CELEBRATING CROSS-CULTURAL IDENTITY WWW.CULTURSMAG.COM
JIMMY SMITS, CAITLIN MCGEE,
AND THE GLOBAL MULTICULTURAL CAST OF NBC’S “BLUFF CITY LAW”
IS U.S. IMMIGRATION POLICY
FLOUTING THE LAW?
Display until November 30
DESTINATION:
CANNES
The French Riveria’s Finest
HEALING YOGA IN
I AM NOT YOUR
WHY IT’S FOR YOU
A Native American Veteran fights to be seen
MOROCCO
SAVAGE
$11.95 US
Fall 2019
$12.95 CAN
We are a global, multicultural philanthropic brand that uses media, lifestyle products and experiences to foster human connection in geographically mobile and crosscultural populations. Created for immigrants and refugees, military B.R.A.T.s, Third Culture Kids, missionary kids, minoritized populations and those interested in their experiences, we empower communication at the intersection of social justice and cultural fluidity.
celebrating cross-cultural identity cultursmag.com
CONTENTS
FALL 2019
4
Fall 2019
|
www.CultursMag.com
FEATURES ON OUR COVER
34 Bluff City Law
Cultural identity issues are pivotal to this new television drama starring Jimmy Smits.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE
21 Empowering
Conversation
Part Two of this series featuring international communications experts Jemi Laclé and Claudia Koerbler looks at how these friends use their work to empower women.
24 Global and glamorous
62 Flouting the Law
Are President Donald Trump’s executive orders regarding refugees and immigrants actually illegal?
70 Lift Every Voice
Cannes is a city apart.
An independent filmmaker captures how women of color in America are running for office in unprecedented numbers.
Jesse James Collins is leading the charge to reclaim a word with a nasty, racist history.
Faith spurs a North American family to do God’s work in a remote Guatemalan village.
74 40 Ordinary Missionaries I am Not Your ‘Savage’
24 78 How Yoga Heals
Experience the healing power of movement at Culturs’ upcoming yoga retreat in Monaco.
80 Babylon Sister
A design entrepreneur draws on family and cultural legacy to create tasteful, extravagant spaces.
92 From Greece to the World
A Third Culture Adult talks about her culturally fluid family and outlook.
THE MUST LIST 45 Must Read: “The Reflexivity of Pain and Privilege” 46 Must Know: Yuujoo Global Travel Update 50 Must Read: “What Am I?” 52 Must Know: Expatriate Businesswoman Stephanie Ward 54 Must Listen: Los Angeles DJ Ian Gotler
IN EVERY ISSUE
56 Must Listen: Jâca’s Progressive Classical Music
6
Contributors
10
Publisher’s Letter
58 Must See: The Duality of Womanhood
12
Culturally Fluid Definitions
60 Must Watch: Cannes Film Festival
14
Cultural Connections
18
Executive Strategist
84 Technology 90 Auto 95 Behind the Scenes
www.CultursMag.com
|
Fall 2019
5
CONTRIBUTORS
ANDREA BAZOIN (say “Bah-Zwah”) is a higher education professional turned entrepreneur. She is the founder of everHuman, LLC (www.everhuman.io), a company that provides tech support alongside coaching, project assistance and workshops delivered with both expertise and empathy. Her family ties span the globe and include Chile, Argentina, Australia and France. She currently lives in Fort Collins, Colo., U.S.A., with her French husband and culturally fluid son.
••• ANDREA BUTLER is a descendant of the Fulani tribe. She also is a Gettysburgobsessed Marine Corps brat, and lover of all things magazine-related. Professionally, Butler is an entrepreneur, writer, editor, publisher and public speaker who “reps hard for the culture,” especially when it comes to Black teen girls. Prior to launching Sesi, the only global teen magazine for Black girls, Butler worked as a high school English teacher and then senior editor for LivingSocial. Affectionately dubbed “Ms. Correcto” by friends, Butler is all about that editing life. She holds an undergraduate English degree from the University of North Carolina and a master’s degree in magazine journalism from Kent State University.
•••
MICHELE DAVENPORT is an executive strategist who designs and facilitates programs in coaching, communication and leadership effectiveness for individuals and organizations committed to optimizing potential and growth. As principal and founder of Mosaic Coaching Solutions, Davenport inspires clients to engage more deeply and intentionally in every aspect of their lives. Her method includes a threephased process designed to heighten self-awareness, develop strategies, implement accountability and achieve sustainable change.
•••
••• EVAN GRANT believes in multiculturalism and Culturs, because, “it is important for people from all over the world with all different stories to have a medium where their stories can be shared.” Grant is passionate about sports, travel and religion. He uses these interests to explore diverse people and places. TODD CORNELL is an American-born Chinese cultural scholar, linguist and business consultant who spent his formative years in China. He has worked with Fortune 500 companies and is the principal of Cultur668, a consulting service for American companies doing business in China.
•••
6
Fall 2019 | www.CultursMag.com
Born and raised in Canada, VALERIA FUGATE is the daughter of Chilean political refugees who fled the 1973 coup. Fugate comes from a long line of Spanish and Italian immigrants. Social and political issues played a substantial role in her life and upbringing. She speaks Spanish and French, and has traveled and worked internationally, which she loves. Currently, Fugate is a student in the College of Multimedia, Communication and Information at the University of Colorado-Boulder. Her focus is broadcast journalism and international media with a minor in political science. This rising journalist hopes her work will help bring attention to such issues as immigration, women’s rights, social justice, and the cultural and political conflicts that affect North Americans as well as the world.
•••
CONTRIBUTORS
CLAUDIA KOERBLER is an international development specialist. She hosts a YouTube Channel and Facebook Page called “Global Storytelling for Global Development.” Its goal is to use storytelling as a tool to create and foster social impact globally. The TEDx speaker and Forbes expert contributor talks about measures to eradicate extreme poverty and how to drive social impact forward. She is an Austrian-born global citizen who speaks five languages including German, English and Spanish.
••• A yogi since 2002, TERRI MAIRLEY uses certifications in Hot Yoga, Power Yoga and Classical Hatha Yoga to create physical and emotional experiences that help people reconnect. Mairley’s classes are creative, playful, heartfelt and non-judgmental. She brings the same to Culturs Global Yoga events and articles aimed at helping readers unleash their highest potential.
ANGELIA D. MCGOWAN is a writer and car enthusiast who at age 10 experienced her first culture shock after moving from her native Texas, where she had never seen snow, to Colorado. Her eyes opened again when she visited a college friend’s Puerto Rican family in Brooklyn, and eventually traveled to Haiti on a mission trip. Most recently, McGowan’s work took her to South Africa. Through her consulting service, Canady’s Corner, this communications professional serves as a ghost writer and memoir editor.
•••
•••
TAMMY MATTHEWS is a Culturs senior editor and a native of Chicago, Ill., U.S.A., who long worked as an editor for The Chicago Sun-Times. Matthews is now a doctoral student at the University of Colorado in the College of Media, Communication and Information who seeks to unite her passions — sports, media, languages and gender issues — as she studies historical and contemporary representations of transgender athletes worldwide.
•••
ANTOINETTE LEE TOSCANO is a CrossCulture Kid and Third Culture Adult with family roots in India and Jamaica. Toscano is a U.S. Army veteran and former IT corporate executive who now works as a full-time ghostwriter, journalist, author, motivational speaker and blogger. She also enjoys volunteering with fellow veterans, hiking, biking, bow hunting and whitewater kayaking.
•••
Military B.R.A.T. TOMMY MCMILLION is a Domestic Third Culture Kid who grew up in Texas and later lived in Colorado, New York and Las Vegas. As a student of art, McMillion was able to turn his passion for music, photography and graphic design into a career. Since 1997, he has created unique compositions for local, national and international talent and businesses. As a professional photographer, McMillion specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, urban life and entertainment. McMillion is the founder and co-owner of McMillion Multimedia, a firm specializing in brand development, promotions, and marketing solutions for the entertainment industry while actively targeting the five senses through use of the meme senses methodology.
•••
ALEXA VUJAKLIJA is a freelance writer and Adult Third Culture Kid. She was born in the U.S. but her father was in the military and eventually became a diplomat. Vujaklija subsequently lived in Germany, the Republic of Georgia, Russia and Bulgaria. As a child, she also spent summers in France. At 18, Vujaklija moved to Rome to complete her bachelor’s degree in communications. There, she met her Serbian husband. They now live in Belgrade, Serbia.
•••
www.CultursMag.com
|
Fall 2019
7
CELEBRATING CROSS-CULTURAL IDENTITY
F I R S T
WWW.CULTURSMAG.COM
A N N I V E R S A R Y
I S S U E
THE BEAUTY OF
PRAISE FOR THE TWO-COVER, FIRST ANNIVERSARY
SUMMER ISSUE
CURLS
SPOTLIGHTING
ENTREPRENEURS Display until August 31
$11.95 US
FOODS OF
SOUTHEAST
ASIA
ALBANIAN URSM WWW.CULT
Summer 2019
$12.95 CAN
EASY FASHION
WITH LONDON BROWN OF HBO’S
INTERIOR DESIGN INSPIRATION
“BALLERS”
AG.COM
E Y ISSU ERSAR ANNIV FIRST
AL IDENTITY CROSS-CULTUR CELEBRATING
as a Military Brat and Third Culture Kid who grew up
EASY FASHION WITH LONDON ’S WN OF HBO
BRO
“B AL LE RS”
SPOT LIGHT
NE EN TR EPRE
Display until
SOUTHEAST ASIA
AN ALBARNI DESIGN INTERIO N INSPIRATIO
THE BEAUTY
ING
UR S
August 31
$11.95 US
FOODS OF
“Culturs is the first magazine in the world that directly addresses my experiences, concerns, and interests
Summer 2019
$12.95 CAN
OF
S CUURARL L IS IN! NAT
Connect with Culturs on social:
@CultursMag
@CultursGuruTCK
on three continents with people of all races, religions, and world views. I treasure and read every issue, cover-to-cover, and always learn something new!” — Donna Musil, filmmaker, writer and director of “BRATS: Our Journey Home,” and executive director of Brats Without Borders, via Facebook
“I have been reading Culturs Mag and
I love everything that you do.” — Koya N. via mobile
“Just discovered your magazine at Barnes and Noble. I LOVE it!” — @myamericanmeltingpot via instagram DM
“I bought a copy of Culturs last week — it immediately caught my eye, and as a bilingual and tri-cultural person who works in the field of Diversity, Equity + Inclusion, I was super excited to see it on the shelf and immediately grabbed it.” — Erica R. via email
8
Fall 2019 | www.CultursMag.com
Fall 2019
www.CultursMag.com Volume II, Issue III
GURU PUBLISHER & FOUNDER Doni (Dah-knee)
At left is shown an updated layout that appeared in our digital publication
CORRECTION: Due to an editing error, the terms Baltic and Balkan were used interchangeably in the Summer 2019 interior design feature. The article highlighted Albanian-inspired decorating, which is Balkan.
EDITORIAL MANAGING EDITOR Elana Ashanti Jefferson SENIOR EDITOR Tammy Matthews MUSIC EDITOR Tommy McMillion AUTHENTICITY GODDESS & RADIO HOST Robin Alexis
“My parents immigrated from Portugal to Canada where I was born and raised. There was a large Portuguese diaspora where I grew up in Canada and I participated fully in that community. I identify strongly with both my Portuguese heritage and as a Canadian.
I want to commend you on your work highlighting the importance of diversity.” — Wesley F. Via email
ON OUR CURLY COVER: “This group is so inclusive of all types
I am thrilled to be part of this imagery that shows all of the diversity of beauty! Thanks for making us of curls.
your cover for your anniversary issue!” — @chicagoescurly instagram post
YOGA DIRECTOR Terry Mairley
CONTRIBUTORS Donnyale Ambrosine Andrea Butler Valeria Fugate Evan Grant Terry Mairley Swarnali Sikder Antoinette Lee Toscano Alexa Vujaklija
COLUMNISTS Andrea Bazoin Todd Cornell Michele Davenport Claudia Koerbler Angelia D. McGowan INTERNATIONAL LIAISONS Chumba Limo Aisha Jama EUROPEAN LIASION Crystal McDonald
PODCAST PARTNER VLNetwork
ART ART DIRECTOR Kerry Jackson COLLATERAL DESIGN Tineal Puaoi WEB DESIGN McMillion Multimedia
COVER PHOTOGRAPHY Jason Bell/NBC COVER STYLING & MAKEUP Sedrique Olison PHOTOGRAPHERS Gerald Ambrosine Balzinder Balz
Corinne Eisenring Megan Lipshultz Brien Hallowell Tommy McMillion Olivia Peter Dave Russel/Buffalo Heart Images Cristina Stoian Lexi Warwell
SUPPORTERS ADVISORY BOARD Brooke Martellaro Gregory Moore Donna Musil Antoinette Williams Chepchumba Limo
SPECIAL THANKS: Cannes Tourism Cannes Festival du Cinema Cannes Lions
Colorado State University Journalism and Media Communication SeriesFest NBC/Universal
Connect with Culturs on social: @CultursMag @CultursGuruTCK
SUBSCRIPTIONS: www.subscribe.Cultursmag.com. ADVERTISING INQUIRIES: Contact advertise@culturs.org. MEDIA INQUIRIES: Contact press@culturs.org. CULTURSTM magazine, Volume 2, Issue 3. Copyright Culturs Global Multicultural Philanthropic Lifestyle Network. All rights reserved. Published quarterly; Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall, by Simply Alive, LLC, 1800 Wazee Street, Suite 300, Denver, CO, 80525. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Culturs magazine, 1800 Wazee Street, Suite 300, Denver, CO, 80525. Reproduction in whole or part without express written consent is strictly prohibited. Simply Alive LLC does not assume responsibility for the advertisements, nor any representation made therein, nor the quality or deliverability of the products themselves. No responsibility is assumed for unsolicited submissions, manuscripts, photographs, and other material submitted. Culturs makes every effort to provide accurate information in advertising and editorial content, however, does not make any claim as to the accuracy of information provided by advertisers or editorial contributors and accepts no responsibility or liability for inaccurate information. PRINTED IN THE USA
www.CultursMag.com
|
Fall 2019
9
PUBLISHER’S LETTER
BLUFF CITY LAW
Cast of NBC’s Bluff City Law
With TCK Actor MaameYaa Boafo
I
With TCK Actor Jimmy Smitts
t’s been a whirlwind year for Culturs, and the last few months were no exception. Our team is committed to bringing you the best in global multicultural business, entertainment, features and lifestyle storytelling.
