CULTURE TALK

5/2/2021

The French Revolution Explained

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By: Amaury Gilmaire

When we think about the French Revolution, we often refer to the 1789-1799 period where major political and social reforms were made, often by the usage of force or sometimes by more peaceful ways. However, it’s important to define what the French revolution truly means. In this article, we will consider the French Revolution as the substitution of new egalitarian institutions in the place of old feudal institutions.

These old feudal institutions can refer to social ones such as the « société d’ordre », which is a form of society where people are separated in different castes or political ones, such as a local lord power. Because of the French Revolution, the modern States emerged in France. With that explanation, the statement from Alexis de Tocqueville in The Old Regime and the Revolution that 3/4 of the French revolution has been achieved before 1789 seems less odd as we will discuss later on.

In this short article we’ll have a quick review of the social and political revolution under the old regime, some important dates of the 1789-1799 period and why this period was a failed attempt to reach democracy, according to the work of Hannah Arendt, who is an American philosopher ,who worked on the themes of revolution and liberty.

First of all, we can say that the French Revolution started during the old regime by giving the main characteristic of a modern state: a highly centralized power. And with that being said, we can understand what Tocqueville meant.

From the 12th century to 1789, France became more centralized. Indeed, before the 12th century, the Kingdom of France was highly decentralized. The king of France had real power only on some parcels of the country, and some local lords had actually more power and influence than the king of France. The system was feudal: a social pyramidal scheme, where a local lord was named and was dependent on a more important lord who himself was dependent on a regional lord.

It made sense why some lords were eager to overthrow the king. In the 12th century, after having defeated many rebellions, Lord Philippe Auguste laid the foundational stone of the modern state with a justice reform. He named new officers that spread in the country and were dependent on the king. These officers called « bailli » had to deal with contentious cases, collect some taxes, and explain the situation in the country to Paris three times a year.

A second aspect of the French Revolution that emerged during the old regime is an improvement of the social conditions. The rise of the bourgeoisie caused a reduction in the social divide. Furthermore, with Louis XIV rule, the lords saw their power decrease and the bourgeoisie gained influence.

At the dawn of the French Revolution, the bourgeoisie was one of the major political forces in France, and a lot of « tiers-état », (the “tiers-etat” was the third and biggest social cast of the old regime) parliamentarian such as Robespierre or Desmoulins belonged to this social class. It’s, however, unfair to say that without the French Revolution, the social climate would have still equalized.

Indeed, even though ministers ,such as Turgot, wanted the abolition of privilege, the lords were against it. Furthermore, aside from the nobility and the bourgeoisie, the French population encountered great poverty.
The last reform that laid the foundation of the Modern State in France was the centralization made by Louis XIV , who made Versailles the seat of the government. This was a highly administrative place that dealt with many political aspects of the country. This centralization is even more important in the history of France if we take into account the fact that by leaving Paris, the King cut the link that bound him with the Parisian population. According to Jean Sevilla, a French journalist, if the king didn’t leave Paris, the population wouldn’t have followed the deputies and overthrown Louis XVI.

Secondly, I will talk about some major reforms of the French Revolution. I’ll try to be exhaustive, and I will spare you the famous dates of the French Revolution to focus only on the ones that led to the rise of the Modern State.

The first one that occurred soon after the French Revolution in 1789 was the abolition of privileges.This reformed the social conditions because they were equalized and turned social mobility from an impossible goal to a possible one. The second one is the Le Chapelier law in 1791. With this law, the corporations were abolished, which led to the rise of the Free Market. Corporations were institutions that ruled a profession.

For instance, to be able to legally exercise the job of carpenter you would have to register with the carpenter’s corporation. These corporations were created to control prices and to prevent the workers from competition. With the abolition of corporations,France established the free market, and conditions got better because the consumer saw the global price of goods falling. Furthermore, one of the major reforms is a political one where, in 1789, a French assembly was created to draft a constitution.

The constitution is an important aspect of the Modern state. It provides the framework of political power for the rulers of a country. The first constitution in 1791 made France a parliamentary monarchy, in 1792 a Republic, then in 1795 a directory ( a parliamentarian regime in which the government is ruled by five directors). From 1792 to 1799, the French Revolution was marked by authoritarian regimes, and from 1793 to 1794 France encountered the period of the Terror( a dictatorship period that occurred from 1793 to 1794) where a great number of French were executed.

