if they didn't have time to attend the actual festival. Food is one thing that brings families together in Greek Culture. Tsoukala (2008) states that food is considered a social relationship in the Greek community.

Running Head: CULTURAL IMMERSIONS

As we ate our dessert we walked around and took in all that the festival had to offer. There were gift shops that sold these amazing hand crafted items, jewelry, and even clothes. Greek chefs showing everyone how to whip up some of the glorious food they sold at the event. Inside the cathedral there were lectures about Greek Orthodoxy. I also saw the mosaic of Jesus on the dome, which was really cool. Once we went back outside, I was greeted with some contemporary Greek Music by the Alpha-Omega Sound. They were a highlight of the day. The Annunciation Greek Dancers who put on a fantastic performance guided the entire audience through the entire Greek heritage. I was in awe the entire time. The Greeks like to call this "Kefi", which is s joy of living, passion, or enthusiasm

Once the day ended, I realized Greek culture wasn't as boring as I thought it would be. I admire the passion they have for their religion, and I relate to the loyalty they have to their families. I love that they encouraged everyone at the festival to find their kefi and I found mine. I am definitely returning to Greek Fest next year, the Greeks really do know how to have a good time.

Native American Festival Prior to the Native American Powwow festival, I had no knowledge of the Native American culture. Out of all of the immersions I attended, this one was by far the one I really could not wait to go to. I always had a curiosity on the culture that the Native Americans have. Growing up all I heard from the media, peers, and other sources were negative stereotypes. The only thing closest to Native American culture I had was watching the movie Pocahontas as a child. The Powwow festival was held at Stone Mountain Park, this event is held around the fall every year. I went to the festival with my mother and friend from school. When we arrived we saw a massive amount of people walking towards the festival. I also noticed that loud poundings of drums and chants from people. After purchasing my tickets ,I entered the festival exploring my surroundings. The first thing I noticed was the line of booths in the middle of a sidewalk. Each booth had items that represented Native American Culture. The first booth I went to had an assortment of dream catchers in a variety of colors. I purchased a blue dream catcher to hang on my car dashboard. There were many handcrafted items that were made by the booth owners and their families. I noticed that most of the handmade apparel was all of nature embroidered scenery. The people that owned the booths were all beautiful; most of them had beautiful tan skin with long black hair. They were also very friendly and cheerful There was so much to do at this event; I had no clue what I wanted to do first. As I walked down the pathway I noticed a crowd of people surrounding a huge circle. When I got closer I figured out it was a dance competition. People of all ages competed in a Grass Dance competition. The clothing was worn by men, women and children. They were long robes with feathers and beads all over. The costumes were by far my favorite thing. After a few minutes the competition began as each contestant were called up. The first group that performed was a group

Running Head: CULTURAL IMMERSIONS

of toddlers with their mothers and father beside them. I loved how parents were teaching their children Native American Culture at such a young age. Schweigman (2011) addressed that children who participate in their Native American culture identify with their roots better then children who dont participate in their culture. The tiny tots pounced around a circle looking cute as can be showing off their dance moves. After the toddlers, the young adult category was next. The two boys were ages 18 and 19. This category was a bit different from the previous, there were only two people competing in this competition. The two dancers stomped in circles shaking long beads to the beat of the drums in the background. The dances were well choreographed. I could tell that it captivated every single person in the audience. After the competition I went to the food court area to see what kinds of dishes that had to offer. To my surprise there wasnt anything that I wasnt familiar with. I got a couple of pretzels and cheese and enjoyed the rest of my time there chatting with people who attended. In all the festival was by far my favorite, I felt welcomed by the people. I felt as if I learned a lot about a culture that I had bad stereotypes. I learned that there are differences among tribes. King (2013) states that there are differences and commonalities that are compared and contrasted by different tribes. I realized Native American culture was a very interesting culture that everyone should learn about. I do plan on attending this event again next year. I also plan on bringing more friends so they too can learn about these beautiful people.