To that end, this issue includes dispatches from Memphis, Tenn., U.S.A., the Cannes Film Festival, the Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity, the Monte Carlo Television Festival in Monaco, and SeriesFest in Denver, Colo., U.S.A. These were just a few of the happenings we had the pleasure of covering for you in recent months. Filled with excitement, exhaustion and every emotion in between, Culturs’ junkets to the French Riviera were absolute beauty. We relished the coast, the people, and the varied and diverse cities. (I personally traveled from Saint Tropez, France, up the coast to Ventimiglia, Italy, on the Franco-Italian border in Northern Italy.) We are excited to show you why any one of the storied sites along the way is worthy of your travel bucket list. Cannes was especially captivating, so we portray this city in all its glory in this issue. (See pgs. 24, 60 and 95–96.)
10
Fall 2019 | www.CultursMag.com
Immediately after this once-in-a-lifetime trek, we returned to the U.S. for the next Culturs adventure. I myself went straight from morning shenanigans at the Cannes Lions to an evening red With Cross-cultural TCA Actor Barry Sloane carpet event for opening night of SeriesFest. (See pgs. 96–98). A highlight from that event was the chance to interview the cast of Bluff City Law (BCL), a new fall show on NBC headlined by legal drama veteran Jimmy Smits (L.A. Law, NYPD Blue, West Wing) along with Caitlyn McGee in her first stint as lead actress on a major network drama. As you may know, Culturs focuses on hidden as well as visual diversity. So you can imagine the thrill of
PUBLISHER’S LETTER
National Civil Rights Museum in the Lorraine Hotel, Memphis
MEMPHIS
Beale Street, Memphis, Tenn., U.S.A.
learning that every major BCL cast member is culturally fluid. EVERY. SINGLE. ONE. This ensemble has it all including Adult Third Culture Kids, Adult Cross Cultural Kids, Borderlanders, Elvis Presley’s well-preserved media room multiracial, multiethnic and Domestic TCKs. My at Graceland in Memphis mind blew as my heart leapt! Their personal backstories are a must-read and provide Thanks for your support of our unique work, which background as to why this cast gels so well. (See my in turn enables us to support you. Should you have a story on pg. 34.) I’ll also explain why the drama’s story you’d like us to consider, please reach out via namesake city — Memphis — is like a character in the email, our website, or social media. We love showcasing show, which spotlights civil rights law in this iconic city. cross-cultural lives, lifestyles and identities, and it would Speaking of legal issues, in “Flouting the Law” be an honor to showcase yours. (pg. 62), first-time Contributor Valeria Maraboli Fugate discusses U.S. immigration history and how it relates to All the best, the American government’s current policies toward immigrants and refugees. Elsewhere, technology Columnist Andrea Bazoin introduces readers to one U.S. Third Culture Kid who Doni (Dah-knee) created a career out of her wanderlust, balancing family Publisher and Founder with her life abroad. Upcoming adventures include our healing yoga Culturs — the Global retreat in Morocco in October. Yoga Director Terry Multicultural Magazine Mairley shares why this is something you should Culturs.org consider doing for yourself (pg. 38), particularly since Cultursmag.com navigating cultural issues is heavier work than it might appear to be at first glance. www.CultursMag.com
|
Fall 2019
11
Culturally Fluid Definitions
I
n the 21st century, assessing someone’s background from outward appearance isn’t enough as hidden, rather than visual, diversity means people increasingly bring more to the table than meets the eye.
Whether through nationality, travel, race or ethnicity, many straddle culture in myriad ways. From Cultural Fluidity, to Third Culture Kid, Expat, Third Culture Adult, Cross-Cultural Kid and more, the language to describe our in-between community is of
Cross-Cultural Kid (CCK)
A term coined by author Ruth Van Reken in 2002, is a person who is living, has lived, or meaningfully interacted with two or more cultural environments for a significant period of time during the first 18 years of life. This includes minoritized individuals living within majority culture.
Adult Cross-Cultural Kid (ACCK)
An adult who grew up as a Cross-Cultural Kid.
Cultural Fluidity/Cultural Mobility A term coined by Culturs founder Donnyale Ambrosine to characterize hidden diversity created by people who don’t or didn’t grow up in a homogenous cultural environment. Culturally Fluid individuals may straddle nationalities, ethnicities, race or culture. The fluidity created allows understanding between or among their foundational areas of meaningful experience. It also may hinder sense of belonging to any one area.
12
Fall 2019 | www.CultursMag.com
utmost importance. Knowing the vocabulary creates understanding and deepens our sense of belonging and connections to others with similar experiences. Here’s a quick overview so you can follow along any of our articles with ease:
Missionary Kids
Children of missionaries who travel to missions domestically or abroad.
Third Culture Kids (TCKs)
Coined by Sociologist Ruth Useem in the 1950s as a person who has spent a significant part of his or her developmental years outside the parents’ culture. The first culture is considered an individual’s passport culture, while the second culture consists of the culture(s) in which the individual has lived. The third culture is a result of the person’s life experience; this is the culture to which they most belong. The third culture often is where individuals feel community with others of similar experience.
Adult Third Culture Kid (ATCK) An adult who grew up as a TCK.
Domestic TCK
Children who moved to various regions within the same country while growing up, often having to re-learn ways of being, especially as regional differences in dress, speech and action are heightened in formative years when it is important to be accepted.
Third Culture Adult (TCA)
Coined in 2002 by Psychotherapist Paulette Bethel to signify individuals who travel extensively and are immersed in, or live in global locations after the age of 18 (after identity has been solidified).
Refugees
Internationally nomadic group not characterized by a parent’s occupation. Displaced from their homeland forcibly or by choice, often having fled for varied reasons — violence, politics, religion, environment, etc. Refugees typically do not return to their origin country.
Immigrants
People who, for varied reasons, immigrate to a country different than their homeland to stay permanently. Many return to their home countries to visit, though some do not.
Expatriate (Expat)
As defined by Merriam Webster — to leave one’s native country to live elsewhere; which also sometimes means to renounce allegiance to one’s native country.
Military B.R.A.T.
Children of military who move with parents to different places within or outside of their home country. They often experience other cultures within the confines of a military installation or compound that possesses traits of the home country.
Non-Military Foreign Service
Children traveling with their parents to various countries in non-military government roles, diplomatic corps, civil service, foreign service, etc.
Diplomat Kids
Children whose parents are members of the home country’s political framework while living on foreign soil.
Traveler
Those who travel expecting differences among intra-international or international culture, however, not immersed in these cultures for extended periods of time, or long enough to integrate local cultural norms as their own.
International Business Kids
Children whose parents work with multi-national corporations takes them to far-away lands, often in professional fields surrounding oil, construction and pharmaceuticals.
Borderlanders
Described by author Ruth Van Reken in the book “Third Culture Kids,” a borderlander is a citizen of one country that lives close to another. Often the norms, customs and traits of each country’s culture seeps into the other, creating a cultural experience separate from either original culture, while allowing inhabitants keen knowledge and insight into their own culture as well as the other.
Multiracial
People whose family consists of two or more races to which the individual identifies. With race often come cultural norms, slang language and attitudes that can greatly differ. Many multiracial children, though not all, have the unique opportunity to learn norms of all the cultures they comprise.
Multiethnic; Multicultural
People whose family consists of two or more cultures to which the individual identifies. Even when belonging to the same race, differences in culture may exist between ethnicities, tribes and other cultural contexts.
www.CultursMag.com
|
Fall 2019
13
CULTURAL CONNECTIONS By Todd Cornell
Communications Clash The current trade war between the U.S. and China illustrates key cultural differences among the two countries. 14
Fall 2019 | www.CultursMag.com
Today, as we observe the tensest interactions between the United States and its allies in years, and as globalization takes root deeper in the world, interacting with people from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds has become more common for most but especially for Americans. Considering U.S. history and policies over the past 250 years,
CULTURAL CONNECTIONS
we see a vacillation of how “other” cultures have been met by Americans. In the challenges perceived between the U.S. and China, the current trade war is merely a symptom of a larger, yet not clearly understood, clash of cultural mindsets. Ever since the Spanish-American War in 1898, the U.S. has enjoyed — and taken for granted — a prestigious and popular role in global politics and economics. However, American history is comparatively short. Over 2,100 years ago, the famous Chinese historian, Sima Qian, made an entry into the Chinese history annals for the Battle of Ban Quan, an event that took place around 2,500 B.C.E. — more than 4,000 years ago. Consider that the Hartford Courant, which was established in 1764 and is often recognized as the oldest continuously published newspaper in the U.S., has been in circulation for about 255 years. In comparison, the battle of Ban Quan took place 4,260 years before the Hartford Courant’s first edition. Now, with the rise of China, the writing is on the wall. Like the changing seasons, this country with more than 4,000 years of recorded history is cycling again through a civilizational change to once again take its place as a global power.
DIVERGENT CULTURAL MINDSETS China boasts a long history of thinkers and philosophers reaching back thousands of years. And they have all, in some way, remained true to the three pillars of Chinese thought: Daoism, Buddhism and Confucianism. Chinese culture is a fusion of these three schools of thought, all of which are harmonious philosophies based on the idea that the universe is a living, changing entity. As stated in The Dao (Tao) (cir. 6th Century BCE): “Dao gives way to The One, The One gives way to The Two [Yin Yang].”
The Chinese mindset is like the Yin Yang in flux, and the American mindset like a black and white chess board.
【道生一，一生二】 Yin Yang can be understood as duality, the balance between two non-aggressive but opposing energies that are in constant flux. As a culture, the Chinese seek balance between Yin and Yang, which is considered appropriate in their worldview. American culture, on the other hand, often views situations as more static, like black and white or right and wrong. Mis understandings and friction are to be expected when these
www.CultursMag.com
|
Fall 2019
15
CULTURAL CONNECTIONS
two polar-opposite cultural mindsets come together without proper mediation. When viewed with an American mindset, Yin and Yang are often misinterpreted or misconstrued as non-committal or uncertain. `This is not an incorrect interpretation as the Yin Yang mindset views both “certain” and “uncertain” as two expressions of the same thing. The Yin Yang mindset, however, views the American mindset as rigid and uncompromising.
FLEXIBLE LIKE WATER
Misunderstandings and friction are to be expected when these two polar-opposite cultural mindsets come together without proper mediation.
16
Fall 2019 | www.CultursMag.com
In the Art of War, Sun Zi referred to water as the “intangible tangible,” and the most benevolent of forces. Unlike rigid objects like rocks, water is flexible. When water encounters rigid objects, it simply embraces or goes around them. Because of its flexibility and endurance, water slowly and methodically affects great change within its environment. Flexibility allows for more creative and strategic success in the face of challenges, which may be the difference between reacting and responding. Like water, Chinese culture is characterized by flexibility. The Chinese have learned to adjust to situations and embrace those they see as friends. They also are masters of change. Over thousands of years, the Chinese have become adept at altering and flexing in light of societal and political change.
CULTURAL CONNECTIONS
Flexibility and mastering change may well be one of the reasons why Chinese culture has remained intact for more than 4,000 years. To the average North American, the idea of harmony may sound trite, but the Yin Yang mindset seeks balance. It follows that the savvy Chinese seek harmony. Harmonious relationships are important in Chinese culture. Each individual in a relationship, respecting the force of Yin Yang to nurture and grow the connection, will practice flexibility to foster harmony. The Chinese often seek common interests to bolster their relationships and support success in life and business. In China, harmonious relationships and friendships lead to “the giving of face,” which paves the way to better opportunities. However, non-harmonious relations lead to “the loss of face,” a cause for embattled and difficult relations. Most Chinese prefer harmonious relations, and few wise Chinese would desire otherwise. The challenge for most Americans is discerning who among the Chinese is sincere and who is not.
SCIENTIA POTENTIA EST “Scientia Potentia Est” is a Latin maxim attributed to Sir Francis Bacon. It means, “Knowledge Is Power.” In “The Art of War,” war strategist Sun Zi (6th Century BCE), said essentially the same thing: “Know self, know others.” However, when Americans arrogantly expect others to learn our language and understand our ways, we inadvertently put ourselves into a place of weakness by failing to understand others in the way they come to understand us. By doing so, we allow others to reach the core of who we are and understand how we think and react when we should be learning about others and becoming more insightful about their ways. By not doing so, we lose leverage, like a rabbit squaring off against a tiger. This is not an example of “Knowledge is Power” but rather an illustration of the opposite: “Ignorance is Weakness.”
Flexibility and mastering change may well be one of the reasons why Chinese culture has remained intact for more than 4,000 years.
知之为知之，不知为不知，是知也 Confucius said, “Wisdom is knowing you know and knowing you don’t know.” Essentially, when you know, you know, but when you don’t know, you don’t know. Until the U.S. learns the value of understanding others’ cultures, we will continue to fight the same battles over and over again. www.CultursMag.com
|
Fall 2019
17
EXECUTIVE STRATEGIST By Michele Davenport
The More You Know, The More You Grow Being clear about who you are and what drives you is key to optimal wellness and productivity.