From 1795 to 1799, the French Directory ruled to preserve the Republic. For instance, this regime overturned the abolishment of the parliament when Royalist or Revolutionary deputes got the majority. The French Revolution ended in 1799 when the French general Napoleon Bonaparte created a new regime and said « Citizens, the Revolution is fixed on the principles that started it: it is finished ».

The French Revolution ,which was supposed to give the people a lot more political power, ended up restricting their power at the end of the revolution in 1799( democracy will emerge during the 19th century). It’s not the case of the American Revolution for instance. So how can we explain this discrepancy?

Simply because, the aim and the economical situation of these two revolutions were different. The french revolution wasn’t aimed first on liberty ,but on the reduction of social inequalities whereas the American revolution was led in order to get rid of Britain’s dominion.

Indeed, the French people rose to protest against misery, and the representative of the people used this occasion to ask for a political reform of the regime. However, as Arendt said In The Freedom to be Free, to be able to be free you need first to be delivered from need, that’s what she meant when she wrote "To be free for freedom means above all to be delivered, not only from fear, but also from need » and as I said previously, the majority of the French population encountered great poverty ( a frumentarian crisis started the riots that led to the French revolution) .

As the first aim of this revolution was to get rid of poverty, dictatorship was more eager to be accepted. Indeed, liberty wasn’t the first concern of the population and they were more likely to accept this type of regime than to uprise again.

In conclusion, the French Revolution was a long process that lasted 8 centuries. The French Revolution (1789-1889) sped up these reforms, and even though it didn’t have an instant impact on the social and political aspects of the lives of the citizens as many authoritarian regimes gained power, it still had a major influence during the 19th century.

Amaury Gilmaire (he/him) is a 17 year old living and studying in Paris, France. He has 3 core passions which include cinema, philosophy, and history. He has joined Culture Talk in order to share his knowledge and to learn from the cultural exchange among international students.

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4/25/2021

Native American Films that fight the stereotype

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By: Ruben Arteaga

Image from https://variety.com/lists/nomadland-cinematographer-joshua-james-richards-favorite-shots/songs-my-brothers-taught-me-2015/

May I ask you a question? If I asked you to name a Native American Actor, did anyone come to mind other than Taylor Launter whose Indigenous heritage is distant at best, but can be traced to the Odawa and Potawatomi tribes. Why didn’t Wes Studi, a Cherokee, come to mind? Maybe even Martin Sensmeir of the Tlingit and Koyukon tribe of Alaska.

There are a lot of Native Americans in films but they might not always get the role that shares much about their culture/heritage. This can be an issue if the only films that we are watching are ones filled with misinformation and stereotypes:

The Last of the Mohicans (1992): portrayed Native Americans as uncivilized and savage but romanticized at the same time
The New World (2005): similar to the story of Pocahontas
The Lone Ranger (2013) : Tonto the sidekick who only speaks pidgin english and his name translate to dumb in Spanish
Pocahontas (1995): inaccurate portrayal and the film wasn’t centered around the Native American story
Peter Pan (1953): had some very poor taste in representation with its controversial redskin remarks.

If you want something close to authentic, real, and honest, here are some of my favorite films that helped me want to learn more on my own outside the world of film.

Songs My Brother Taught Me (2015): The movie starts off on a reservation and explores the story of a boy who is ready to venture off for a new life. It is directed by Chloé Zhao.
Basketball or Nothing (2019): The movie focuses on a group of high school students basketball team in the Navajo Nation. It is available on Netflix.
Gather (2020): It is a story about Native Americans in a movement to reconnect with their spiritual and cultural identities.

I hope these films will help you understand the Native American Experience and inspire you to learn more about those who have lived on this land before us.

Born in Newport Beach and raised in Irvine, Ruben Arteaga (he/him) is a first generation in the states and identify as Mestizo(Indigenous/Spanish). He is currently enrolled in Santa Ana college majoring in Ethnic Studies. His end goal is to join the United Nations and help create more cultural programs for youth.

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3/20/2021

Anti-Asian Hate Crimes Vigil in Phoenix, Arizona

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By: Milla Nguyen
Disclaimer: So, getting into it, this is my own personal experience/writing and in no way representative of my entire community or it’s leaders/ organizers. This will be similar to a journal entry, a memorable recollection of the event and my thoughts associated with it.

From my perspective, I’ve always felt thrust into things. Being young at this age, the world is always continuously progressing and changing around my generation. Sometimes, it changes for good and sometimes for the worst. Personally, it’s odd to be growing up and constantly maturing while also being confused about my own feelings regarding my cultural identity. Being the daughter of Vietnamese immigrants but being born in the United States, there’s this fine line I teeter between when mixing both dimensions.

