Conflict
seems to be omnipresent. It pops up at home, at college, with
assignments peers, among friends, and even between roommates. In my
perspective, the solution isn’t to remove the conflicts. No, I believe
that I grow stronger through them and gain experience as well as wisdom.
The solution is communication in a safe space without judgement or
fear: a contact zone. James 1:2-8 pops into my mind whenever I am faced
with conflict, a difficult situation, or stress.
In the class Borders, Bridges, and Boundaries, I
have explored many contact zones with national, racial, and linguistic
borders. The majority of the material was difficult for me to relate to
since I’ve never had to deal with those types of borders. If I did try
to talk about them with those who have had experience, I would get the
feeling that I was crossing into dangerous territory. I would sense that
without experience, my opinion was invalid and would be disregarded
from their minds.
In other instances, there are also texts that I could relate to socially, environmentally, and politically. Melvin in the 6th Grade, Summer Storm: Gary, Indiana, and One Today
gave me the opportunity to express my voice and opinion with the
experiential credibility that would be deemed valid. I also felt as
though I could knowledgeably contribute to the conversation and provide
answers instead of asking questions.
Since
I went to an inner city high school in Indianapolis, I feel as though I
can relate to Melvin in an abstract way. I was the awkward Asian girl
who was too short to reach the top of her locker and the one who could
outrun half of the boys during P.E. class. 50% of the school was
African-American, 75% loved hot cheetos, and 90% were loud and
obnoxious. Although I didn’t fight anyone and didn’t know anyoneone who
wore “lime-green polyester slacks,” (Johnson) I was considered an
outcast; my brother and I; the only two Asians.
For
some reason, the kids liked me. I’m not sure if our contact zone was
our hate of the required Latin classes or the love of our Latin
teachers, but we got along. The racial and cultural border seemed
voluminous, intimidating, and secure enough so that a small Asian girl
(who didn’t even know Chinese) couldn’t successfully cross, let alone be
welcomed. The specificity and definition of that contact zone will
forever remain a mystery to me, but you can bet that I’m glad it
existed.
Using
the environment and weather as a contact zone is absolutely brilliant.
Everyone on earth lives and breathes the same air and is affected by
climate change. Since I have lived in Indiana so long, it’s very easy
for me to relate to anyone who understands what it’s like to have a
sunny day followed by a snowy one.
I feel as though I can also be a valuable asset concerning this subject since I’m currently in Roots of the Environmental Crisis.
By exploring the causes of climate change, I feel as though I have a
background and knowledge that not many people can contribute. Although
my education about the roots of the environmental crisis doesn’t give me
more experience in crazy Indiana weather, I can offer the “why it got
this way” aspect to the conversation. I can also provide a glimpse of
what environmentalists have projected for the future.
I’ve
also found a contact zone in politics! I hated politics pre college. I
figured that my voice was too small to be heard by the government so I
didn’t care what happened. But being surrounded by liberal Mennonites
has changed that. I enjoy playing the devil’s advocate and challenging
opinions and views, even if I agree with them.
The
experience of coming to a college full of liberal democrats is, in a
way, a culture shock. Facing the Menno wall was even worse. But, perhaps
the Menno Wall isn’t a religious divide, but a political divide.
Anyways, whatever the border was, I felt it. I couldn’t play the name
game and I couldn’t read hymns.
A
contact zone that is dedicated to politics is difficult for me to find,
but there is one. Richard Blanco’s inaugural poem helped me identify
it. His poem stresses that unity is the contact zone. Despite our
religious and political differences, “one sun rose on us today.” (Bruce)
Blanco’s argument is that material and cognitive differences don’t
adhere to the obvious: that everyone is unified through the fact that we
all live on the same planet.
To
me, unification through physical means is a powerful one. No one can
escape earth to form their own uniform and like-minded group. Outer
space is an option, but oxygen is absent and (personally, I think that)
astronaut ice cream is gross. The contact zone, therefore, is the earth.
We are all responsibly for its well-being and prosperity. We rely on it
for food, water, air, and shelter. It’s a necessity.
In the end, Borders, Bridges, and Boundaries
presented me with a way to define everyday conflicts and occurrences .