18
Fall 2019 | www.CultursMag.com
EXECUTIVE STRATEGIST
A
s I continue to work with people around clarity, it’s interesting to observe that the more we know about ourselves, the more opportunities we have to take that awareness and wisdom and apply it to our everyday lives. I vividly remember the first job I was offered after graduating from college. It was with State Farm Insurance in Chicago, Ill., U.S.A. I’d been offered a position in the company’s management training program. I paused before accepting it, concerned that every free weekend or spare few dollars that I earned would go toward flying back to New York to be with family. So I decided to tune into my inner voice. I packed up my belongings and returned home to New York without having employment. The next job I was offered was very exciting to me. I grew up in the New Jersey suburbs, and this position was in Manhattan. The opportunity to work in ‘The City’ was a big deal.
After only one week on the job and even before I finished finished training, I realized the job was not a good fit. So I walked into my manager’s office and said: “This is not a good fit. Before either side spends any more time or money, I am going to step aside so you can find someone who really wants to be here.” That was pretty bold, since I didn’t have an alternative. The moral of the story is that I knew in my gut it wasn’t the right place for me: Everyone there was older than me, the building and the office were drab and uninspiring, and the energy of the place was all wrong for a vibrant 22-year-old.
NEXT-LEVEL SELF KNOWLEDGE How do you get to know yourself better so that you can live in alignment with who you are and what matters most to you? One title I considered for this column was “Genie” as in, ‘Once the genie is out of the bottle, it’s impossible to put the genie back in.” Another way to think about it: Once the cork comes out of a champagne bottle, it’s impossible to reinsert it.
Consider how much more impactful your relationships could be if you were even more clear about what drives you, makes you happy or sad, frustrates you or brings you unbridled joy.
www.CultursMag.com
|
Fall 2019
19
EXECUTIVE STRATEGIST
How do you get to know yourself better so that you can live in alignment with who you are and what matters most to you?
Similarly, once you discover something new about yourself, it’s impossible to unlearn that knowledge. I decided to explore the clarity that is born of knowing yourself really well. What I learned after declining my first job offer is that I value family. After resigning from my first job in New York, I learned that I also value learning and intuition. Research shows there’s a real connection between clarity and purpose. Consider how much more impactful your relationships could be if you were even more clear about what drives you, makes you happy or sad, frustrates you or brings you unbridled joy. Studies indicate relationships are richer and productivity and fulfillment soar when individuals are clear about their identity and purpose.
20
Fall 2019 | www.CultursMag.com
When your genie comes out of the bottle, you need to know exactly what to do with it. Consider these four steps to get more clarity: 1. Turn Inward. Be mindful of what feels good to you. Is it meaningful relationships, achievement, being out in nature, harmony, accomplishment, honesty, loyalty and so on? This is a hint of what you value. 2. Check Your Body. Our bodies always tell the truth. Are you having a physical sensation? What is it? Get really curious about it. Maybe your eyes flutter, a knot in your stomach emerges, or your ears or armpits get warm.
Maybe it’s pure delight. Resist the urge to ignore these sensations as this is your body speaking to you. 3. Face It. Remember, what we run from will keep coming back. In other words, what we resist, persists. So at a minimum, name it. Later you can figure out what to do about it. First, though, you have to name it. 4. Own It. Once you acknowledge your purpose, you can use it to inform whatever shows up and calls for your attention. The genie is here to introduce you to, well, more of you! Because the more you know, the more you grow. Have fun exploring.
GLOBAL STORYTELLING FOR GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT By Claudia Koerbler with special guest Jemi Laclé
THE WEIGHT OF WOMEN’S WORDS In our last issue, Part One of this conversation introduced readers to Jemi Laclé and Claudia Koerbler, two intercultural, Washington, D.C. professionals. Both women are expert communicators. Here, we learn about how these accomplished friends promote female empowerment.
ulturs: Today’s young women increasingly seem drawn to social justice. How do you think women can work together to address the world’s most pressing issues?
Koerbler: Before I get to the core of answering this question, it’s important to define what contributing to the social good means and how it differs in gender and cultural contexts. What exactly is ‘the common good,’ and why has it come to have such a critical place in current discussions of problems in our society? To me personally, the common good is a notion and sense of personal and business’ social responsibilities. This also boils down to how women can enhance cooperative efforts, be agents of change and support their own organizations while branching out in their philanthropic or social responsibility efforts. (It means) taking action at your workplace and also in your personal life. Volunteer or
www.CultursMag.com
|
Fall 2019
21
GLOBAL STORYTELLING FOR GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT
key to engage with young girls at an early stage to decide upon academic choices and career aspirations. This will be the only way to shape the next generation and their attitudes, beliefs and behaviors.
donate. Whether it’s a local women’s shelter or an international organization that teaches women how to start businesses, consider volunteering your time or donating funds to help these programs work. You might even meet a new female warrior-friend along the way. Culturs: How else can women support one another? Koerbler: We need to lift each other up, not tear each other down. We both have learned that life boils down to searching for your own incredible worth as a woman and unleashing your inner Wonder Woman. Our confidence in our friendship comes from expressing each other’s strengths and embracing each other’s uniqueness, but also from being critical of one another and helping each other grow in other areas. We are critical about each other’s work in a positive way by challenging one another. The greatest nugget of truth we have found is this: Always speak your own truth, to yourself and to your friends. Laclé: My mother, sister, aunts and grandmothers are all very strong women. Females both from my mother’s and father’s side are resilient women. All of them have careers, with all their
22
Fall 2019 | www.CultursMag.com
Female support is essential for sharing inspiring stories, driving collective change and stimulating more female representation and diversity.
distinct life stories and motivations. But collectively, they are compassionate, accepting, cordial and above all, a strong, loving, female safety net and alliance. Culturs: What would the world look like if women failed to support one another? Laclé: Female support is essential for sharing inspiring stories, driving collective change and stimulating more female representation and diversity. Not only is it crucial to have females supporting each other in the professional arena, it is especially
Culturs: How can women empower one another at a time when the feminist movement is experiencing a resurgence? Koerbler: We need to get more in tune with the message that women supporting women creates a sisterhood of impactful, female game-changers. We think the message of today is that women should motivate and empower other women by helping each other to find their own personal why and leading by example. We also need to be role models for ourselves along the way. We need to continuously check in with ourselves and challenge ourselves to think outside the box. Laclé: We live in an era where female empowerment is central, creating societies, communities, movements and mindsets of unstoppable women! We should all take part in the global rise of this revolution. We should fight for what we believe in. Nevertheless, we should never forget about the collective social good.
marketplace
globally inspired products
marketplace Culturs Global Bath and body is committed to bringing the beauty, the wonder and splendor of the globe to your doorstep. globally inspired products
marketplace
globally inspired products TEA
marketplace
BATH FIZZELS
globally inspired products
rt
he
r n c ol o r a
do
BODY BUTTER
, u
a
PRI NT
R PE PA
o
in
n
HAND & BODY LOTION
s
RECYCL ON ED ED
R PE PA
MADE IN
USA
PRI NT
BODY WASH
AUTHENTIC
All Natural
RECYCL ON ED ED
All proceeds support cross-cultural education around the globe. VISIT shop.cultursmag.com to shop your nature inspired Bath & Body
A CITY APART 24
Fall 2019 | www.CultursMag.com
annes has two faces. One shines as an exceptional “world village” that each year hosts thousands of international glitterati. The other is rooted in the history and heritage of the French Rivera. Internationally renowned for hospitality and luxury, Cannes is home to more than 50 annual events that attract some 3 million visitors. The city’s busy year-round calendar includes entertainment, music, advertising, technology and real estate conventions, with the annual Cannes Film Festival being the most famous and swanky among them. A coveted travel destination, Cannes continues to attract fresh creative and economic projects. It consistently develops new spaces for celebration and gastronomy, wellness, shopping, culture and outdoor sports. Cannes is a city that perpetually renews itself while maintaining its Mediterranean authenticity.
Fabre
SEMEC-FABRE
Global and glamorous, Cannes is linked to some of the world’s greatest events.
www.CultursMag.com
|
Fall 2019
25
FDC
PALAIS DES FESTIVALS ET DES CONGRÈS The Palais (pronounced Pal-ay) stands as the city’s centerpiece. Its contemporary, white facade is punctuated by what has become an iconic and familiar set of outdoor stairs draped in red carpet for celebrity smiles and waves during the Cannes Film Festival, for which the Palais was built. It adorns the Croissette, a main street of sorts flanked by some of Cannes’ best and most historic hotels on one side, and glorious beaches on the other. According to the Cannes tourism center, the Palais is the only convention center in the world to have certifications for quality, health and safety; environment and social responsibility. It also is the largest public events venue on the Cote D’Azur.
26
Fall 2019 | www.CultursMag.com
SEMEC-FABRE
HISTORY IN THE MIX Before it was home to luxe hotels and events, Cannes was a small fishing port surrounded by swamps. But its coastline and the nearby Lérins Islands were the sites of centuries of military actions and monastic settlements.
Above: Some of the choices for bao zong.
www.CultursMag.com
|
Fall 2019
27
28
Fall 2019 | www.CultursMag.com
Before it was home to luxe hotels and events, Cannes was a small fishing port surrounded
Herve Fabre
Axis Drone
by swamps.
www.CultursMag.com
|
Fall 2019
29
Fabre
Courtesy of Palais des Festivals Cannes
Two such places, which today are beautifully serene, are a short ferry ride away from the glamorous city. Île Sainte-Marguerite is known as the Fort Royal, and is the last trace of the region’s Vauban era. It houses the Musée de la Mer and the famous cell inhabited by the Man in the Iron Mask; and Île Saint-Honorat, which is home to a monastery and a famous tower.
30
Fall 2019 | www.CultursMag.com
Ville de Cannes
www.CultursMag.com
|
Fall 2019
31
Île Saint-Honorat is only about a mile offshore from Cannes but feels far from the hustle and bustle of the city. Peaceful and spiritual, it is the second largest of the Lérins Islands. It boasts a vineyard and an abbey, chapels and a fortified monastery. The island has a soothing atmosphere conducive to getting away from the tumult of everyday life. Rebuilt three times, the abbey was founded around the year 410 by Saint-Honorat. Its grounds include a cloister and chapter house dating from the 12th and 13th centuries, and a neo-Romanesque style church built between 1874 and 1878. The island’s current community of Cistercian monks settled on the island in 1869. They follow the Rule of SaintBenedict to the letter, and embody 16 centuries of monastic tradition. One mass, six services and three-and-a-half hours of prayer a day punctuate the lives of those in the monastery, whose main source of income is the ancestral production of wines and liqueurs.
32
Fall 2019 | www.CultursMag.com
SEMEC-KELAGOPIAN
ÎLE SAINT-HONORAT
SEMEC-KELAGOPIAN Herve Fabre
www.CultursMag.com
|
Fall 2019
33
For the culturally fluid, this poignant legal drama may feel just like home. By Donnyale Ambrosine
“BLUFF CITY LAW” MAKES MULTICULTURAL MAGIC
34
Fall 2019 | www.CultursMag.com
Maarten de Boer/NBC Universal
he new NBC show “Bluff City Law” includes seven veteran actors of stage and screen — all of whom boast impactful, cross-cultural backgrounds. The story revolves around an elite legal family led by father and daughter attorneys who are known for combating injustice and fighting for the underdog. Emmy-award winner Jimmy Smits from the Star Wars movies as well as hit TV shows “The West Wing,” “NYPD Blue,” and “LA Law,” plays Elijah Straight, the patriarch. His prodigy, Sydney Straight, is embodied by Caitlyn McGee, who shines in her first lead role in a network television series. The energy between the two actors is electric, as it is among the entire cast. One final character plays a pivotal role in the show, and that’s the city where the series is set.
His mother hails from Puerto Rico, where he lived from ages 10 to 12, or “the wonder years,” as he says. Smits experienced many of the coming-ofage traumas familiar to Third Culture Kids. The challenges of moving to a new culture, changing schools and learning to fit in all shaped who he is today. His upbringing also was a big reason Smits became an actor. “Where I live and breathe, in terms of the music I listen to (and) what I want to say about humanity… All those kinds of things inform me from that time.”
‘HUGELY VERSATILE’ CAST Sydney has just left a successful career in corporate law to return to her father’s civilrights firm. The two immediately battle to mend a rift between them — and no one is left unaffected. Behind the scenes, a real-life camaraderie among the cast fuels a genuine affection among the show’s characters. Members of the ensemble fell together like family linked by the diverse cultural spectrum they inhabit. “It’s one of the reasons I’m so excited about this show and this cast,” Smits says. “We are representative not only because we are men and women, but culturally we are from different parts of the planet.” Smits was born in New York City and lived in various boroughs there. His father is from Suriname, a Dutch colony in South America. www.CultursMag.com
|
Fall 2019
35
Gerald Ambrosine
HIDDEN DIVERSITY On the outside, McGee may seem like the odd woman out among such an international collection of artists. But there’s always more to an individual’s background than meets the eye. “I grew up in a very diverse family,” says McGee, who is passionate about the Black Lives Matter movement as well as transphobia in the military. Such causes come up in “Bluff City Law,” which is one reason the role resonated with her. It also helped that McGee is an admirer of her fellow castmates. “It’s amazing how everyone in the cast is cross-cultural,” McGee says. “I’m completely aware of my privilege. If I don’t use it to speak out, it would be a disservice to the people I love. So taking this character was really important to me.” “We’re so diverse, and that’s how the world is,” she continues. “You don’t have to scream it out. You don’t have to say, ‘We’re diverse!’ It’s just… the way that the world is, and (the cast) reflects that.”