And honestly, I can’t lie about the remarks that I’ve gotten when I was younger. It’s like when your class does an icebreaker at the beginning of the year, and your middle school teacher asks you to state where you’re from and how you got to that point in your life. I would say that I was born in Mesa, Arizona and I’ve been raised here by my parents since they immigrated and worked up from ground zero. And then, a classmate turned to me and asked, “Do you even speak English at home?”. And through that conversation, my 12-year-old brain couldn’t understand why someone kept trying to disprove that I knew how to speak English fluently. And I know someone might say that we were kids and we wouldn’t understand issues of stereotyping, racism, and etcetera. We were just too young.

But this brings me to my next experience during my freshman year of college. Depending on your major, you would be sorted into an assembly with that section of the university. In my group, we were asked to say our names, our majors, and our home state. For me, I said, “Hi, my name’s Milla Nguyen. I’m from Arizona (born and raised). I’m a fashion design and film/media major.” And then someone in the room spoke up. I remember they said, “That’s interesting. I’ve never really seen Asians in a field that wasn’t a medical or science one.” In this very moment, my throat went dry. It’s when I became hyper-aware that nobody in my group stated that they were ethnically Asian. All eyes were on me, peering through my response. We’re not young anymore. We’re in our 19s/20s now. And even still, my only answer was that “Design and art have always been a part of me. That’s just a stereotype.” So, where does that leave us?

Last week, 8 people were killed in Atlanta Georgia. Robert Aaron Long shot 8 people, among most of them Asian business owners, employees, or customers. Their names are Soon Chung Park, Hyun Jung Grant, Suncha Kim, Yong Ae Yue, Delaina Ashley Yaun, Paul Andre Michaels, Xiaojie Tan, and Daoyou Feng. Other victims of Anti-Asian hate crimes include Noel Quintana, Vichar Ratanapakdee, Ngoc Pham, Danny Yu Chang, Xiao Zhen Xie, and many more. Horrific attacks on the elderly have occurred in cities such as San Francisco, Manhattan, Atlanta, and more. Even in Phoenix, Arizona, Juanito Falcon was attacked on the streets and later passed away.

Upon reading of these growing incidents of hate and the lives taken from the victims, my heart burns in rage. My tears are hot and my hands feel clammy. My grandmother, a 95-year-old Vietnamese woman who does not speak English walks around her park during sunset. It's a small habit, one that’s become an aspect of her daily routine. It’s that cold-sweated nightmare that I wake up from if the victims were my grandmother, my mother, and my family. Most of the victims who passed were mothers. They were grandparents to their children’s children. They had people who loved them just as much as we love our people.

And just within two days, the AAPI central region caucus members were able to organize this event, mourning all victims of the anti-Asian hate crimes. For me, I was able to outreach for them to the Asian associations/coalitions and women's coalition at ASU. It was a whirlwind of advertising, reposting, and advocating for the event. And all I had to do was tell them I couldn’t bear to see these hate crimes anymore. I told them I wanted to do better. I told them about my experiences and my means of Culture Talk/ my project work. And, they listened. They welcomed me. All I had to do was ask.

Fast forwarding to the event, I had taken my friend, Neon Dancho with me. We were a bit anxious, we didn’t know what to expect. After driving through the streets of Downtown Phoenix, I realized how long it’s been since I’ve driven down those roads. We had never been to such an event. Upon arriving, we were handed small white candles. Artists had come to spray paint on canvases, community members had come to wave their signs in the air, and people of ALL races had come together. Phoenix musicians performed mourning songs as people lit their candles in the night. A musician had begun to sing his rendition of “Hallelujah” and in a beautiful chorus, the crowd began to sing along as they held their candles. And honestly, I have never heard anything like that before. I had never participated, never seen the community of my city. They sang every note, ringing the names of the victims to the bells. And it made me even more stilled within the experience.

We had burned incense sticks as well, traditional to Asian culture. Soon after, the AAPI caucus leaders began to speak. Many Asian American women such as Leezah Sun, Shela Yu, and so many more delivered powerful songs in their native languages, along with poems and speeches. A reverend delivered a powerful, rhythmic speech as he denounced the hatred that festers within racism and xenophobia. I recall he said, “Together, we can fight it. Together, we can fight white supremacy and the hatred that stems from the system. Let’s combat it with action, confrontation, and most of all, love.”