Fern Bank Reflections of Culture Exhibit As a child I would go to the Fern Bank Science Museum on field trips every year. I was shocked to learn they had a Culture exhibit. I always thought fern bank was a museum with educational fun activities for kids. I thought it would be a great opportunity to check out the Culture Exhibit to gain knowledge about different cultures. I knew I would come out of their more culturally competent then I did coming in. The Fern bank Museum is located in Atlanta Georgia. It is know for its very popular history exhibits. When I first arrived to the Exhibit, the first thing I noticed was the entrance. There was a colorful mural of men women and children of different cultures. The wall was titled Reflections of Culture. My initial reaction to the title was a lesson in a variety of cultures. The people who were shown on the collage were Black, White, Hispanic, and Native American. I entered the area where there were different sections of clothing and accessories from different cultures. Bhuhi (2008) addresses cultural identity as ones clothing and traditions. Dorothy Methvin made the collection that was being displayed. The items that were showcased were items throughout different cultures around the world. The point of the entire exhibit was to show how people express their culture information through what they wore. Each section of the exhibit had a different group that was displayed. Each display focused on item that was held personal to a specific group. There was a specific tribal group that had piercings plastered all over their faces, small loin clothes that covered up their private parts. The piercings that they wore was a way of them expressing themselves and also their cultural identity. Hansen (2004) states that clothing is a part of an individuals culture. I noticed that

Running Head: CULTURAL IMMERSIONS

clothing is a huge aspect of any culture, it represents political, economic and also social status in the society they live in. I loved how they portrayed all these different cultures that many people dont know about really. The exhibit was not very big, but it did teach me a great amount of things that I had no clue about prior to this experience. The only thing I felt like they can do better with the Exhibit is making it bigger and adding more to it then just what people wear, I understand where they were trying to teach about how clothing is an important aspect, but I think they could have gone in to debt about it. Overall I did enjoy experience.

All four Immersions were a huge eye opener in what I will experience in the future as a Social Worker. I enjoyed each and every one of the events I attended. Every time I went to a new event it made me feel like I was apart of that culture. I have become more culturally competent after all four events. I do hope that I will be able to attend other festivals that teach me the ways of others and their cultures.

Running Head: CULTURAL IMMERSIONS

References Bhui, K. K., Khatib, Y. Y., Viner, R. R., Klineberg, E. E., Clark, C. C., Head, J. J., & Stansfeld, S. S. (2008). Cultural identity, clothing and common mental disorder: A prospective school-based study of white British and Bangladeshi adolescents. Journal Of Epidemiology And Community Health, 62(5), de Lisle Coelho, L. r., & Ramos Gonalves, G. (2011). Cultura pop japonesa e identidade social: Os cosplayers de Vitria (ES). Psicologia & Sociedade, 23(3). Gngr, D., Bornstein, M. H., De Leersnyder, J., Cote, L., Ceulemans, E., & Mesquita, B. (2013). Acculturation of personality: A three-culture study of Japanese, Japanese Americans, and European Americans. Journal Of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 44(5). Hansen, K. (2004). The World in Dress: Anthropological Perspectives on Clothing, Fashion, and Culture. Annual Review Of Anthropology, 33369-392. King, J., & Trimble, J. E. (2013). The spiritual and sacred among North American Indians and Alaska Natives: Mystery, wholeness, and connectedness in a relational world. In K. I. Pargament, J. J. Exline, J. W. Jones (Eds.), APA handbook of psychology, religion, and spirituality (Vol 1): Context, theory, and research (pp. 565-580). Schweigman, K., Soto, C., Wright, S., & Unger, J. (2011). The relevance of cultural activities in ethnic identity among California Native American youth. Journal Of Psychoactive Drugs, 43(4). Tsoukala, V. (2008). The social context of food preparation and consumption in greek households of the fifth and fourth centuries B.C. Dissertation Abstracts International Section A, 68. Tsoukatos, E., & Rand, G. K. (2007). Cultural influences on service quality and customer satisfaction: Evidence from Greek insurance. Managing Service Quality, 17(4).