From left to right: Barry Sloane, Stony Blyden, and Michael Luwoye
ART EMULATES LIFE Michael Luwoye plays attorney Anthony Little. He’s best known for the television series “She’s Gotta Have it,” based on the Spike Lee film of the same name, and for playing the lead role in the celebrated musical “Hamilton.” Born and raised in Alabama, Luwoye’s parents are engineers from Nigeria who immigrated to the U.S. for their education and laid down roots in Huntsville, which is also home to a Nigerian community. Moving to New York to work on the stage brought Luwoye together with other Nigerians in the entertainment industry. That was a first. “Acting to me is a way to emulate and present life,” Luwoye says. “You get to tell stories about what people are going through.” Luwoye believes it’s important for viewers to be able to see a piece of themselves in theatrical performances. 36
Fall 2019 | www.CultursMag.com
“It is important to see yourself on the screen, on the stage, writing this, producing that — whatever it is,” he says. “That shows you the people behind this, the people who are creating the art, are a part of the community that you’re from, as opposed to an attempt to tell it from a distance or an idea about it.” Stony Blyden, on the other hand, brings completely different experiences to the show. He was born and raised in Reykjavík, Iceland, to a Cuban mother and an Icelandic father. In Iceland, Blyden attended a school where he “was the only not-entirely white kid.” Like many people who straddle cultural identities, Blyden often wanted to be just like the other kids. “I would straighten my hair, do all these things to fit in,” he recalls. “Looking back, I realize I was so dope just the way that I was.
Photos this page: Paul Trantow/NBC
I embrace that now. I wish I’d done it more back then.” At 17, Blyden is currently the youngest “Bluff City Law” cast member. He brings personality and confidence to his role on the show. “The way that I make music, or the way that I write, or the way that I act, it’s all kind-of in there,” he says. “It made me the strongest version of myself.” Actor MaameYaa Boafo can relate. She also talks about growing up different. Originally from Gahna, Boafo was born in Pakistan and raised in Sudan, Switzerland, Ethiopia and Kenya. She jokes: “Am I missing a country?” “I was usually the only girl who looked like me,” she says of her childhood. “But I didn’t realize it until I was 9, when someone said to me, ‘You can’t play with us because there are no black fairies!’” She takes pride now in being an Adult Third Culture Kid. “It’s who I am, and it’s all I know,” she says. “It’s made me have a heart for humanity.” Boafo’s father worked for a refugee aid agency, which showed her many aspects of life.
Above: MaameYaa Boafo Right: Jayne Atkinson
“People have a certain preconception. ‘Oh you’ve lived here, you were born here,’ but the circumstances… are very humbling. To be able to connect to people on a heart-to-heart (level)? I don’t know if I would have gotten that just being raised and growing up in one place.” Grateful for her humanitarian upbringing, Boafo plans to pass those lessons on to her own children. Meanwhile, she also shares them with the world via her acting. “BCL is all about humanity,” she says. “We are a law firm that stands up for the underprivileged, so of course, I want to be a part of this project — absolutely.” Boafo comes to “Bluff City Law” from such television series as “Iron Fist” and “American Odyssey.” “It’s a real honor to be part of such a diverse cast,” she says. “The thing that I love about our show is that it’s about people who are just going through life. They just happen to be Black, or they happen to be women. But that’s not the focus. I love that it’s just about the human condition.” British actor Barry Sloane may be best known in the U.S. for playing Aiden Mathis on the hit ABC drama “Revenge.” He stars as “Bluff City Law” attorney Jake Riley. A native of Liverpool, his “big break” came via the record-breaking, sell-out play, “Jerusalem,” which made its debut at the Royal Court Theatre in London before moving on to Broadway. “It was a play about identity across countries… What is the identity of a country, anyway? It’s all merging together.” Sloane professes his love for this latest role. “It’s a fantastic cast (with) great writers and great producers,” he says.
www.CultursMag.com
|
Fall 2019
37
“A civil rights law firm in Memphis right now seems like the story to tell. We can be very brave. We can shine a light on things that should be Available on all podcast platforms. spoken about. I’m just pleased to be part of something that would be able to do that.” Fresh off a six-year stint on the Netflix hit “House of Cards,” actress and producer Jayne Atkinson plays Della Bedford, an estate and trust lawyer whose portrayal she based on the iconic U.S. politician and former Texas Governor Ann Richards. Atkinson recently played Richards in a one-woman show. The actress was born in England to British parents who later moved to the United States to live in Connecticut and Miami, Fla. “My father taught us to be kind to everybody because America was kind to him,” she shares. “At home, we had more of an English experience.” Being the eldest of three crossed over into her experience on the “Bluff City Law” set. “Shooting BCL has been one of the best television experiences I’ve had,” she says. “We created this camaraderie and this family.” She emphasizes that enjoying each other’s company laid a foundation of trust whereby the actors supported one another. “In Hollywood, you hear all these stories of casts with backbiting and competition,” Atkinson says. “We started off with a foundation of love and fun, and I’m so proud of the show.” Finally, the city of Memphis, Tenn., U.S.A., rounds out this multicultural cast as an icon of North American history, music and civil rights. Creators and Paul Trantow/NBC
Listen to exclusive cast interviews on the StarBiz podcast.
38
Fall 2019 | www.CultursMag.com
Executive Producers Michael Agular and Dean Georgaris, who also is the series writer, intended to make the city a centerpiece in the show. It follows that the soundtrack includes music by the likes of recording greats B.B. King and Johnny Cash, both of whom laid down tracks at the seminal Sun Studios in Memphis. The city also is home to the Lorraine Hotel, where Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated, and Graceland, the mansion and estate that served as Elvis Presley’s home. It’s the second most visited residence in the U.S. behind the White House. Memphis’s rich history balances out a culturally refreshing TV series with an equally impressive cast. The one-hour “Bluff City Law” pilot debuts September 23 in North America on the NBC television network.
For videos of the cast and more on their cross-cultural backgrounds, visit Cultursmag.com/Bluff.
I am Not Your ‘Savage’ Jesse James Collins is leading the charge to reclaim a word with a nasty, racist history. By Antoinette Lee Toscano
40
Fall 2019 | www.CultursMag.com
he word “savage” caused decades of pain for millions of indigenous people around the world. Today, one self-proclaimed “savage” is among the Cherokee U.S. Army soldiers who are working to reclaim “the ‘S’ word” and make it their own.
THE ‘SAVAGE’ SOLDIER
Jesse James Collins, 30, is a member of the Cherokee Nation and a former U.S. Army sergeant. Collins adopted “Savage” as his nickname to honor the unit in which he and his fellow soldiers served. “Savage” also was their radio-call sign. He was born and raised in Tulsa, Okla., U.S.A., near the Cherokee Nation. He grew up a Domestic Third Culture Kid living among German, English and Cherokee influences. As a child, Collins straddled his mother’s German culture and his father’s Cherokee culture, ever aware of how society viewed him — as Caucasian.
Retired U.S. Army Sgt. Jesse James Collins, or “Savage,” is pictured here at Red Rocks Park in Morrison, Colo., U.S.A.
Lexi Green — Savage Grey Studios
GROWING UP CHEROKEE According to the National Congress of American Indians: “Today there are three federally recognized Cherokee tribes: the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians in North Carolina, the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma, and the Cherokee Nation in Oklahoma.”
www.CultursMag.com
|
Fall 2019
41
The unit turned that previously hurtful word into a way of expressing military pride and camaraderie.
Collins, pictured here as an enlisted soldier, served in the 45th Infantry Division. Photo courtesty of Jesse James Collins
42
Fall 2019 | www.CultursMag.com
From an early age, Collins hungered to learn more about his identity. After his Cherokee father died, Collins turned to tribal elders of various indigenous nations to become more involved with his Native American heritage. In high school, he joined the Indian Heritage Club, where he and other indigenous teenagers learned Native American culture. They did so through an oral tradition rather than formal schooling. Each month, a tribal elder taught the students about different aspects of Native American culture and traditional life. They learned about living wild, or off the land, as well as native foods, music and customs. As an adult, Collins joined the U.S. Army because he wanted a way out of Oklahoma and into the larger world. In 2011, he was deployed to Afghanistan, where he served during wartime with a group of like-minded soldiers. Danil Sudakov was one of them. Sudakov, 30, also is a Third Culture Kid. He was born in the city of Izhevsk, in Russia, just west of the Ural Mountains. At age 13, he came to the U.S. with his mother. He decided to join the army because it was a longtime dream. “Everybody else in my family served with the Russian armed forces,” Sudakov says. “Joining the army in either country was something that I (needed to do) to prove to myself that I was strong enough and brave enough.” Sudakov and Collins served in the 45th Infantry Division, which was originally formed by the members of several Native American nations. They bonded over the use of the “savage” call sign. “I loved it, because I feel like that’s who we were sometimes,” Sudakov recalls. “We
were just a bunch of Type-A personalities who could endure pain, lack of sleep, and everything else that comes along with combat.” For these soldiers, “savage” also inspired tattoos and iconography that furthered their own use and meaning behind the word. “We were willing to accomplish the mission at any cost,” he says. “You could feel that strength within our team.”
SEMANTICS WARRIORS It was in Afghanistan in 2011 when this multi-ethnic group of soldiers came together as a unit and popularized a word that at one time was used by racist societies to shame others. The unit turned that previously hurtful word into a way of expressing military pride and camaraderie. “You never see a ‘savage’ back down from a fight” in the old movies, Sudakov says. Collins and Sudakov served together during Operation Enduring Freedom in the so-called ‘global war on terrorism.’ Collins was in three separate Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blasts. He now wears a ring in the shape of a cross on his left hand. It’s made from one of the IEDs that failed to take his life. “When you’re at war and you realize this might be the last time you talk to your buddy, everything you say has this raw purpose and honesty,” Sudakov recalls. The unit continues to remain in contact. “We may not all be friends, but we are all brothers,” Sudakov said.
BACK HOME Jameson Knapp, 27, is Collins’ younger sister. She says the time when her brother was at war “was really hard.” “We pretty much just turned off the TV
until he came home,” says Knapp, who was a teenager at the time. “When we saw something in the news about the war with a group of people making an attack someplace, we just wondered if Jesse was a part of that. Sometimes he couldn’t call home for a month, and we didn’t know anything about how he was doing.” Knapp says her brother came home a changed man; so changed, in fact, that the family had to get to know him all over again. “His sympathy for people now and what he will do for them is extraordinary,” she says. “He will pick up the phone at any time of day or night to talk to a veteran in need.” Collins has become passionate about helping veterans in need of mental health and other services. “Jesse knows how to get veterans the help they need,” his sister says.
SERVING FELLOW VETERANS Collins channels his compassion, and his own need for healing, into his philanthropic work. He started Veteran Command, a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that serves former service members and their families. The organization aims to be a one-stop, online resource for veterans and their families. “Living far outside the borders of the tribe, but for all social concerns being a white-presenting Cherokee, affords me a unique opportunity,” Collins says. “I have the ability to showcase my appreciation a nd devotion to the Cherokee Nation.” The Veteran Command logo has deep meaning behind it. It vividly displays the Veteran Command title and includes a traditional symbol for veterans, the poppy. Here, three poppies represent remembrance, hope and the veteran community.
www.CultursMag.com
|
Fall 2019
43
From shows to watch and songs to hear, to artistry, shopping and things to explore, know and do, here’s a specially curated list of things we recommend as MUST experience items for the culturally fluid.
THE MUST LIST
MUST l READ
llinois State University Professor Ellis Hurd is the editor behind “The Reflexivity of Pain and Privilege: Auto-ethnographic Collections of Mixed Identity,” a fresh, critical anthology about the lives of indigenous people and similarly marginalized populations. The book highlights the author’s research, shared experiences and personal stories. It also spotlights artistic collections produced by people who are of mixed heritage, as well as the ethno-cultural backgrounds and experiences of adolescents who identify as being
racially, socio-economically or linguistically mixed. The material reflects the untold stories of millions of marginalized people, and provides solace. Hannah R. Stohry, a doctoral candidate at Miami University of Ohio, is one of the contributors. Stohry is a bi-racial, Adult Third Culture Kid who authored two chapters in “The Reflexivity of Pain and Privilege.” “It’s linchpins like this that validate that the work I do is important,” Stohry says. “Sometimes it means being unpopular, or even receiving the message to stay in my lane.” That, she adds, is code language for “deciding my identity for me, which is dehumanizing.”
The other authors’ stories authenticate many of Stohry’s own experiences. “People like this make me feel like I’m not crazy,” she says. “The Reflexivity of Pain and Privilege: Auto-ethnographic Collections of Mixed Identity,” is available in hardcover and paperback from Amazon.com.
A Fresh Perspective
An illuminating anthology explores how mixed individuals are often marginalized.
www.CultursMag.com
|
Fall 2019
45
MUST l KNOW
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
The Yuujou Journey: 100 Days of Friendship & Travel
C 46
ulturs partnered with Yuujou earlier this year to illustrate how real friendships blossom from in-person rather than online-only interactions. We followed six travelers from different corners of the world as they navigated the globe in two groups — one going east and one going west. Departing from Berlin, Germany, they headed off in different directions toward Tokyo, Japan. Their goal? To prove that all people are interconnected, and that humanity is the tie that binds us all.
Fall 2019 | www.CultursMag.com
Eschewing hotel reservations for stays with friends and friends of friends, the travelers (Joey, Paula, John, Renata, Panos, Yvonne and Jed) journeyed with no set route, save for the requirement that they arrive at their final destination on the 100th day. “Thanks to the chain of friendship,” said YuuJou Co-Founder Yvonne Eisenring, who also traveled with the group, “we experience cultures and people much closer than on an ordinary backpacking trip.”
Panos and Yvonne in Paris, France
Team West with Host Thomas in Faro, Portugal
FRIENDSHIP EQUALS HAPPINESS
Team West visits Brelem, Brazil
The trek from Berlin to Tokyo also was a sociological experiment. Several studies have deduced that face-to-face interactions are key to happiness. Yvonne and her sister, Corinne, wondered: “What if we only travel from one person to another? Can we make it to the other side of the world?” These thoughts inspired the journey. Yvonne, who is Swiss, is a best-selling author and former anchorwoman. Her sister produces travel documentaries. Together, they were the perfect pair to launch such an endeavor. But this dream wouldn’t have come to fruition without Oliver Herren, founder of Switzerland’s largest online shop, Digitec Galaxus. He provided the financial support that allowed participants to travel for free.