At the closing end of the ceremony, many attendees left flowers, ink paintings, and candles by a shrine in honor of the victims. And even after Neon and I left the event to grab dinner, their words still reverberated in my head. It was like a distant echo in the background of my thoughts. I had the chance to speak with some of the Caucus members I had exchanged with, and it made me realize what the reverend said was true, “Don’t be afraid to reach out and reach up. People will appreciate it.”

Wrapping this up, I’d just like to say a few words about what I’ve learned so far. I grieve the recent events. I mourn them. I empathize. Lots of people I know do too. But, I can also say I am inspired. I am inspired by the volunteers, by the caucus leaders, and by the community. When tragedy strikes, the community didn’t back down. They didn’t just let it pass by. I’ve also noticed that I am inspired by my fellow Culture Talk members. Many of the branch leaders wanted to do more during the election, so they didn’t sit and complain at home. They worked hours at the polls, they did phone banking. Many of them wrote, produced, and planned content during a pandemic when the world seemed bleak while also balancing full time jobs and school work. Not alone, but together- that’s why community is more powerful than just a one-man show.

That’s the moral of the story. There is no mentality to “Another day, another tragedy.” or “There’s nothing we can do about it”. One person told me that last year when I was at my lowest. But that burns within me. We can. When you have the means and you have your allies, you are able and you can do more. You just have to take the first leap. Sometimes there is uncertainty and there is fear, but there is also unity. That’s what we, as Culture Talk, are doing now. Doing more and doing better. I hope that if you’re reading this, I can get through to you. That, this is wrong and we need to try to combat it. No person should be discriminated against for how they’re born or where they're from. We’re just people, and we have our own stories to tell.

Ultimately, my resolution and my responsibility as a member of the AAPI community is to do better. I will continue to form connections, reach out, and create more things that others can use to learn, grow, and create on their own. As Culture Talk, we will continue to aid the global community in cultural education and engagement.

Please keep an eye out for more resources about the AAPI community and how to participate on our website/ social media.

Thank you for reading. I appreciate it more than you know.

Sincerely, Milla Nguyen

Milla Nguyen (she/her) is a sophomore at Arizona State University where she is majoring in Fashion and Film and Media Production. She looks forward to discovering what the world has to offer in terms of global fashion studies, trends, and entertainment news. She's excited to discuss topics of cultural diversity, women's rights, and societal limitations related to impoverished communities. In her spare time, she loves to curate photoshoots, paint, and listen to music. Her advice is to love those around you and see the world in a kaleidoscopic lense - by taking the scenic route.

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3/13/2021

Lunar New Year

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By Milla Nguyen

Now, the start of the new lunar year of 2021, the year of the Ox. Lunar new years are based on the lunar calendar which have been dated all the way back to the 14th century B.C. during the Shang Dynasty. Many aspects factor into the calendar such as the timing of solstices, equinoxes, and other Chinese ideologies such as Yin and Yang (harmonious balance).

It is reported that the new cycle of the moon lasts for 15 days ,and is welcomed by an array of festivities such as the Festival of Lanterns. The Chinese calendar encompasses the twelve zodiac animals , which correlate with each of the twelve months.

During this holiday, many households light various lanterns and hang them up or release them into the sky. Food and incense are offered to Asian deities and are also offered to represent the memory of loved ones. Scrolls are painted with phrases that read “fortune” to bring good luck to the new year. Fireworks and firecrackers are common at these festivals to signify that light conquers the darkness of the world. Common colors include vibrant reds, violets, golds, and pink to symbolize the prosperity of the good.

Food is another important aspect of this holiday. Many Asian households gather around their kitchens to cook and spend time with each other before enjoying the meal during the night time. Round-shaped dumplings that resemble the moon are put in steam pots. Salted fish, rice, and long noodles are tasty foods that are made by the family. Other countries like to purchase roasted pork/ expensive meats and boiled vegetables. For snacks and desserts, many people like to make or purchase mooncakes which are pastries filled with egg yolks, red bean paste, lotus seed filling, and matcha cream. Other snacks include sesame rice balls, red bean pudding, and walnut cookies.

In many parts of China, it is tradition for people to receive and give out red envelopes. They are called “hongbao” in Mandarin and “lai see” in Cantonese. They represent good luck and protection against bad luck/spirits in the new year. They can be mass produced on hand crafted and the red envelopes are typically embossed in gold foil of the zodiac animal of that year. In this case, this would be the Ox.
Historically, Chinese New Year uplifted traditions that surrounded Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism, and other folk stories but with the progressiveness of the world and of time, it is not particularly seen as a limited religious holiday. Similar to the change of how Christmas and other universal holidays are celebrated.

