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Student journey is exploration of other worlds and cultures
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ImmigrantR-@afsc.org
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Feb 12, 2008 09:38 PST
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http://www.nj.com/starledger/stories/index.ssf?/base/news-3/120279631795
40.xml&coll=1
Student journey is exploration of other worlds and cultures
Grasping the realities behind political issues
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
BY NAWAL QAROONI
Star-Ledger Staff
The Global Village may sound like a retail store for handmade objects
from across the world, but the name also refers to a series of
topic-specific, female-only dormitories at Douglass College in New
Brunswick.
One of them, the Human Rights House -- a living community for Rutgers
University students interested in human rights issues -- recently
returned from a trip to Mexico and New Mexico, where they explored
indigenous Americans, immigration, culture and economics in border life.
The trip, taken during winter break last month, taught students how
immigration issues affect those who live near the border, said Danielle
Gougon, assistant dean for global programs.
"Immigration is such a polarizing issue," Gougon said. "Students wanted
to talk more knowledgeably about the topic, which is so much a part of
the American public conversation right now."
Twenty-one students stayed with local families in Juarez, Mexico. They
visited the Intercultural Center in Anthony, N.M. They discussed
sovereignty, women's rights, preserving colonial history, and
representing sacred traditions. They participated in cultural life on
both sides of the Rio Grande. And they learned the economic realities of
many Mexican families.
"I was able to look into the life of a family who lives really close to
America, but are really different in how they live," said Jessica
Bianchi, a 19-year-old student from the Human Rights House. "They work
in factories that allow us to buy goods so cheap, yet they have to live
so poorly because of it."
This was the first year students in the Human Rights House were able to
choose their own topic to explore on a trip. In the Spring, students
will develop programming for others based on what they learned. Most
participants are sophomores, juniors and seniors, Gougon said.
"The focus on immigration was a student-led topic," Gougon said. "It was
empowering to them to choose what they wanted to study for a year as
they got to debunk the image of the 'other' we so often hear about."
The Global Village is made up of seven "houses" that are either theme-
or language-based. Next year, a new learning community will be created
called the Women and Business House, which will include a Donald
Trump-style business challenge, Gougon said. All the houses are
female-only.
"The goal of the Global Village is to develop women awareness that
allows them to gain confidence and have hands-on experiences," Gougon
said.
The trip was funded by the Douglass College Alumnae Association, whose
members believe topics Americans struggle with today may be understood
more fully through international research, Gougon said.
"They realize how valuable the experience is in shaping their
education," Gougon said.
Best of all, students on the trip built personal relationships with
indigenous people they met. There were several barriers they had to
leap-- both cultural and language- based-- but they managed, Bianchi
said.
"The people we stayed with have very little, but were very generous,"
said Bianchi, who is from Cinnaminson, Burlington County. "We had to
work with the little Spanish we know, but we still managed to tell our
stories and open our hearts to each other."
Nawal Qarooni may be reached at nqar-@starledger.com or (732)
404-8082
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