Team West
Team West visits Brazil
www.CultursMag.com
|
Fall 2019
47
Bled, Slovenia
ROUGH START
At times, this friendship experiment seemed as though it wasn’t going to work out the way everyone had hoped. Team East, for example, couldn’t find a host to stay with for two weeks while roaming somewhat aimlessly through Eastern Europe. Their route took them through Europe, the Ukraine, Russia, China, the Philippines, and finally, Japan. Team West’s travels included Brazil, Mexico, and the United States (including Hawaii), before they arrived in Japan. “I can’t believe we really did it — that we really made it to the other side of the world!” Paula said at the end of the trip. The other travelers also expressed their excitement at completing such an awe-inspiring mission. Renata said it was a dream come true. Her only lament was how 100 days can pass so quickly. Joey concluded: “Forming these friendships across the world is something I will cherish for the rest of my life.”
Paula in Batumi, Georgia
48
Fall 2019 | www.CultursMag.com
Team East with Host Micha in Kazan, Russia
Team East’s Paula and Joey in Kiev, Russia
Visit cultursmag.com/global-friendship to watch a video about The Yuujou Journey.`
Team East Team East in Benediktbeuern, Germany
www.CultursMag.com
|
Fall 2019
49
MUST l READ
These picture books are dedicated to multi-ethnic children around the world.
What Am I?
I 50
n Book One of the series, Ivorian American Muslim Author Papatia Feauxzar introduces readers to Nouredine on the first day of school. The boy is elated, until his joy is crushed when one of his schoolmates asks: “What are you!?�
Fall 2019 | www.CultursMag.com
Mockery ensues. Such questions are inevitable for biracial and mixed-race children. This book uses a theist approach to help both Black and White parents discuss complex racial issues with their kids.
Nouredine turns to his own parents for answers. His father, a United States citizen, is originally from the Balkans. His mother, who is also a U.S. citizen, was born in West Africa. Nouredine was born in Texas. The child could be considered African American, biracial or multiethnic, depending on the reader’s perspective. For Book Two, Feauxzar is joined by AfricanAmerican Muslim Author Asiila Imani. Together they tell the story of 6-year-old Toa Idris. One of Toa’s favorite things to do is listen to G-Ma talk about their ancestors. But sometimes the boy gets confused. G-Ma says his people come from many places: islands in the Pacific Ocean, the west coast of Africa, Europe, China, and North America before there was the United States. But what race does that make Toa?
Readers join the child as he uncovers answers that hold the key to his identity. “I would like the children who read this to realize that all of us have a varied and interesting family history,” Imani says. “As we know, there’s already a huge interest in ancestry among adults. I’m hoping this book will intrigue children to become interested in their current and past ancestors.” The author also hopes children will feel emboldened to ask their elders about their own childhoods, memories, distant relatives and so on. “The research could go beyond ethnic or racial connections,” Imani adds. “I’d like children (and adults) to realize that all of us — as different as we can be — are ultimately connected and worthy.” Both books are available through Amazon.com.
www.CultursMag.com
|
Fall 2019
51
MUST l KNOW
Stephanie Ward called up old-fashioned, Midwestern U.S. values to build a global business. By Evan Grant
International Business Smarts
52
Fall 2019 | www.CultursMag.com
T
o some, Stephanie Ward’s upbringing may seem pedestrian. She was born in Tulsa, Okla., U.S.A., to parents who were also born in Oklahoma. But like many geographically mobile individuals, there is more to this North American expatriate turned international entrepreneur than meets the eye. Ward’s ancestors immigrated from Germany to the United States in 1865. “When I moved to the Netherlands in 1999 for love, it felt like coming home,” she says. “Although my ancestors are from Germany, it’s only a few hours away.” She adds that in many ways, the Netherlands is similar to the United States, but there are a few distinct differences. In the Netherlands, for instance, people are much more straightforward. “At first, I was taken aback by the extreme directness,” says the ‘expat,’ which is shorthand for the title used by people who live outside of their native country. “Now I’m used to it, and very much appreciate it.”
OPPORTUNITY BECKONED
When Ward first moved to the Netherlands, the country had just changed its laws to make gender-based discrimination illegal. This provided women and those of other genders equal representation in the government. Ward decided to start a company that supported global entrepreneurs who want to launch fresh ventures. Her business, Firefly Coaching, calls on her background in marketing to coach entrepreneurs on how to make their businesses thrive. “The values in my family were to work hard, be kind, be honest and do what you say you’re going to do,” says the businesswoman. Her family also believed that “difficult experiences build character.” Ward is passionate about what she does and imparts that passion to others trying to make a difference in the world. “No matter where you are from, we all want to be heard and listened to, and to feel that we are understood,” she concludes. “I care deeply about my clients and make sure they know that I have their best interests at heart and will support them in every way possible to help them reach their goals.”
Cristina Stoian
Learn more about Firefly Coaching at fireflycoaching.com.
www.CultursMag.com
|
Fall 2019
53
MUST l LISTEN
Unexpected, Eclectic Groove
We sit down with electronica producer, philanthropist and successful Los Angeles event DJ Ian Gotler. By Tommy McMillion
54
Fall 2019 | www.CultursMag.com
I
an Gotler co-owns RedShoe, a thriving DJ company in Los Angeles, Calif., U.S.A.. His bread-and-butter may be weddings for superstars like RZA from the Wu-Tang Clan, but Gotler also happens to be one of the most humble creatives in the entertainment business. He’s the kind of person with whom it’s easy to make an instant connection, and who impresses fellow artists with the thoughtfulness that goes into his craft. The DJ’s humility is only outshined by his eclectic music knowledge and constant drive to, “keep his eyes open (for) outside inspiration.”
Gotler loves hip-hop but concedes that his popular DJ business demands that he follow contemporary pop music. Currently, two of his favorite artists are the Australian singer-songwriter RY X and the L.A. native and urban music trailblazer Frank Ocean. The producer says he’d most like to collaborate with the Belgiumbased trance record label Bonzai along with rising pop star Billie Eilish and experimental electronica DJ Kenny Segal, a.k.a. Syndakit. As a producer, he appreciates and draws inspiration from all styles of music. His compositions are in a realm of their own, and difficult to characterize. “I consider my music to be genre– less,” Gotler says. “Just let it be what it is, I guess.”
To listen to clips of Gotler’s music, visit Cultursmag.com/Ian
Courtesy of Ian Gotler
Megan Lipshultz
ALWAYS LISTENING
Gotler, 38, began his music career playing the sax, guitar, piano and drums in high school. Today, his love of instrumentation and melody shine through on emotive electronic productions worthy of any upscale London lounge. The producer counts such iconic hip-hop artists as Pete Rock, J Dilla, DJ Premier, Q-Tip, Timberland and Rick Rubin among his influences. Gotler became friends with Tom Wilson (a.k.a. Sweatson Klank) while attending Point Blank Music School in London. Wilson now runs Tone and Manor, a Los Angeles record label and music collective. Gotler signed a digital distribution deal in 2018 with Tone and Manor, and has since released several compositions. “Ghost Light” is a smooth electronic track with a well-executed companion video shot in a historic Los Angeles theater. “Flip” is modern funk with a heavy horn section skillfully interwoven with a synth baseline and vocal samples. Gotler’s production company, Rite Along, is run like a foundation and selects projects based on artistry rather than revenue. The goal is simple: Release singles, EPs and albums, and perform live.
www.CultursMag.com
|
Fall 2019
55
MUST l LISTEN
Philanthropic
Musical Mission
How Jâca pushes classical music forward.
âca is a clarinet and guitar duo at the forefront of a growing social consciousness in classical music. This Los Angeles-based group consists of TCK clarinetist Wesley Ferreira and guitarist Jaxon Williams. Together they aim to perform music at the highest level as well as share the “why” behind their music, which is to move multicultural influences from backstage to center stage. The beauty of culture is that it is not specific to a country but rather found within different communities of peoples. Both performers live multicultural lives. With Jâca, they mount engaging concerts that stimulate emotion, inspire imagination, and promote multicultural
56
Fall 2019 | www.CultursMag.com
understanding and appreciation through music. Their sound highlights both historic and present-day international influences on the field of classical music. Their goal is to give back to the communities they associate with through cultural exchange. As Jâca performs in different locations around the globe, they use music and storytelling to share a part of the culture from one locale with the audience at their next performance. To that end, the group recently created the Jâca Cultural Exchange Program (JCEP) to capitalize on their position as touring musicians to forge deeper cultural connections and give back to the communities worldwide in which they perform. The JCEP tag-line is “Artists helping Artists: Supporting musical communities and sharing culture from one locale to the next.” Through JCEP, these musicians accumulate direct donations, raise funds through the sale of unique cultural commodities from the artists’ travels, and set aside a percentage of the proceeds from Jâca merchandise to support the JCEP fund. Each year, they also spotlight an underprivileged musical community in need of financial support and work with its members to determine the best way to disperse the funds .
Want to see Jâca Live? Here are the duo’s upcoming concerts.
Sunday September 15
ARTCORE Series
Casper, Wyoming, U.S.A.
Sunday September 29
FESTIVAL THE WORLD MUSIC Ponta Delgada, Azores, Portugal
Tuesday October 22
FESTIVAL INTERNATIONAL MusicaLoja, Ecuador
Friday November 8
UNIVERSITY OF OREGON School of Music Eugene, Oregon, U.S.A.
To find out how you can help: Visit Cultursmag.com/jaca-music
www.CultursMag.com
|
Fall 2019
57
MUST l SEE
The Duality of
Womanhood
A fine art photo illustrates how women persevere as the givers of life even when faced with the daily threat of domestic violence. By Swarnali Sikder
58
Fall 2019 | www.CultursMag.com
his photo depicts the pain that women bear. Women are born with power. They can show a child the first ray of sunshine. They can run a household. Women are successful leaders; strong, brave and fearless. Yet women worldwide carry the pain inherent to circumstances in which those in power fight change. Some women find their way out of violent situations. Many do not. This photo is meant to communicate how each individual is deserving of love and respect. It reveals the pain born of domestic violence while also highlighting how women stand strong in the face of such assaults. Here, one side of the subject is injured but the opposite side shows a commitment to see her responsibilities as a woman — despite her subjugation. The message? Many societies worship women as goddesses but at the same time sanction violence against women. Domestic violence is a crime under written laws as well as an affront to humanity. This world needs more love and mutual respect. Humanity will never thrive under the yoke of socially-sanctioned violence against women.
Dibangona... I am brave. I am fearless. I am amazing. I am the daughter of God.
Balzinder Balz
www.CultursMag.com
|
Fall 2019
59
MUST l WATCH
The 72nd Festival de Cannes BY THE NUMBERS 35 39
2019
2017
2016
2014
2015
22
27
2018
42 28
COUNTRIES OF PRODUCTION 39 countries were represented as production or co-production countries in 2019 (features and shorts). There were 35 in 2018, 42 in 2017, 27 in 2016, 22 in 2015, 28 in 2014.
The Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, (on the French Riveria) took place from May 14 – 25 this year. A bucket-list item for many, Cannes is no exception to the #timesup ethos that has surpassed its United States origins. The lauded festival made a commitment this year to increase films screened by women. Festival de Cannes shared its numbers as follow up to its commitments to gender equality after signing a “5050 x 2020” statement. In 2014, SVN Real Estate Advisors CEO Kevin Maggiacomo launched the 50/50 by 2020 movement to create greater gender parity.
FEATURE FILMS 1,845 feature films were submitted for 2019 Official Selection. In 2018, 1,916 films were submitted. In 2017, 1,885 films were submitted. In 2016: 1,843 films. In 2015: 1,872 films. In 2014, 1,809 films. In 2013, 1,858. In 2012, 1,779 films. In 2012, 1,702 films. And in 2010, 1,665 films were submitted.
2,000 1,900 1,800 1,700
FIRST FEATURES Eight first features are part of the Official Selection. There were 7 in 2018, 11 in 2017, 7 in 2016, 8 in 2015, and 5 in 2014. The Caméra d’or Competition reviewed 26 features across the Official Selection, La Semaine de la Critique and the Directors’ Fortnight.
60
Fall 2019 | www.CultursMag.com
2019
2017
2018
2016
2014
2015
2013
2011
2012
2010
1,600
SHORT FILMS The Selection committee reviewed 4,240 short films. Eleven were selected. In 2018, 4,274 short films were submitted and 8 were selected. In 2017, 4,766 short films submitted and 9 were selected. In 2016, 4,991 short films were submitted and 10 were selected.
Pa ri
Once in Cannes, 865 additional people joined the team, with 46% being women.
865 PEOPLE (46% WOMEN)
61% WOMEN
As a whole, the 2019 team was formed of 974 people, 468 women and 506 men, which means 48% female employees.
THE SELECTION COMMITTEE As announced at the beginning of the year, four womenand four men were part of the Selection Committee.
am: 974 pe s Te op ne l
e
: 109 people eam sT
ORGANIZATION OF THE FESTIVAL DE CANNES The Parisian team coordinating the Festival comprised 109 people. Sixty-six women (61%) were among them.
Tota lC an
ADVANCING GENDER EQUALITY
48% WOMEN
FEMALE DIRECTORS IN THE SELECTION PROCESS: • 26% of submitted feature films • 32% of submitted short films
THE FOUR JURIES D
D
D
32 %
26 %
Competition 4 men, 4 women (and for the first time, 3 of them being directors)
2015
9
In 2019, 20 female directors were part of the Official CANNES FILM FESTIVAL Selection with:
2016
12
• 4 in Competition, 9%. • 8 in Un Certain Regard, 42%.