And while China has most history with the holiday, various Asian countries have a unique and vibrant way of celebrating it.

Milla Nguyen (she/her) is a sophomore at Arizona State University where she is majoring in Fashion and Film and Media Production. She looks forward to discovering what the world has to offer in terms of global fashion studies, trends, and entertainment news. She's excited to discuss topics of cultural diversity, women's rights, and societal limitations related to impoverished communities. In her spare time, she loves to curate photoshoots, paint, and listen to music. Her advice is to love those around you and see the world in a kaleidoscopic lense - by taking the scenic route.

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9/15/2020

5 Asian Foods You’ve Been Mispronouncing

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By: Jane Xiong

I think no matter where we’re from, we’ve probably at least heard of several Asian dishes that we have never actually tried before. We know that these foods are must-haves in various Asian countries, and from the media that we are exposed to, many of them seem visually pleasing as well as delicious. However, there are a few things that I have found intriguing as a Chinese-American language enthusiast who has been growing up in New York City (the heart of infused cultures). Personally, I primarily speak English, Mandarin, and Cantonese. As part of extracurriculars, I have been taking the time to learn about Japanese, Vietnamese, and Korean through various cultural clubs at my university.
Furthermore, I have noticed that the way we pronounce these Asian food names in English are, for the most part, quite different from the way they are supposed to be pronounced in the language of their respective country of origin. Here are 5 Asian foods we’ve been saying incorrectly:

Kung Pao Chicken

Pronounced: gong bao
Kung Pao Chicken, gong bao ji ding in Mandarin, is a stir-fry dish that is widely recognized as a staple in Sichuan(a province in Southwestern China)ese cuisine and is made with cubed chicken, peanuts, vegetables, and chili peppers, and is a combination of salty, sweet, and spicy. Gong bao is romanized as Kung Pao and it literally means “palace guard” and ji ding is the literal Chinese translation of “chicken cube”, which emphasizes that the chicken is diced. Kung Pao chicken is said to be named after Ding Baozhen, a palace guard from the Qing Dynasty (1636-1912).

2. Pho
Pronounced: fuh
Pho is a popular Vietnam(a country in Southeast Asia)ese street food that consists of noodles, broth, chicken or beef, and herbs. The origin of Pho is somewhat ambiguous as some say it is derived from the Cantonese phan, which are rice noodles sold in Hanoi(the capital of Vietnam) by Chinese immigrants while others say it may have derived from the French “pot-au-feu” which literally translates to “pot of fire” which could possibly describe the steam rising from the noodle bowl.

3. Sake
Pronounced: sah-kay
Sake is a non carbonated and usually sweet tasting, fermented rice wine that originated from Japan. In Japanese, the kanji character for sake can mean any type of alcoholic beverage. Sake contains approximately 14-16% alcohol and is often served in a tall porcelain bottle and sipped from a small porcelain cup for special occasions, big celebrations, and national holidays in Japan.

4. Bibimbap
Pronounced: bee-beem-bahp
Bibimbap is a Korean rice dish typically consisting of sliced beef, seasoned vegetables, chili pepper paste, soy sauce, and an egg. Bibim means “mixing various ingredients” and “bap” refers to the rice, so bibimbap literally translates to “mixed rice.” Bibimbap is said to have first emerged between the late 1500’s and mid 1600’s and has gone through a variety of name changes before being established as Bibimbap in the late 1800’s-1900’s.

5. Chow Mein
Pronounced: chau mun
Chow Mein refers to stir fry noodles with beef, chicken, pork, or any meat, and assorted vegetables. Its name is derived from Toisanese, a dialect of Cantonese spoken by locals of Toisan, a county located in the southern part of the Guangdong province. The Toisanese pronunciation of chow mein is chau mun, and since Toisanese people were the first Chinese people to immigrate to North America, chow mein or chau mun has become a staple at any Chinese restaurant in North America.

Jane Xiong (she/her) is a proud Chinese American living in New York City. She is on a gap semester before entering the workforce or applying for graduate school to further her studies in statistics. She loves learning foreign languages, watching anime, and exploring the city (specifically restaurants) and hanging out with friends. Being the child of immigrant parents, she's focusing on retelling her experiences/ stories/ and environments.

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8/22/2020

Ganesh Chaturthi: Celebration Of The Arrival of The Hindu God Ganesh

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By: Anupama Rao

One of India’s most famous festivals is Ganesh Chaturthi. Today, we will learn more about the birthday of the beloved Hindu God, Lord Ganesha by going through some basic information.

