Multicultural

the sphs mediators present...

Mulicultural

a “note to self� zine cover by adam kwoh

Note to Self “A nation’s culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people” - Mahatma Gandhi The heart and soul of people continues to permeate through America’s diverse landscape of hills, plains, and coasts, creating a diverse melting pot of different backgrounds and cultures.

Especially in densely populated areas like Los Angeles, we learn to interact with people of different cultural backgrounds on daily basis.

Oftnetimes a person’s culture can be the first step to understanding and appreciation, as well as overall acceptance of a culture in modern society.

We hope that this collection of submissions and profiles from students just like you will help bridge greater understanding, appreciation, and acceptance between you and your peers.

love always, the peer mediators

我的旗袍 The dress I’m wearing in that photo is called qipao [旗袍] or chemsan in English. When I was younger, wearing the dress allowed me to embrace my culture and helped me connect with the Chinese side of my heritage. Just wearing the dress was always special to me. It allowed me to recognize that I should appreciate my culture and background even when I felt embarrassed to do so.

by kahlen miao

This a typical design of a prayer rug used in the Middle East.

The pointed arch as portrayed in Arabesque architecture.

The mass flowers spreading from a small vase represents a simplified version of the Tree of Life design, symbolic of immortality. The two columns are symbols of the two Pillars of Wisdom supporting the arch. photos courtesy of noor romans

by noor romans

photo courtesy of kahlen miao

Reagan’s

Pa r s l e y S a l a d Ingredients: - 1 bushel of parsley - 1 bag of ‘Bella Sun Luci’ sun dried tomatoes - 1 block of fresh parmesan cheese - Vinaigrette dressing (amount differs to one’s liking) * Optional: red onion and 1 cup quinoa Prep: 1) Remove the stems and chop parsley in a food processor until finely chopped.

2) Grate the block of parmesan cheese 3) Using kitchen scissors, cut the sun dried tomatoes into small pieces 4) Put it all together using salad tongs 5) Dress the salad to your liking with balsamic vinaigrette 6) Enjoy!

STU DENT PRO FILES by the peer mediators

anayah mehdi What is one of the most common stereotypes in your culture?

One of the most common stereotypes in my culture is that it’s a culture that women are oppressed. I have tried to educate people about this stereotype by having open conversations with my friends and family about their perspectives and proving them wrong or agreeing.

What do you love about your own culture?

I love how everybody in my culture is so fun loving and united. I also love how there is a strong sense of community everywhere you go.

How has your relationship with your culture changed with stereotypes?

The stereotypes that I heard about my culture forced me to question it and learn more about it, so that I could defend it and understand it better.

How do you think your culture has shaped your identity?

My culture shaped my identity in many different ways. For example, a lot of the morals and values that come with my culture,

photos courtesy of anayah mehdi

lulu talesnick How would you describe or define your culture?

I would definitely say that it is mixed. Like I said, I come from two different backgrounds. On my dad’s side, his great-grandmother was actually Jewish, but that did not get carried over into my grandpa and my dad, so we’re very religiously fluent, very open about religion, and there’s definitely a lot of different religions.

Then my mom is Puerto Rican, so her parents are from Puerto Rico and my uncle also lives in Puerto Rico.

What do you love about your own culture?

Something I love about my Puerto Rican culture is that people from Puerto Rico are very mixed and very diverse so basically because of colonization and all that; the Spanish came and then there were also African people who came. There’s a lot of different people that make up the Puerto Rican ethnicity, and that there’s a lot of history in the origins of Puerto Rico. I think is really interesting side is just the status of Puerto Rico to the United States Puerto Rico is not a state but it is a territory or like the Commonwealth which means that some of the benefits of being part of the US citizenship but we also don’t get the right to vote president and representatives in the US Congress. I think New York is just known for being a melting pot; you meet a lot of different people of all different ethnicities.

Can you describe something that you feel represents you and your culture?

Food is such a big part of staying connected to culture. My mom makes this Puerto Rican dish called arroz con gandules which is like rice with pigeon peas. I also think language is a huge part of staying connected. I speak Spanish and I speak English. I’m just trying to maintain that spanish through because I want to be able to speak to people. I think language and food represent my culture and how I stay connected to my culture.

How is your cultural identity shaped the person you are today?

I think I was always a little bit confused on where I stand just knowing that I am one of the most mixed. I have grandparents in Puerto Rico from New York and those are just such different cultures. I feel like I’m kind of in between them both and I think It’s been very interesting because I’ve had a lot to learn and a lot to balance so I think it’s very important just keep in touch with those.

