By Emma Jehle, Community Relations Intern

This month the Culture and Community department of the International Institute of St. Louis is continuing preparations for the 10^th annual Festival of Nations, the leading celebration of world cultures in St. Louis, which will take place August 29^th and 30^th, 2009 in Tower Grove Park.  This year we expect over 100,000 friends in attendance to experience the music, arts and crafts, dance, sports and cuisine of over fifty cultures from around the world.  The festival is not only an opportunity to see the world from your own backyard, so to speak, but also a chance to come together with your friends, family and neighbors—the diverse St. Louis community all together.  Above all, the festival is a celebration of diversity and symbolic of the peace we long to see not just in our city, but also in the world as a whole.

At a moment when armed conflict continues to dominate the Middle East, when ethnic tensions result in riots and death in China and elsewhere, when women in many parts of the world are flogged or worse for wearing pants or going to school, and when people are forced out of their homelands for any or all of these reasons, it is all the more important that an international community come together in peace.  In this spirit of peace we are able to share the aspects of our daily lives that give shape, meaning, and identity to our respective cultures.  Suddenly, attending the workshop on Taiwanese Calligraphy or watching the dances of the Djerdan Bosnian Folkloric Group or munching on some Brazilian feijoada or having your hands adorned with the henna decorations of Egypt become not the activities of an interesting Saturday afternoon, but rather portals to cultural exchange, to understanding, and to unity.

So when you come to the festival this year with your friends and family, keep in mind the subtle significance of all that you do, see, and eat.  It will certainly be a fun-filled and exciting August weekend with seemingly limitless activities and treats for everyone and free admission.  Yet, it is also an opportunity for peaceful exchange with people from all over the world, which is an opportunity of no small value. 

We’ll see you August 29^th and 30^th in Tower Grove Park!

By Andrew Schmidt,
Administration Intern

What do Germany, France, and Japan have in common? What about Ireland, China, and Italy? Guyana, Poland, and Senegal?

The answer is that each of these countries, in addition to Russia, Mexico, and most recently Indonesia, have at least one sister city relationship with Saint Louis. All told, Saint Louis has 14 sister cities committed to acknowledging common interests and building on mutual opportunities. Specifically, Saint Louis’ connections derive from an abundance of academic and cultural institutions, commercial linkages and opportunities for expansion, as well as its position as an international city.

So, what’s the difference? I managed to make it 20 years without knowing about any of our 14 sisters. Even upon learning of them, I only knew where about half of them are. But then I started reading about them (and pulling out maps where necessary). If you have ever been to the Missouri Botanical Gardens and seen the sacred tea house in the Japanese Garden, you ought to thank the people of Suwa, Japan. Likewise, the aptly-named Nanjing Friendship Garden was a gift from our sister in China, the first U.S.-China sister city relationship. And the next time you see Saint Louis’ Saint Patrick’s Day Parade, think of the good folks in Galway whose progenies made it possible.

But, the focus should not be on what one or the other side can physically get out of the exchange. The sister cities program came in to being thanks to Dwight Eisenhower and his belief that local diplomacy could encourage cooperation and perhaps foster international peace. This makes sense: one is less likely to fight with someone with whom one shares some sense of connection. The whole process can be seen as an encouragement to think more globally. How often do we lose interest in the news because we do not know where the location of a story is? How much harder is it to sympathize with (or easier to ignore) struggles of persons who are far away?

Someone in Samara, or Szczecin, or San Luis Potosi knows where Saint Louis, Missouri is. Saint Louis is a non-capital city in one of 50 states in the middle of a very large country, so for someone in Russia, Poland, or Mexico to know this is impressive. We can at least return the favor. We are not all responsible for becoming experts in geography, but we could learn where a few more cities are. Some children in Nanjing might wonder about a foreign-looking playground and do the same for us. All we have to lose is our apathy.

For more on Saint Louis’ Sister Cities, see www.slcir.org.

By Laura Eschbacher

At the beginning of my junior year in high school, I boarded a plane at the St. Louis airport with a few suitcases and a desire to experience the world. I had been accepted to participate in the International Fellowship Class in Marbach, Germany. Kids from thirteen different countries came together for lessons in English and a year of learning about the German language and culture through total submersion.

Class discussions were fascinating. We were a young, small-scale sampling of the big world around us. I heard Thai opinions of the U.S. affirmative action law. I heard Finnish opinions of the post-WWII German culture. I saw firsthand how the U.S. media permeates the globe, and I even lost pop-culture trivia battles with my Romanian friend, who could quote Cartoon Network better than any American kid I know. My teacher asked me to do a presentation on the Ku Klux Klan because some of the Italians and Lithuanians had never heard of it. I was reprimanded for referring to the United States as “America,” by Argentineans who sternly reminded me that they are ‘Americans’ too. The good U.S. stereotypes were mentioned: hard-working, humanitarian, generous, even “cool.” But I also heard the bad: overweight, overly capitalist, power-hungry, and obsessed with war.