What and When is Ganesh Chaturthi?

Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated on the fourth day of the Hindu calendar month of Bhadrapada (pronounced: Bhaadrapada) which is usually around August and September. This year, the holiday falls on August 22. Usually, Hindus bring home an idol of Lord Ganesha/Ganapati, the God of New Beginning and Remover of Obstacles. Spanning over eleven days, the Vinayaka Chaturthi is celebrated with much pomp and joy, especially in the western state of Maharashtra where it is the biggest festival every year. It is also celebrated in the Indian states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Goa, West Bengal, Bihar, and Odisha.

At the end of the 11 days, the idol of Lord Ganesha is immersed into a body of water — lakes or ponds for huge idols that are displayed at various Pandals or stalls, or a tub of water for small or metal idols. This is called Visarjan, meaning “letting go.” Until 2020, Ganesh Utsav and Visarjan in Mumbai were celebrated as grandly as New Years in Time Square, but the COVID-19 situation has made it more difficult for residents to go “Pandal hopping,” visiting as many idols in the city of Mumbai as possible.

Though the Ganesha idol is commonly kept at one’s house for 11 days, some may choose to “let go” of the Lord after 1.5, 3, 5, or 7 days. Visarjan is a more somber stage as each day that Bappa was at their home, there would be instead a more joyous atmosphere. Though letting go is hard, Lord Ganesha is sent away to his house in Mount Kailash only after a deal is made of coming back next year.

Why is Ganesh Chaturthi celebrated and its Significance?

The story behind Ganesh Chaturthi is that the Elephant God was on his way back home in Mount Kailash after his big birthday feast when the Moon God, Chandra, laughed at him when his “stomach broke” and he tied a snake around it like a belt. This incident infuriated Lord Ganesha and he cursed Chandra. As a result, he loses his beauty for half the lunar month (the phases of the moon).

It is also considered inauspicious to see the moon on the day of Ganesh Chaturthi, i.e., Bhadrapada Shukla Chauti or the fourth day of the waning phase of the lunar month. The repercussions of viewing the moon on this day can be wrongful allegations/accusations. However, there is a way to get rid of this curse if you accidentally happen to see the moon on that day. The story of the Shyamantaka Jewel is the cure and also explains how seeing the moon on the specific day affected Lord Krishna.

How is Ganesh Chaturthi celebrated?

The day before Ganesh Chaturthi, his mother, Goddess Parvati is invited to Earth from her heavenly abode on Mount Kailash. Women (except widows) install an idol of Gauri, either a statue and/or a small figure made out of turmeric and milk, and worship it. Those doing this pooja/vrata also tie a thread soaked in turmeric around their right hand, symbolizing that she is a Sumangali (lit. fortunate woman) or an unmarried or married woman.

In Karnataka, we also have a tradition of exchanging baagina, a pair of bamboo winnowing fans that contain grains, fruits, dry fruits, ornaments such as bangles, mirrors, and combs. It also has fruits, kumkum or vermillion, betel leaf and nut, coconut, and money. For unmarried women or kumaris, the grains are omitted.

On Ganesh Chaturthi, Modaks (sweet dumplings) and Chickpeas are made as offering to Lord Ganesha as they are his favorite food. Usually, the men of the house bring in the idol of Lord Ganesha since the women have already installed his mother, Gauri/Parvati, in the house already. Once installed, the idol should not be moved until the Visarjan. This is because the ritual of installation includes Prana Pratishtapana which is like giving a soul to the empty idol. If moved before the time of immersion, the soul leaves the idol and it does not have any meaning left to be worshipped.

Although COVID-19 has restricted the display of humongous statues of Lord Ganesha in Mumbai, the belief of people has remained resilient in Ganesha. Despite the restrictions, it has not stopped them from celebrating the occasion to the fullest in the safety of their homes. I wish all the readers a happy and prosperous Ganesh Chaturthi (even if you don’t celebrate it or believe in him), and may Lord Ganesha’s blessings always be with humankind!

Anupama Rao (she/her) is a high school senior from Bengaluru, India. She loves reading, writing, listening to music, and cooking. She has had the opportunity to live in three different countries, and she loves traveling and learning languages through culture.

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8/6/2020

#Payup

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"Bangladesh 30" by ILO PHOTOS NEWS is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

By: Israa Jahan

COVID-19 has affected industries all around the world, putting jobs and the fate of employees in a precarious position. One of the hardest hit industries has been the garment sector because consumers are not spending nearly as much on clothes, and as a result, companies are cancelling their clothing orders.