11
2017
• 3 Special Screenings, 27%.
2018
Caméra d’or 2 women, 2 men
9% pe
om
C
n
titio
42% Short films and Cinéfondation 3 men, 1 woman
• 44% of school films submitted to the Cinéfondation selection
SELECTED FEMALE DIRECTORS In 2018, there were 11 female directors, 12 in 2017, 9 in 2016, and 6 in 2015.
6
Un Certain Regard 2 men, 2 women
44%
• 5 in the Short Films Competition, 42%.
20
in rta Ce rd n a U eg R
42% rt ho
2019
S
27%
al s eci Sp ning e re c S
s
Film
27.5%
As a whole, 19 of the 69 films in the Official Selection (features and shorts) were directed by women, which represented 27.5%.
www.CultursMag.com
|
Fall 2019
61
Flouting the Law Legal experts call President Donald Trump’s executive orders toward refugees and immigrants illegal. We take a closer look at what happens to these individuals once inside the U.S. By Valeria Maraboli Fugate
62
Fall 2019 | www.CultursMag.com
I
n late January, President Donald Trump \ dispatched a secondary troop of 3,500 military personnel to the United StatesMexican border. Soldiers were charged with managing the caravan of Central American migrants seeking asylum in the United States. This act raised concerns about exactly what responsibility the U.S. has to immigrants and refugees. While President Trump maintains that tougher immigration policy is necessary for economic and security reasons, his critics argue these policies are in direct violation of domestic laws and international humanitarian standards.
CURRENT IMMIGRATION POLICY Even though the U.S. has signed onto international treaties regarding stateless persons, arguments for the applicability of refugee and asylum status can be made for, and against, the modern caravans. However, people with no criminal history who seek asylum or naturalization have basis for due process under U.S. law. On Nov. 19, 2018, in a nationwide restraining order, U.S. District Judge Jon S. Tigàr barred the enforcement of President Trump’s anti-asylum proclamation against the caravan, stating it was in clear violation of the Immigration and Naturalization Act. Tigàr also ruled that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (I.C.E.) and Border Patrol agents routinely violate the rights of immigrants who are legally allowed a “credible fear” review, according to Violeta Chapin, a criminal and immigration Associate Clinical Professor of Law at the University of Colorado. “I.C.E. and C.B.P. (U.S. Customs and Border Protection) were using a number of different techniques including lying to immigrants about what the legal standard was (and) what their obligations were,” Chapin says. “The judge found that they were in violation of certain laws.”
Leading many to disappear from the system altogether. Each presidential administration, along with Congress, sets the number of admissible refugees from particular countries. During the 2019 fiscal year, the Trump administration reduced the refugee admission allotment to 30,000, the lowest it has been since 1980. In 2018, 22,491 refugees were allowed into the U.S., totaling less than the allotted number of 45,000 for that year. This was due in large part to changed policies, meant to further vet refugees, and created even more processing delays.
CBP Border Patrol agent conducts a pat down of a female Mexican being placed in a holding facility. Gerald L. Nino, CBP, U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security, www.cpb.gov
BACKLOGGED SYSTEMS Immigration courts were already backlogged before the 2016 election of President Trump, so undocumented immigrants and refugees were largely released into the U.S.to await their due process hearings. This enabled immigrants to stay for years before their asylum claims were decided.
www.CultursMag.com
|
Fall 2019
63
Mexico–United States barrier at the border of Tijuana, Mexico and San Diego, U.S.A., in 2006. The crosses represent migrants who died in the crossing attempt. Some identified, some not. Surveillance tower in the background. Tomas Castelazo, www.tomascastelazo.com Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
64
The countries with the highest number of asylum applications in 2018 were: • Venezuela with 28,485; • Guatemala with 10,177; • El Salvador with 9,157; • China with 8,114; and • Mexico with 6,636. Initially, to help bypass this immigration backlog, former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions mandated annual caseload quotas. Federal Judges pushed back, stating the policy encouraged shortcuts during court proceedings and didn’t allow time for proper due process. As a result, the Trump administration and Mexico drafted an agreement upon which asylum seekers must wait out their time on the other side of the border from the U.S., in Mexico. Advocacy groups such as American Civil Liberties Union contested, arguing that refugees cannot show up for asylum hearings in the U.S. in a timely
Fall 2019 | www.CultursMag.com
manner and are essentially cut out of their own cases.
DETENTION CENTER DANGERS The detention centers that hold refugees and undocumented immigrants are federal buildings run by private, nonprofit contractors, namely GEO and Southwest Key. These facilities have come under scrutiny for the mismanagement of federal funds. (The New York Times reports the company has been awarded $1.8 billion in federal funds over the last decade, largely to care for immigrant children. Meanwhile, former CEO Juan Sanchez’s annual salary jumped from $269,000 in 2010 to $1.5 million in 2017, according to Bloomberg.) These facilities also are criticized for being fashioned after for-profit private prisons. In Dec. 2017, a report released by the Office of Inspector General (O.I.G.) looked at the standard of care within six randomly chosen detention
facilities. Researchers discovered such issues as unsubstantiated strip searches, insufficient language services, shared housing among criminal and noncriminal populations, and deterrents to filing grievances. Such detention facilities were scheduled to be phased out under the Obama administration. Among the refugees who have gotten into U.S. detention facilities, roughly 24 have died in the last two years. The death toll includes a 19-month-old girl who failed to receive proper and timely medical care inside a detention center, and a 7-year-old girl who died in Border Patrol custody. The cause of death was determined to be exhaustion. A recent study of I.C.E. detention center complaints filed with the Department of Homeland Security also found more than 1,224 cases of sexual assault and misconduct complaints as well as allegations of child molestation by youth detention center workers.
I.C.E. ARRESTS & DETENTION I.C.E. and its supporting agencies were primarily designed to collect and deport the criminal element among undocumented immigrants. The Pew Research Center reports that, “Immigrants with past criminal convictions accounted for 74% of all arrests made by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in fiscal 2017, according to data from the agency.� Immigrant detainees nationwide are frequently transferred between states to accommodate space limitations. In Aurora, Colo., U.S.A., for instance, the immigrant detention center has only 1,532 beds in a building that it shares with the U.S. marshal jail. The Department of Justice and I.C.E. also have an agreement that states detainees are not to be held for more than 90 days. Individuals average a little more than a month’s stay while they wait for their master hearing, working with legal representation, if they have any.
U.S. Border Patrol agents conduct intake of illegal border crossers at the Central Processing Center in McAllen, Texas, Sunday, June 17, 2018.
www.CultursMag.com
United States Department of Homeland Security
|
Fall 2019
65
Deportations are decided by the Department of Justice and carried out by I.C.E. In some circumstances, that agency allows individual detainees to remove themselves from the country. A number of undocumented immigrants are given an alternative to detention called ATD. This can be parole, house arrest or offsite officer check-ins.
LOOKING BACK
ICE Special Agents (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) arresting suspects during a raid in 2010. Photo courtesy of ICE www.ice.gov
The U.S. history of providing asylum to refugees has periodically jutted against more restrictive policy actions by stopping immigrants in need from entering the country. The Naturalization Act of 1790 closed previously open borders and limited the naturalization of citizens to, “free white persons of good moral character” who had a residency in the U.S. for a
And the Immigration Act of 1924 created quotas for immigrants, to manage those who were allowed entry from certain “undesirable” countries. During the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, policy changed: Racial distinction was excluded but the law still gave preferential treatment to applicants from the U.K. and Germany. The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965 eliminated quotas and racial preference, emphasizing instead skilled labor, asylum seekers, and family ties to the U.S. In 1967, the United States signed onto the United Nations Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees, agreeing to an international treaty to protect refugees and asylum seekers. The Refugee Act of 1980 further modified criteria by bringing refugee status more in line with United Nations definitions.
HOW U.S. GOVERNMENT FUNCTIONS
minimum of two years. The 14th Amendment, which passed in 1868, also made citizens of all American-born children. The Immigration Act of 1917 later barred citizenship for some, by using English literacy tests for all applicants. 66
Fall 2019 | www.CultursMag.com
Consider Colorado and Wyoming, where regional I.C.E. directors have worked to focus their attention on criminality, even with the change in administration. According to Alethea Smock, an I.C.E. public affairs officer in Colorado, the agency is concerned with individuals who pose a threat to national security, public safety and border security. Even though I.C.E. conducts targeted immigration enforcement in compliance with federal law, it does not exempt classes or categories of removable aliens from potential enforcement. Any immigrant in violation of the law may be subject to arrest and detention, and removable from the United States by final order. Many criticize the treatment or
actions of I.C.E. or C.B.P., when they only follow the mandates of Congress. Further illustrating the biggest challenge, and most fixable action in a democracy, which is policy. When Colorado State Senator Dominick Moreno saw there was a gap between the refugee services program funded by the federal government and actual services provided to new immigrants, he decided to take action. Along with State Representative Leslie Herod, Moreno worked to construct Senate Bill 230, which is the result of a number of refugee service organizations working collaboratively to explore new ways Colorado can support its refugee population. “Obviously, refugee resettlement services are too important to fall victim to politics and shouldn’t be dependent on who occupies the Governor’s office,” Moreno says. “We decided to codify the existing executive order in state statute and also allow the General Assembly to commit state funds towards refugee resettlement services in the future.” Similarly, U.S. Congressman Joe Neguse, a son of refugees, is supporting bill H.R.6, the American Dream and Promise Act of 2019, which has passed the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill seeks to cancel the removal of certain immigrants from the country and provide them with a path to permanent residency status. It is intended to aid the “Dreamers,” or immigrants who qualified for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. These individuals came to the U.S. as minors and agreed to complete certain educational programs for conditional residency status and a path to citizenship. The bill also would cancel any state restrictions
from providing higher education to undocumented immigrants. “It is bold men and women, yearning for freedom and opportunity, who leave their homelands and come to a new country to start their lives over,” Congressman Neguse said with a 1980s Ronald Regan quote during his speech to the House of Representatives. “They believe in the American Dream, and over and over they make it come true for themselves, for their children and for others. They give more than they receive… But their greatest contribution is more than economic, because they understand in a special way how glorious it is to be an American.” Neguse’s comments underscored the pivotal place that immigrants hold in U.S. history. “In America, immigrants are an integral part of each of our communities and of our economy,” Neguse said. “They are our friends, they are our neighbors, they are our coworkers, and fighting each and every day just as we are, to live up to the American ideals that our country was founded on.”
Protesters hold various signs and banners at a DACA rally in San Francisco in 2017. Pax Ahimsa Gethen Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
www.CultursMag.com
|
Fall 2019
67
Our Gift to You
Culturs’ 2019 LookBook - Amazing photos of the glorious cultural locales the Culturs team brought to you in 2018. Each year, we celebrate the amazing destinations you requested we visit in an all-encompassing lookbook that marvels at our extraordinary global finds. Peppered with stunning photography, it’s a nod to the many cultures that make up our audience. It’s our exclusive gift to you for becoming a subscriber.
Lookbook cover
This FREE digital compilation is yours when you subscribe or renew a subscription to CULTURS magazine.
Subscribe to Culturs, and Save up to 47% today!
☐ 1 year/4 issues: $74 $44 ☐ 2 years/ 8 issues: $148 $79 ☐ New ☐ Renewal
GIFT YOURSELF
1- and 2-year subscriptions include Free Digital LookBook, Digital Magazine delivered to your inbox and Print magazine delivered to your door with complimentary postage within the contiguous U.S. states. *Order by August 10 to receive the Fall issue
NAME (PLEASE PRINT)
ALL YEAR
ADDRESS APT # CITY STATE ZIP PHONE
(for digital subscription and to contact you about your subscription)
☐ S ign me up for Culturs’ FREE Insider newsletter for inspiration, inside scoops and special offers. CIRCLE ONE:
CHECK ENCLOSED
VISA/MC
AMEX
DISCOVER
CARD NUMBER EXP (MM/YY) CVV CODE
For faster service, visit subscribe.cultursmag.com
CELEBRATING CROSS-CULTURAL IDENTITY
F I R S T
WWW.CULTURSMAG.COM
A N N I V E R S A R Y
Canadian orders add $8 US per each subscription year; foreign orders add $16 US per each subscription year. Please allow 6-12 weeks for delivery of first issue.
Gift Subscription Enter a one year (4 issues) gift subscription to Culturs
I S S U E
THE BEAUTY OF
CURLS
Magazine for the lucky recipient named below.
To: CELEBRATING CROSS-CULTURAL IDENTITY
SPOTLIGHTING
ENTREPRENEURS Display until August 31
$11.95 US
FOODS OF
SOUTHEAST
ASIA
ALBANIAN
INTERIOR DESIGN INSPIRATION
EASY FASHION WITH LONDON BROWN OF HBO’S
“BALLERS”
WWW.CULTURSMAG.COM
NAME (PLEASE PRINT)
FIRST ANNIVERSARY ISSUE
ADDRESS APT #
Summer 2019
$12.95 CAN
EASY FASHION WITH LONDON BROWN OF HBO’S
“BALLERS”
CITY STATE ZIP SPOTLIGHTING
ENTREPRENEURS
Display until August 31
ALBANIAN
FOODS OF
SOUTHEAST ASIA
INTERIOR DESIGN INSPIRATION
$11.95 US
Summer 2019
$12.95 CAN
THE BEAUTY OF
CURLS
This is a gift from: NAME (PLEASE PRINT)
NATURAL IS IN!