It has also helped me know to look for, or create, some sort of contact
zone to resolve the disagreement. Contact zones are needed in every
dramatic and imperceptible part of my life. I know that they will prove
useful in my future career, relationships, and social interactions.
Bibliography:
Bruce, Mary. "'One Today': Richard Blanco Poem Read at Barack Obama Inauguration - ABC News." ABCNews.com - Breaking News, Latest News & Top Video News - ABC News.
ABC News, 21 Jan. 2013. Web. 19 Feb. 2013.
<http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/today-richard-blanco-poem-read-barack-obama-inauguration/story?id=18274653#.UXChusrGvKM>.
Davis, Todd F.. Ripe: poems. Huron, Ohio: Bottom Dog Press, 2002. Print.
Johnson, Dana. Break any woman down: stories. Athens: University of Georgia Press, 2001. Print.
I hope I was not one of the students who made you feel like you could not contribute to the discussion. As my current blogpost indicates, it is true that I am often too cocky for my own good (or anyone's good, really) when a conversation comes around to the topic of "What The Real World Is Like According To Anything Other Than Your Home Country." I hope I displayed nothing akin to or approaching hostility in any of the times you had anything to say related to the class's themes. If I did, I'm too much of a [EXPLETIVE] [REDACTED] to recall, but I'll say sorry here just in case...although, really, this blogpost of yours doesn't make me think you had nothing to contribute to conversations about crossing boundaries. Maybe you just aren't confident about what material you have to work with.
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this reflection. I thought it was really interesting how you talked about things like the weather and politics as contact zones. In class we mostly talked about contact zones being physical places of gathering, but you really thought outside the box. This helps me to think of more different kinds of things as contact zones as well. Its interesting that there can be borders and bridges within these kinds of topics.
ReplyDeleteThis is a great reflection. It is interesting to hear about your high school and high school experience because it was so different from mine. Your school was much bigger and more diverse than mine. It's interesting, however, that even though your school was diverse (with many African Americans), you were still a minority and "outcast" as one of the only Asians. That shows that even in diverse places, there are those who are minorities and don't fit in. It's great that kids liked you though and you didn't have a bad experience.
ReplyDeleteIn the regard of not feeling like you had the authority or experience to talk about some of the borders that we discussed in class, I am right there with you! As a white girl from a small town, I honestly had never (consciously) experienced any of these kinds of challenges anywhere outside of books. However, I think that mutual recognition of that is what allows us to move past our own lack of experience and to explore things that might be difficult.
ReplyDeleteI appreciate that you didn't focus only on things like race and gender, like we have talked about a lot before. Political discussions and universal things like the happiness that comes from a nice day are great ways to connect with people, even if you don't think you have anything else in common!
Olivia, this was an overall great blog! Good work girl! I liked how you tied in the readings and the poems into this blog assignment. Another thing that I liked was you going outside of the box, just like Gina said. Bringing in the weather and politics was interesting and it makes me want to do the same thing. It would have been great to hear more of your opinion in class, you have some good ideas! Good job overall Olivia. It has been an awesome experience reading your blogs my friend! :)
ReplyDeleteOlivia: It is interesting how you connected to Melvin: you mentioned that your race separated you from the mainstream group. However, you also said that you were generally well liked. In this sense, you were separated in a different way than Melvin was. At Goshen College, you face another boundary: the Menno Wall. I have heard about the Menno Wall and how non-Mennonite students have a hard time crossing that particular boundary. I personally have not experienced the Menno Wall, because I am Mennonite, and I have not seen the Menno Wall in action. It seems odd to me that, although an unconscious action, I’m sure, that the Mennonite community would exclude non-Mennonites that way. However, I do not doubt its existence. The next question would be, how do we tackle the Menno-Wall?
ReplyDeleteThis is a great reflection. I liked that you addressed that, though your race created a potential border between you and your peers in high school, you never really felt a lot of effects of it, such as exclusion.
ReplyDeleteI also like that you addressed the Menno-Wall. Goshen College is trying SO HARD to be a diverse and welcoming community, yet it has trouble addressing this ever present border, because it is a Mennonite College. This is very different from my experience at Earlham, a Quaker college. I sometimes forgot that it was a religiously affiliated college.