I’ve noticed more recently just being in high school and being a little more mature is like how I haven’t received comments about how I look. I think it just goes to show you how others perceive people because of the color of their skin and the reality is that I have a lighter skin and I have some privileges that somebody like my mom who has darker skin and curlier hair face different struggles because of the color of their skin.

What do you wish more people knew about your culture?

One thing about living here is I don’t know too many Puerto Rican people. I think more people can just understand what Puerto Rico is and how it’s related to the US and also understand that Puerto Rico is such a diverse place. All of the cultural mixtures that have happened because of colonization and the native people there.

Like the United States, there are people that look so different.

It’s just crazy how people can look so different but be from the same culture, which I think really shows the diversity. I think I wish people knew that. I wish people knew more about it. It’s not a place we talk about too much.

jayden eden How would you describe or define your culture in three words?

Empathetic, Disciplinary, Family What do you love about your culture/what’s your favorite thing about your culture?

The Food. Especially Good food. It changes the vibe and can make what was a tense situation, an over the dinner table laugh. Jollof Rice, Egusi Soup, Rice and Stew, and Fufu with pounded yam are always go to’s in Nigerian Culture.

Describe or define something you feel really represents you and your culture.

I think the sense or feeling of family represents it best. In nigerian culture no matter how far you are in distance, emotionally (and if you want to get into beliefs time) you’re all connected. It’s all under one tribe. So everyone even outside of your immediate family is your uncle or aunty. One big extended family.

How do you think your culture has shaped your identity?

I wouldn’t be where I am today without it. Nigerian Culture and Black Culture are two of the most important players in my life. But before I knew what black culture was, I knew Nigerian Culture, and that nostalgia in my early upbringing left a greater impact on me that I still have an appreciation for.

Have you had any defining moments or experiences that shaped or influenced your cultural identity?

Sunday Morning Nigerian Church. You come in at 10 and you leave by 2 or 3 in the afternoon. The people, the food, and the overall atmosphere is hard to explain but the overall message of togetherness is far from that. You pray together, you eat together you laugh together and it creates a positive energy you can’t really find anywhere else.

What do you wish more people knew about your culture/ how do you think people could be more supportive of all cultures at SPHS? For the time that i’ve gone to school in SPHS i’ve noticed that a lot of my classmates and peers like to put Black students in one big category.

But while there’s a defining comradery between the small population of Black students at school I also believe that there should be some type of distinction or recognizing of the different African Cultures within that. Diversity is a beautiful thing and it should be praised where we find it.

Do you have any other things you would like to share?

Try Authentic Nigerian Farina or Fufu with Egusi Soup. It will change your life.

photo courtesy of jayden eden

How would you describe or define your culture in three words?

Traditional, Unique, Exciting.

What do you love about your culture/what’s your favorite thing about your culture?

I love celebrations, as our whole family would meet up and eat really amazing food.

Describe or define something you feel really represents you and your culture.

One thing that defines my culture is the traditional clothing (唐装) <pronounced tang-zhuang> we would wear during Chinese New Year.

It’s like a Chinese jacket with a straight collar. A lot of them would have buttons along the sides. My grandma would tell me that it brought happiness, luck, and a fresh new year as it usually is in red or yellow, classified as lucky colors. They are very fun and vibrant, and it definitely represents my culture a lot.

How do you think your culture has shaped your identity?

My culture has definitely shaped me in so many ways. I am able to learn so much more about it. Growing up mostly in the US, my culture amuses me.

Throughthestoriesmygrandfatherandgrandmothertellsme,I’velearned a lot of interesting things about Chinese culture. How we dressed, spoke, our government, and beliefs all were influenced by not just of parents, but our culture as well. However, I cannot say I am completely traditional in everything I do, since I definitely haven’t lived in China long enough to experience many cultural things.

Have you had any defining moments or experiences that shaped or influenced your cultural identity?

tia guang

I definitely focus on the stories my grandparents told me as a kid, especially ones that are super fictional, where it sounds like a fairytale. For example, they would read me this story (后羿射日). I want to share it with all of you.

photo courtesy of NINE SUNS

The mythical story: A long time ago, there was 10 suns in China.

The crops were dying, and the rivers were drying up. Everything died and life was miserable. One day, this great hero called Houyi (后羿) came. He was the best sharpshooter on earth, and decided to help China with their temperature issue.