Living in Missouri, you could drive an entire day in any direction and still end up in the USA. So, there’s not a pressing need for Midwesterners to know a second language, or to be able to name the president of Latvia, for example. But the interesting thing is that the rest of the world does concern itself with United States culture, history, and politics. It was fascinating to see what the world decides to keep tabs on.

If I had never opened myself to new ideas, such thoughts would have never crossed my mind. It’s so interesting to listen to others’ points of view because you hear things you never could have dreamed up on your own. Different ideas give you perspective when dealing with your own life and nation. The poetry, traditions, advice, and values of other cultures help you to get a taste of what the world has to offer. And the best part is that you don’t even have to travel outside your city to experience it all. We have people from everywhere right here in St. Louis, many who would love to share their culture with those who are genuinely curious. (Festival of Nations! wink, nudge.)

My time in Germany showed me just how big (and small) the United States is in relationship to the rest of the world. It also fostered my fascination with travel and with international foods, languages, and ideas.

By Laura Eschbacher

My ancestors settled in the general St. Louis area, in Missouri and Illinois. My family history includes German, French, Sicilian, Irish, and Cherokee Native American. I’m living proof of the rich history of immigration to Missouri.

The United States was founded by people looking for a better life, wanting to create their own destinies for their families. Even President Obama has said it: No matter where immigrants came from, or still come from today, the reason people immigrate to the States is the hope of a better future. Historically, the U.S. is willing to accept immigrants of all backgrounds and beliefs. That is a characteristic of this country that I’m very proud of.
But some American’s don’t want to welcome newcomers. Why not? Our generation would not be here if it weren’t for the original newcomers that established this country. Americans whose families have been here for many generations sometimes overlook the fact that one or two hundred years ago, their great-great-great-great-great grandfather came to America with his great-great-great-great-great grandchildren’s best interests in mind. We are those grandchildren. If we say that immigrants have no right to be here, doesn’t that also mean that we have no right to be here?

Why would it be a bad idea for established Americans to learn another language— Spanish, for example? How could it be a bad thing to have bilingual citizens? Don’t forget that just 100 years ago, many St. Louisans still attended schools taught entirely in German.
More than half of European citizens in the EU can speak two languages. Learning another language brings not only the obvious communication skills, but also insight into the culture of the people who speak that language. Some words exist that aren’t translatable into English. How did such words come into being? What developments in this other society’s culture created a word that we don’t even have in our dictionary? I think learning a new language is more interesting than it is threatening. If we understood each other better, a lot of fear would disappear, and respect could take its place.
This is not to say that learning English shouldn’t be required (English is a vital part of American culture!), but at the same time, I see immigrants at the International Institute working so hard to integrate themselves by learning our language, customs, social norms, professional behaviors, and more. They are truly making an effort to become one of us. Why wouldn’t we make an effort to be receptive and welcoming towards them? They just want to be American citizens too.
Our ancestors couldn’t have survived alone when they first arrived in the U.S. They needed a support group, and they found it in each other. The International Institute is that support group for today’s immigrants, linking them to each other and to the rest of St. Louis. How awesome it is, that we can continue that welcoming of new generations of Americans. Why not try a little understanding?

Obama on Immigrants http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2008/06/obamas_remarks_to_naleo.html
St. Louis’ Multi-Lingual History
http://stlouis.missouri.org/government/heritage/history/immigrant.htm
Language Skills of Europeans
http://www.euractiv.com/en/culture/europeans-language-skills-rise/article-152828

By Andrew Chappelle
Communications Intern.

Last week, I went to my first i-squared events and really enjoyed myself! I-squared is the Institute’s young friends network and has events throughout the year which provide a greater understanding of the agency, its services and volunteer opportunities, among young St. Louisans. These events are also a great way to learn more about the families the agency serves. 

On Tuesday, the i-squared International Dinner Club went to Gian-Tony’s, a fabulous Italian restaurant in the Hill. Each time i-squared goes out to eat, there’s a different ethnic theme. In 2009, the International Dinner Club will continue its trek around the globe as we dine on Persian, Honduran, Nepalese and all sorts of other cuisines. Be sure to sign up for these events—you won’t regret it!

Also last week, there was an overview of the immigration system given by our very own Anna Croslin, President and CEO of the Institute. If you’d like to have a listen to this informative presentation (complete with slides), it’s provided here.