Bangladesh’s economy, in particular, relies heavily on the garments industry: about 80% of the country’s exports comes from garments. So, when these companies cancel their orders, the Bangladeshi economy is hit hard.

From the surface level, late cancellations cause the factories to lose revenue from these orders. What remains unnoticed is that these Bangladeshi factories have to pay their employees and buy materials before they are even paid by the retailers and brands. This means that every time an order is cancelled, the factories are not only losing the potential revenue from that order, but also the money that they have invested into it.

This is, at its core, an ethics issue, an issue that gained recognition in 2013 after the collapse of one of the largest garments’ factories in Bangladesh: the Rana Plaza in Dhaka. A total of 1134 workers were killed and 2600 were injured and left disabled.

The US and the EU, Bangladesh garments’ largest customers, demanded that factories are more strictly inspected and labor rights are improved. They even paid workers’ compensation for injuries and families of the victims during this time.

Now after $3.5 billion worth of clothing orders have been cancelled from Bangladeshi factories, these same US and EU companies that paid these compensations before are silent.

Currently, Bangladeshi garment workers have been protesting for their fair share of wages from their factories of employment because many of these workers have not been paid for their work for months, since March 2020. Although Bangladesh requires severance payments from employers, many do not follow this law and furthermore, there are almost no unemployment benefits insured by the government.

These workers were already earning just enough money to get by, about 8000 takas ($95) monthly, and are mostly women who use every bit of this small salary to help their entire family. The Bangladeshi government has announced that they will sue those factory owners that have not paid their employees during the pandemic; however, the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) say that many of these factory owners cannot afford to pay their employees because so many of the large name brands and retailers are refusing to pay for their order.

Unfortunately, there is no law in Bangladesh that these factories can use to force the brands to pay for their previous orders either. The government under PM Sheikh Hasina has announced about $8.5 billion as a stimulus during the pandemic, and some of this will be allocated to factory owners to borrow and pay their workers’ salaries. But these factory owners will at one point have to pay back their debt, and it is uncertain where this money will come from.

The BGMEA uses the reasoning that after a while, when there is somewhat of a semblance to normalcy, people will start to buy clothes again, but at that time all of these factories will be closed and unable to take any orders. It is in the brands’ and retailers’ best interest to keep these factories open and uphold the human rights’ reputations that they have established after Rana Plaza.

It is true that with the pandemic, retail sales all around the world have gone down, with the US specifically down by 8.7%. From the brands’ and retailers’ point of view, they are also continually losing money from these dropped sale numbers and having to lay off workers and close stores. Of course, at the time of the Rana Plaza accident, these brands were in much better financial shape than now and it was much easier for them to pay injury compensations to garment workers. Now, for retailers, such as JCPenney, which declared bankruptcy in mid-May due to the pandemic, it is difficult to choose between paying their own employees and the garments workers.

However, for brands and retailers that have a surplus of profits from the year before and are more financially capable, which covers a majority of these companies, it should not be difficult for them to at least pay for the orders that they have placed and those in production (such as Walmart and Adidas). This is not an outrageous expectation from the companies because it is their responsibility to pay for the orders that they have already placed.

This issue has caused people from all around the world to speak up, most notably on Instagram using the hashtag #payup to demand companies to pay in full for both their previous orders and those that are in production. This hashtag initially gained popularity after the Rana Plaza accident and was used to demand retailers and brands to pay full injury compensation for vulnerable garments’ workers.

Adidas, Target, Gap Inc., and Nike are among the companies who have pledged to pay for their orders or have been pressured to, while Urban Outfitters, Walmart (Asda), and JCPenney are among those companies who have not agreed to pay fully for their orders completed or in production. For a more complete list, please take a look at the links below.

These garments’ workers need all of us to speak out, so that they don’t have to worry about feeding themselves and their families on top of the pandemic. To help this cause, please use and participate in the #payup movement, sign the petitions that demand brands to pay up using the links listed below, and raise more awareness about this issue.

https://www.workersrights.org/issues/covid-19/tracker/
https://www.supportgarmentworkers.org/payup-fashion.

Israa Jahan (she/her) is a sophomore at Barrett, The Honors College at Arizona State University, studying Microbiology. In the future, she plans on joining the medical field to become a physician but takes a liking to culture, history, religion, and language. She is a Bangladeshi American and enjoys learning about her own culture as well as that of others. She loves spending time with family and friends and reading her favorite series, Harry Potter.