ADDRESS APT # CITY STATE ZIP CELEBRATING CROSS-CULTURAL EXCELLENCE
WWW.CULTURSMAG.COM
SHADES OF LATIN
PHONE EMAIL
CIRCLE ONE:
DESTINATION:
COLORADO
ONE OF NORTH AMERICA’S MOST GLORIOUS LOCALES
TOP MOVIES
HEY! DIP YOUR TOES IN
A SUCCESSFUL INFLUENCER’S DELIGHT
VISA/MC
AMEX
DISCOVER
CARD NUMBER EXP (MM/YY) CVV CODE
CHANGING PERCEPTIONS OF THE WORLD’S MOST FAMOUS ETHNICITY
THE SEASON’S
CHECK ENCLOSED
THE IMPACT OF
Display until Jan. 30, 2019
$11.95 US
For faster service, visit subscribe.cultursmag.com
Canadian orders add $8 US per each subscription year; foreign orders add $16 US per each subscription year. Please allow 6-12 weeks for delivery of first issue.
Winter 2018
$12.95 CAN
BREXIT
CONTINUES
1 Summer 2018 | www.CultursMag.com
Make Their Day! Send an additional gift subscription To: NAME (PLEASE PRINT) ADDRESS APT # CITY STATE ZIP
Subscribe Today and Qualify for FREE Shipping! Please make all checks payable in U.S. funds and return to:
Culturs Magazine 1800 Wazee Street, Suite 300 Denver, Colorado 80202 For faster service, visit
subscribe.cultursmag.com
This is a gift from: NAME (PLEASE PRINT) ADDRESS APT # CITY STATE ZIP PHONE EMAIL
CIRCLE ONE:
CHECK ENCLOSED
VISA/MC
AMEX
DISCOVER
CARD NUMBER EXP (MM/YY) CVV CODE
For faster service, visit subscribe.cultursmag.com
Canadian orders add $8 US per each subscription year; foreign orders add $16 US per each subscription year. Please allow 6-12 weeks for delivery of first issue.
LIFT EVERY VOICE Photography by Dave Russel at Buffalo Heart Images
70
Fall 2019 | www.CultursMag.com
An independent Colorado filmmaker captures how women of color in America are running for office in unprecedented numbers.
Photos courtesy of Rebekah Henderson
R
ebekah Henderson is a Denver, Colo., U.S.A.-based filmmaker and podcaster. She also owns Tan Tigress Productions LLC, a small production company focused on race and identity issues. Personal experience as a mixed-race woman greatly influence Henderson’s current work. Her motto — “What I lack in melanin, I make up for in militant!” — is a nod to the strong Black identity behind her light-skinned looks. Henderson is the host of the podcast “Off Color,” and creates films that aim to educate, activate and highlight great community work. She also is co-founder of MTOB (More Than One Box), A Mixed Gathering, which is an annual event that celebrates multiracial people and families (just like hers). www.CultursMag.com
|
Fall 2019
71
People often tell Henderson she should run for office. She heard that advice enough times that she became curious about the demands of political campaigning. That curiosity was satisfied in 2018 when her friend, Dr. Lisa Calderón, mounted a campaign to become Denver’s first female mayor. Calderón also is mixed race; her mother is Mexican American and her father was African American. The mayoral candidate approached Henderson to make a campaign commercial. The two agreed that Tan Tigress Productions LLC would have ownership of the footage for a documentary about women of color running for office. The resulting film, “Running With My Girls,” is currently in
72
Fall 2019 | www.CultursMag.com
production. It also features footage with Shontel Lewis, one of the organizers of the March For Black Women. She ran for a seat on the board of Denver’s Regional Transportation District. Longtime Denver civil rights and community development leader Veronica Barela, and community activists Candi CdeBaca and Shayla Richard, who ran for seats on the Denver City Council, also are in the film. These elections are now over. The candidates profiled in Henderson’s film achieved mixed results. (While Calderón was knocked out of the Denver mayoral race after the primary, Lewis secured her seat on the RTD Board of Directors.) Meanwhile, the film is in postproduction. Henderson spends her
days pouring over hours of footage in search of scenes that best capture the experience of running for office. She was inspired by the recent success of the Netflix documentary “Knock Down the House,” which highlights previously unknown, grassroots female leaders who ultimately mounted successful political campaigns. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a former bartender who now serves as the U.S. Representative for New York’s 14th
congressional district, factors prominently into the Netflix film. With its focus on women of color and local elections, Henderson hopes her film will illuminate how communities can support each other in meaningful ways. “The story is local,” Henderson says, “but the themes are universal: representation, struggle, dismantling racism and uplifting the voices of women of color in politics.”
Women are running for office in the United States in unprecedented numbers.
www.CultursMag.com
|
Fall 2019
73
ORDINARY MISSIONARIES
Faith spurs an American family to do God’s work in a remote Guatemalan village.
74
Fall 2019 | www.CultursMag.com
n July 2012, George Sisneros and his wife, Vonda, uprooted their lives and their family of five. They moved to Guatemala with altruistic intentions but lacked a missionary budget. Without money, the family couldn’t build houses or start a feeding center. “All we could do was give hugs and pray,” Sisneros says. As it turns out, “that was enough.” Donations began to trickle in. In the seven years since leaving the U.S., George and Vonda have started a bible academy where children also can learn English.
“We walk beside single moms as they fight to feed their families,” Sisneros says. “We have hosted many short-term mission trips, giving others the opportunity to see firsthand what God is doing in the little village of El Rosario.” Follow the Sisneros family and learn about their new country, their Third Culture Kids, and how they choose to make a difference in the world. Their journey is told through unique photos and stories. They hope readers will fall in love with the Guatemalan people and culture in much the same way they did.
To learn more about what George and Vonda Sisneros do, visit Cultursmag.com/ guatemalan-mission
Photos courtesy of George and Vonda Sisneros
www.CultursMag.com
|
Fall 2019
75
The ultimate planning system to get organized, achieve your goals and preserve memories in one stylish space. Yearly and Daily Planners available now!
ANNUAL PLANNER: INSIDE PAGES
• Achieve your goals for the whole year.
• Plan your calendar!
Write down your important plans/goals for the whole year.
• Get the cover jacket in order for the planner to work properly
VISIT shop.cultursmag.com to get your Annual Planner Daily Planners, Add-on Pages, Tabs,Stickers and Cover Jackets.
rt
he
r n c ol o r a
do
, u
in
a
R PE PA
o
s
n
PRI NT
RECYCL ON ED ED
USA
RECYCL ON ED ED
R PE PA
globally inspired products
All proceeds support cross-cultural education around the globe.
MADE IN
PRI NT
marketplace
AUTHENTIC
All Natural
THE
VL
NETWORK
PROUDLY ANNOUNCES AN EXCLUSIVE PODCAST SERIES...
VLN S TA R BIZ
HOSTED BY: DANIEL P. CALDERON & TRACIANA GRAVES Where the greatest minds in entertainment share their brilliance and journeys to success.
LISTEN ON:
VLN STAR BIZ PODCAST A PRODUCT OF THE VISIONARY LEADER NETWORK. 2019 POWERED BY CULTURS
Healing Invisible Wounds Culturs’ Yoga for Healing retreats are designed to address the trauma of everyday life. Join us for the next event in Morocco. By Terri Mairley
hough everyday life offers gifts and challenges, those “in-between” often receive more than their share of both. Consider that being “in-between” is often seen as a privilege. “You got to travel to so many places,” Third Culture Kids are told. “You have that ‘good hair’,” biracial kids may hear. “At least you got to leave that failing country,” a refugee may be consoled. But those who make such one-sided comments fail to consider the rest of an individual’s story. Travel may mean not knowing where home is. That “failing country” was home—a home that displaced natives miss and yearn to see again. And, what exactly is “good hair”!?
TAPPING INTO TRAUMA The result of living a life that straddles borders, cultures and identities can be unresolved grief and emotion that’s trapped within the body. Yoga is one way to release such emotion. Its poses can free not only the body but also the mind from past trauma. A routine yoga practice also brings to light the mind-body-spirit connection. 78
Fall 2019 | www.CultursMag.com
Thirty-six million Americans currently practice yoga. There are 6,000 yoga studios in the United States alone. With good reason: Studies show that yoga has physical, mental and emotional health benefits. Trauma survivors along with anyone who has experienced an overwhelming amount of stress or grief, have most likely, unknowingly, dissociated themselves from their bodies. In turn, they have stored negative feelings and emotions in different areas of the body, which often materialize as aches and pains. Studies show that practicing yoga relieves such physical discomfort. How? Yoga shifts the flow of energy, and this shift sometimes demands that practitioners revisit suppressed negative feelings and emotions. This dynamic flow of energy allows the body to release past trauma and stress. Jaws, necks, shoulders, hearts, lungs, stomachs, pelvises, hips and connective tissue all hold emotional pain, which can manifest as physical pain. Hips are one area in particular that often hold endless emotion caused by trauma and chronic stress. Hips are connected to the body’s second chakra
(the sacral chakra), which is the center of emotion. It is responsible for change, movement and fluid flow throughout the body. It follows that a specific Asana sequence is designed to help practitioners reconnect with their bodies and promote healing. Once emotional energy is released from the hips, it comes to the proverbial surface, and healing begins.
SEE FOR YOURSELF Culturs Yoga for Healing Retreats were created to connect people from different walks of life who have experienced trauma, whether it’s from death, divorce, loss, physical or mental illnesses.
Readers are invited to join us for the next retreat. This life changing experience happens Oct. 14–19, 2019 in Marrakech. Experience the healing power of yoga in the magical setting of the Jnane Tamsna Boutique Hotel and Organic Gardens. Disconnect from society’s clutch, learn self-acceptance and unleash deep love. Reconnect with your true nature and free yourself from the trauma that limits your potential. Refer to page 98 for more information on how to attend this transformational event. Terri Mairley is a certified yoga instructor.
www.CultursMag.com
|
Fall 2019
79
THE CULTUR’D HOME
A design entrepreneur draws on family and cultural legacy to create tasteful, extravagant spaces. Photography by Olivia Peter, Special to Culturs
BABYLON SISTER livia Peter is a Chaldean American, meaning her ancestors were from the northern Tigris-Euphrates Valley, which is located in the present-day nation of Iraq. The majority of Chaldean Americans currently live in Detroit, Mich., U.S.A., Peter says. And more than “95 percent of Chaldeans in the Detroit community can trace their origin to a single town, Telkaif, which is one of several Christian towns in the northern Iraqi province of Mosul, near the ruins of the ancient city of Nineveh.” Chaldeans are known for having extravagant taste, especially at home. Peter says that extravagance is linked to their ancestry. Her passion for interior design spurred Peter to create an Instagram account (@glam_home_decor) devoted to her unique style and taste.
80
Fall 2019 | www.CultursMag.com
www.CultursMag.com
|
Fall 2019
81
“I am truly passionate about my culture,” Peter says. “I believe that it shows in my home décor.”
82
Fall 2019 | www.CultursMag.com
“It has been such a fulfilling experience, watching others be inspired by my designs,” she says. “It touches me to my core, knowing that I am able to… help (people) create their dream living space.”
A LEGACY OF LUSH LIVING “My parents and their families first stepped foot on American soil in 1977,” Peter recalls. “Since then, the homes in my family and in every generation all have the same thing in common, and that is simply ‘extravagance.’ Because of historic struggles, we as Chaldeans have adapted to the skills of entrepreneurship in order to become successful. It is instilled in my genes.” Chaldeans love to entertain, which requires a home well-suited to hosting. “I personally have added a fully functional kitchen in my basement just for entertaining,” she says. One of Peter’s favorite decor pieces is a set of candlesticks passed down to her from her mother, who also received them as a gifted family heirloom. Chaldeans value tradition, so Peter plans to pass the candlesticks on to her own son once he starts a family. In the meantime, she proudly displays them in her home as a reminder of family and culture. “I am truly passionate about my culture,” Peter says. “I believe that it shows in my home décor.” She does find it difficult to watch other Chaldeans continue to struggle in Iraq. But it also reaffirms her drive to share her heritage with the world. “My philosophy is live with what you love,” she says. “Let your décor be a reflection of who you are without having to speak.”
www.CultursMag.com
|
Fall 2019
83
TECHNOLOGY by Andrea Bazoin, M.Ed., Founder of everHuman
Surrender & Patience e careful what you wish for, they say, or you just might get it. Amber McCue can relate. In the fall of 2017, this entrepreneur, wife and mother decided she needed some lessons in surrender and patience. The universe graciously obliged by presenting McCue with the chance to turn life’s challenges into opportunities. Over the next nine months, McCue and her family moved eight times. “I was saying ‘Uncle!’” McCue explains.
The Modern CEO: Here’s how a working mom designed a locationindependent lifestyle for herself and her family. Main photo: Flytographer. Inset: Tami Paige
84
Fall 2019 | www.CultursMag.com
A FINE PLACE TO START After graduation, McCue and her daughter moved to Maryland, where her soon-to-be husband was stationed. She worked for a talent management consulting firm, and enrolled in an MBA program.
She also renewed her interest in a beloved hobby: photography. “I asked my friend, Joanna, who had modeled for Playboy, to take boudoir photos of me as a gift” for her husband, who had since been deployed to Iraq. “The experience was so much fun and empowering,” she says. Almost immediately, the friends decided to launch a boudoir photography business together. They called it Three Boudoir.
BRICK BY BRICK McCue juggled a full-time job, her MBA program, parenting, and her new side-hustle. “When Matt would deploy, it was a bit tricky,” she recalls. “We didn’t have family or a strong friend network in Maryland. This really prompted me to learn to prioritize and create systems. I had a system for everything!” Like so many military wives and working mothers, McCue found herself focused on work during the day and her daughter in the evenings. When many people wind down for the night, this entrepreneur turned her attention to her photography business. In three years, McCue and her business partner had grown Three Boudoir into an $80,000-a-year business. Instead of personally taking all the photos and booking all the jobs, they began outsourcing whatever wasn’t absolutely
Krista Jones
After moving an additional seven times, the family finally landed in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. This nomadic lifestyle was no accident. In fact, it mostly happened by design. Although McCue is from a small town in Illinois (pop. 500), her stepfather, who worked in the oil and gas industry, moved her and the family to Saudi Arabia when McCue was in grade school. From then on, international living was in her blood. Even so, it would be years before her ultimate goal of relocating abroad was realized. “When we moved back from Saudi Arabia, around the time of Desert Storm (in the early 1990s), we returned to Illinois, where I finished school,” McCue says. “I continued my education at Marquette University in Milwaukee and had our oldest daughter, Lily, over Christmas break my freshman year.” Although Lily’s father, Matt, had enlisted in the Army, the two stayed together long-distance while McCue continued her education as a functionally-single mom.