Through bow and arrow, he shot down all 9 suns. When he was about to shoot down his 10th, the townspeople begged: “Houyi, houyi, save us the last one! Or else we shall live in eternity darkness.” Houyi listened.

Soon, the rain were pouring, and the crops and people were happy.

Houyi became the hero that saved China. He brought life to the people.

What do you wish more people knew about your culture/how do you think people could be more supportive of all cultures at SPHS? Especially during covid, I wish some students would understand our culture and our practices more. Even now, our Old president classifies this virus as the CHINESE virus. I disagree, as everyone can get it, and it’s called the COVID-19 virus. Students also mock us because they thought we all ate bats, and dog meat. I’ve never seen anyone from China ever eat a dog or bat. So I don’t like how we assume that everyone assumes that the Chinese practices these unusual eating habits. As well, I actually have been mocked back in elementary school, for having small eyes, and a flatter nose. I used to hate how my face looks because of that.

However, right now, I know that I am unique, and I absolutely learned to love my features, that represents where I came from. No one should mock anyone because of their looks anyway with any culture, so that was definitely inappropriate for the people that do.

liam de villa How would you describe or define your culture in three words?

Diligence, cooperation and foresight What do you love about your culture?

The ideals of hospitality between my family and spirituality.

How do you think your culture has shaped your identity?

The way I am educated and an down to earth and blunt personality as well as celebratory and outgoing ability for making new friends What do you wish more people knew about your culture That there is more history to Mexican and Irish people than the typical stereotypes.

How do you think people could be more supportive of all cultures at SPHS? People should think before speaking, such as when people use stereotypes to define a culture and rather listening to what people have to say about their own culture in a conversational environment.

family

traditions by zoe williams

Anonymous Student: Every Christmas Eve they would go over their great grandmothers house and make tamales all together. They’d all gather around in the kitchen and make tamales while spilling the family gossip and laughing all together. After hours of making tamales they’d sit around the table and enjoy the meal they made together, including beans, tamales, and pan de muerto.

Sophia Kim: She comes from Korean Culture and her parents immigrated here from Korea. Her culture has effects on her daily life through food! Her parents and grandparents love making home cooked meals, or 반찬 (different little Korean dishes), with vegetables from her grandmas garden for the family. One of the main dishes made is homemade kimchi, yum! One of her cultural traditions falls on New Years Eve, it’s called 세배 (sehbeh) and it’s meant to honor their ancestors/grandparents. On this day her whole family gathers together and plays a huge game called Yut Nori while eating rice cake soup. The rice cake soup is called tteokguk and it’s disc shaped rice cakes in a clear broth that symbolize purity and good fortune for the new year.

CULTURE:

a Q&A with the peer mediators Why is it important to understand other cultures?

With a nation as diverse as America, it is important to understand the many cultures to better bond and work with other people We learn new things from other cultures and understand and not fear our differences.

- Josh How do I handle expressing my own cultural identity while living in American culture?

I’ve struggled with this my entire life. What I’ve learned is to understand that everyone in America is different and identifies differently. There is absolutely no shame in both not feeling connected to one’s original culture or feeling too enveloped in a culture that you feel as if you aren’t “American.”

- Adam What resources are on campus to help better connect with my cultural communities?

Cultural awareness is extremely important. These are a few resources that can help better connect students with different cultures on campus.

1. SPHS Anti-Bias Club 2. SPHS Taiwanese American Club 3. SPHS Black Student Union 4. SPHS Historia - Isha

#BLM

Anti-Racist Reading List

Fiction The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison Beloved by Toni Morrison Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas Don’t Call Us Dead (poetry collection) by Danez Smith Counting Descent (poetry collection) by Clint Smith Non-Fiction The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander How to be an Anti-Racist by Ibram X. Kendi Why Are All The Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? by Beverly Daniel Tatum So You Want To Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo Between The World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates When They Call You A Terrorist: A Black Lives Matter Memoir by Patrisse Khan-Cullors Slay in Your Lane by Yomi Adegoke and Elizabeth Uviebinené The Warmth of Other Sons by Isabel Wilkerson *Adapted from Ella Jayasekera, Lilian Zhu, and Amelia Jarolim’s #DIVERSIFYYOURNARRATIVE Recommended Reading List

RESOURCES Counselor + Ms. Prime Peer Mediator Referral Form Wellness Website Wellness Linktree Anti-Racist List of Literature