“I didn’t want another job, ever,” she says. “That’s where we started to build our own leadership positions. Freedom is a core value of ours, not just for ourselves but for our team members.”
www.CultursMag.com
|
Fall 2019
85
“It all comes down to prioritizing what you value,” McCue says. “For me, I valued my time with [my kids], excelling at work and growing this business, because I believed in my
DRILLING DOWN In 2011, McCue had her second daughter, Audrey. “I had one year to finish my masters,” she recalls. “But, I started having chronic migraines.” With her health in decline, McCue left her MBA program. Then, as luck would have it, she was laid off. But, she soon found the silver lining.
Flytographer
vision for the future.”
necessary for them to do. McCue recalls Joanna saying, “This could be our full-time job!” The thing is, McCue wasn’t really in the market for another full-time job. “I didn’t want another job, ever,” she says. “That’s where we started to build our own leadership positions. Freedom is a core value of ours, not just for ourselves but for our team members.”
86
Fall 2019 | www.CultursMag.com
Being laid off “turned out perfectly,” she says. “They loved my work, so I ended up consulting for the same company, but working from home.” This was the beginning of McCue’s next entrepreneurial adventure, AmberMcCue.co.
“I remember a moment when someone asked me, ‘Don’t you just wish you could clone yourself?’” McCue realized she could show people how to build systems and teams so they didn’t have to be the ones doing everything in their business. She knew from experience that it was possible to live a more relaxed lifestyle as a freedom-seeking entrepreneur or, as she calls it, a Modern CEO. “It all comes down to prioritizing what you value,” she says. “For me, I valued my time with [my kids], excelling at work and growing this business, because I believed in my vision for the future.” With her co-parent back home and baby number three on the way, McCue and her family set their sights on moving abroad. Her husband began the lengthy U.S. State Department recruitment process while Amber continued building Three Boudoir,
Flytographer
THE MODERN CEO
and, “preparing for freedom, whether we moved or not.”
RIGHT ON TIME By the time Matt’s assignment in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia was ensured, the family’s 15 moves had more than prepared them for arrival. “We were ready to be settled,” Amber McCue says. “We pulled up at the airport, and the first thing our driver said was, ‘Remember, you can’t control anything in Africa.’” “So, we decided to just roll with it. To me, surrender isn’t about letting go. It’s being open to
the possibility that there is something wonderful that is unfolding. We started to embrace this mantra of, ‘You’re right on time.’ We have so many ‘right on time’ stories now, and are enjoying a slower, richer pace of life.” Moving abroad hasn’t stopped McCue from continuing to build two thriving businesses. “I had two requirements for moving abroad,” she chuckles. “I have to have internet, and I’m not moving to Russia… I think it would be too cold with too much vodka.” The internet, as it turns out, is critical for global nomads.
www.CultursMag.com
|
Fall 2019
87
Photos this page: Amber McCue
88
Fall 2019 | www.CultursMag.com
So critical, McCue says, that “I also have backups, and backups for my backups.” She continues: “This is part of the planning that really paid off, and probably minimized culture shock. As soon as we got here, I stepped right back into business. Within three days, I had calls and deliverables. I stepped right back into my life, and immediately started experiencing the beauty of Ethiopia.” McCue and her team members, in both businesses, use tools like Zoom Video Conferencing and Slack to work seamlessly together, across multiple time zones. In fact, McCue has turned the time-zone “challenge” into a happier, more relaxed lifestyle. “My mornings have slowed way down,” she says “I work out. I get a massage. I volunteer. I run errands. Whatever I need to do for myself happens in the morning, because most of my clients are still sleeping.” This schedule also enables McCue to pick up her kids from school and have lunch with then. Around 1 p.m., she begins working, and stays in her zone into the evening.
FOSTERING STRONG CONNECTIONS The mobile lifestyle taught McCue a thing or two about
adjusting to new places. She tries to impart these lessons on her children. “The connections and the bonds that are strong will stay strong no matter where you are,” she says. “But you still have to put in the effort.” That effort includes helping her extended family adjust. “I talked to my whole family about our plans and expectations before we left,” she recalls. “My mom, my sisters, and their boyfriends have already been out to visit us. We went on safari together at Christmas and will meet them in Morocco in June. It actually elevates and creates a different lifestyle for everyone.” What advice can she offer for others who may be interested in creating the flexibility and benefits of a Modern CEO? “Just start,” McCue says. “Start reviewing your budget. Start building your business, if that’s going to be your path to get there. Start applying for jobs, like my husband did. And, really build a plan.” It also helps to swallow a healthy dose of reality. “As much as I believe in surrender, being open to the possibility of what will come and trusting that it’s all going to work out,” she concludes. “You also have to put a plan in motion. It’s not just going to happen.”
www.CultursMag.com
|
Fall 2019
89
AUTO
Get to Know the Stop-Start System This eco-friendly function is now standard in new cars.
90
Fall 2019 | www.CultursMag.com
T
he first time drivers experience a vehicle’s stop-start system can be unsettling. Picture this: Rush hour traffic is bumper-to-bumper. Between braking for a few seconds to adjust to the crowded road conditions and then stepping back on the gas, the vehicle goes silent. Most drivers would panic and immediately begin checking a mental list of possible mechanical reasons why a brand new vehicle is about to break down as well as who can be called in a pinch for help or a lift. But it’s not a breakdown. The vehicle simply has a stop-start system, which shuts off the engine when the car stops to decrease the amount of time the engine
Photo courtesy of Buick
By Angelia D. McGowan
AUTO
spends idling and thereby reducing fuel consumption and emissions. While the engine is stopped, interior systems such as the radio and air conditioning continue to run on power from the vehicle’s battery. The system is already commonplace in Europe, and aims to positively impact consumer’s pocketbooks over time. Various studies, including one from the AAA Driving Fuel Efficiency series, shows the annual fuel savings to be between five and seven percent. For some drivers, the stop-start system feels intrusive. But it appears to be here to stay thanks to
Photo courtesy of Ford
Automakers are joining efforts to reduce fuel consumption and emissions by offering a stop-start system. Two vehicles with this technology include the 2019 Buick Envision AWD Premium II (left) and the 2019 Ford Edge Titanium AWD (below).
mandates, executive orders and regulations from the White House, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. By 2021, according to a Navigant Research report, more than half of all light-duty vehicles sold worldwide will incorporate stop-start capability. Heavy duty vehicles, including pickup trucks and vans, are not far behind. For the average driver, who is not keeping track of how the latest government regulations will impact their daily drive, this relatively new system can come as an unwelcome surprise. The stop-start system is quiet in some vehicles. In others, there may be a brief shudder to communicate to the driver that the engine is preparing to stop or start again. The main takeaways for today’s drivers are these: When the engine stops, you did nothing wrong. And, you can turn off the feature if you like.
www.CultursMag.com
|
Fall 2019
91
From
GREECE to the
WORLD 92
Fall 2019 | www.CultursMag.com
In Part One of Erin Buescher Perperoglou’s story, which published in our Summer 2019 issue, readers learned about how a professional basketball career helped usher this all-American kid to an international lifestyle. Here, the Third Culture Adult talks about her culturally fluid family and outlook. By Alexa Vujaklija
tarting an intercultural family and adopting a transient lifestyle is not always an easy choice. But Third Culture Adults such as U.S.A.-born, international nomad Erin Buescher Perperoglou believe little else compares to the complicated beauty of this way of life. After years of traveling the world and a successful basketball career, Perperoglou married a fellow athlete from Greece. Today, she and her husband of 10 years, Stratos, move to new countries and unpack fresh family adventures each year. Early in their marriage, the Perperoglou family lived in Greece. Erin concedes that at first, living abroad was an adjustment. But before long, she embraced the Greek culture and lifestyle. She also began freely speaking the language, and joyfully integrating with her in-laws. She gave birth to three children there. In the years since, the family has lived in Turkey, Spain, Israel and Serbia.
SHIFTING GEARS It was when Stratos started playing basketball internationally that his family’s global identity really began to take shape. They moved to a new country at the start of every basketball season. Erin was no longer simply “a [North American] living in Greece.” Instead, she was a Third Culture Adult, raising Third Culture Kids who lived in neither of their parents’ home countries.
“I had to navigate these new places,” Erin says. “By the time I’d find out how to park in the tiny parking garage, or find the supermarket, I’d be down to seven months left.” The family averages 11 months in each location. Erin says the challenges of living abroad and moving often helped her become more resilient. “I can’t stand just being still,” she adds. “Moving forward in life is invaluable.”
BACK HOME Along with the thrill of being exposed to multiple cultures comes a very specific set of challenges. One of these challenges is trouble “fitting in back home.” “When you go back, you can’t just undo what has happened in your life or who you have become,” she says. “You become where you are.” Erin learned the value of existing in a cultural middle-ground that allows her to understand multiple perspectives at the same time. “It’s messy, but there’s an invaluable beauty in the mess,” she says. “Sometimes the most beautiful masterpieces are created when they are totally raw and organic, and all the labels and categories are removed.”
THROUGH A CHILD’S EYES Her nomadic lifestyle also has instilled the ability to see the world through the eyes of her children, who are ages 8, 6 and 5. There’s a purity in their global perspective, she says. Her children do not understand nationalities, and yet they know what it’s
www.CultursMag.com
|
Fall 2019
93
like to be outsiders. They often play in parks and on playgrounds where they don’t speak the local language. They have learned how to connect regardless. “The other day, my half-Greek, half[North] American child living in Serbia said a Hebrew word to me,” she shares with a laugh. “It was fascinating!” While the concept of home and how it relates to their multicultural identities is something the Perperoglou children will have to wrestle with, their mother delights
in the fact that they have seen more of the world in their short lives than many people experience in a lifetime. “Every culture, every border that you cross, at the heart of it, people are dealing with the same things,” Erin says. “People struggle. They go through grief…” “There are definitely cultural differences that cannot be ignored,” she concludes. “But at the heart of humanity, we are all the same. And by living this way, you truly feel that.”
“It’s messy, but there’s an invaluable beauty in the mess,” Erin Perperoglou says.
94
Fall 2019 | www.CultursMag.com
Alexa Vujaklija
It was an entertainment-focused summer as Culturs attended two of the 50 world-class events that take place each year in Cannes on the French Riveria: The Cannes Film Festival, often called the greatest film fest in the world; and the 66th Cannes Lions Festival of Creativity. Next came the 59th Monte Carlo Television Festival and SeriesFest Season Five in Denver, often dubbed the “Sundance” of Television. Now it’s time for you to join the fun.
Monaco World Forum Ocean for Impact Day with Comedian Chris Tucker
Left: An arial view of the iconic red carpet steps of the Cannes Palais.
Christophe Bouillon / FDC
Below: Set up for Cinéma de la plage (films on the beach) at the Cannes Film festival.
Christophe Bouillon / FDC
Cyril Duchêne / FDC
BEHIND THE SCENES
CANNES FILM FESTIVAL
www.CultursMag.com
|
Fall 2019
95
From left to right: ABC TV’s “Scandal” actor cross cultural Kerry Washingon entering “The Future is Female: Women & the Direct to Consumer Economy” with Deidre Findlay, Chief Marketing Officer for Stitch Fix, and Kelly Campbell, Chief Marketing Officer for Hulu
Cannes Lions with Doni and Sky’s the Limit Youth Services step team and their managers from the Bronx, New York, U.S.A.
MONTE CARLO TELEVISION FESTIVAL
With Julianne Hough of “Dancing with the Stars” and “America’s Got Talent”
96
Photos this spread courtesy of Donnyale Ambrosine
CANNES LIONS FESTIVAL OF CREATIVITY
From left to right: Doni, Linda Thomas Brooks, President of the Magazine Publisher’s Association (behind), Nancy Weber, EVP Ingegrated Marketing and Alysia Borsia, Chief Marketing & Data officer, Merideth Corp. at the Historic Martinez Hotel.
Fall 2019 | www.CultursMag.com
SERIESFEST
Left: Columnist Andrea Bazoin enjoys Culturs’ summer issue before a SeriesFest screening.
Above: Winner of the SeriesFest + Shondaland Women Directing Mentorship, Rachel Myers (at left), Director of “Wendy’s Shabbat,” with Katie Lowes (“Scandal”) from Shondaland. Left: Usher with Calais Campbell of the Jacksonville Jaguars NFL team
SeriesFest has grown from a three-day festival to a year-round, not-for-profit organization that supports artists and students from around the world. SeriesFest Season Five upped its game this year with bright stars, amazing initiatives (including a Women’s Directing Mentorship with Shondaland) and promotion of diversity throughout the television industry.
Above: Rapper and producer Jermaine Dupri interviewed by BuzzFeed’s Hella Opinions Right: (left to right) Row 1: Doni, SeriesFest Cofounders Kailey Smith Westbrook and Randi Kliener. Row 2: Antoinette Williams of Swire Coke www.CultursMag.com
|
Fall 2019
97
From Third Culture Kids to expats; immigrants, multiracial and multiethinc to Military B.R.A.T.s, Culturs covers the latest lifestyle content curated for you. We celebrate the “in-between� spaces and understand straddling two or more worlds. Exploring our content is like coming home to the family that gets you. WE SPEAK YOUR LANGUAGE #CultursMag
WWW.CULTURS.ORG