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8/4/2020

Washington Redskins Name Controversy and Impact on Native Americans

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Washington Redskins logo (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, File)

By: Sanjith Prabhu

The Washington Redskins are a franchise in the National Football League (NFL). The team resides near the Washington DC area at FedEx Field, in Maryland. This is because the then-owner of the team in the late 1980s wanted a larger stadium after moving out of Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) stadium in DC, the former home stadium for the team.

The team name though, has been controversial for many decades. Only a few have thought of the need to change the team name, as they believe that it is oppressive and racist towards Native Americans. In light of the recent death of George Floyd, more have inclined towards changing the name of the team in the Black Lives Matter movement.

The Atlanta Braves, Chicago Blackhawks, Kansas City Chiefs, and Cleveland Indians are also major sports teams facing some pressure in this movement about their team name, though it is not nearly as intense as the Redskins.

Based on this, some of the major Washington Redskins’ sponsors have threatened to withdraw from their contributions to the franchise. Specifically, FedEx to possibly change the name of the stadium, Nike and other retailers to remove Redskins fan gear, stockholders to not invest in the team, and the franchise to not be able to move back to RFK stadium, which the current owner Dan Snyder has openly said he wants to do.

The team was then virtually forced to change the name, which is quite ironic because in 2013, when some controversy arose about the name, Dan Snyder had said in an interview with USA Today, "We'll never change the name, It's that simple. NEVER — you can use caps.” This did not hold true as the franchise recently made it official that they changed their name to ‘The Washington Football Team’, even though it is a temporary placeholder.

Across a plethora of surveys and polls in the early to mid 2010s over the controversy on the franchise’s name, there is a pattern that more people are leaning towards the opinion that the name is disrespectful and needs to be changed. In fact, the percentage of people surveyed in 1992 and 2014, respectively, who thought the name was oppressive had gained 15 percent, not to mention from 2013-2014 it had increased by a whopping 9 percent.

This was due to the aforementioned 2013 controversy, when the then-mayor of Washington DC, Vincent Gray had explained that he would like a name change. This started a domino effect as later that year many events happened to help make change. Congress members asked the NFL and the team for a name change.

Then, news writers did not want to use the team name in their articles. The Oneida Native American tribe spoke out about this as did the president. This swayed some to agree with this take on the team name. This increasing trend in the mid 2010s certainly should not be discounted, even though the Black Lives Matter movement had impacted the amount of people in favor of this viewpoint.

However, a seven month study by Smithsonian Researcher Ives Goddard tells differently. Goddard’s study shows that Redskin was a common term first used in 1769 for Native Americans to refer to themselves. In the 19th century, the word was used routinely and freely by others as well to refer to them.

Fast forward to 1933, when the then Boston Braves owner, named George Preston Marshall, had changed the team name to Redskins to avoid confusion with the Boston Braves baseball team. It is to be noted that the Redskins had 6 Native Americans on their active roster as well as their Native American head coach, William Henry “Lone Star” Deitz. From this, it can easily be interpreted that the naming of this team was not directed to be oppressive.

Although there is still controversy remaining about this team name, there is no clear evidence yet to support whether it was intended as oppressive and racist towards Native Americans or not. As of right now, it still remains to be seen what the team plans to change their name in the long term as again the ‘Washington Football Team’ name is temporary.

Sanjith Prabhu (he/him) is a freshman at New Trier Township High School in Illinois. He loves STEM and quantitative challenges, as well as strategic thinking such as football analysis and chess. He is excited to participate in Culture Talk and learn about various cultures across the globe, sharing interesting elements that he discovers along the way.

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5/19/2020

Welcome to culture talk

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Hello all! Thanks for joining our mission! We are looking forward to celebrating and educating our global community about how culture affects our identity. This a global learning community, so we have resources for different groups of people.

Our team will be putting together educational material for teachers and educators to use for their classrooms. For those who are interested in advocacy efforts, we will be creating infographics and informational material to share in social media. For students, we will be creating a club/organization toolkit for you all to start clubs at your respective schools and campuses.

Our mission is derived from our six pillars, which will be delved into this post.

Heritage is our first pillar that we cherish deeply. Our heritage section at our website will cover material and information, regarding history and culture from the Heritage Months of different ethnic groups in America. We will also be covering holidays and traditions from around the world too.

Trends is our exciting, modern section that allows community members to learn about how culture has affected modern day fashion, music, and literature. We will also be providing information on how we have evolved historically in these sections.

Government is the political go to for those who are interested in learning about how government is set up in different parts of the world. We will also cover different governmental systems and how government has changed or stayed the same throughout time.

From British history to Columbian history, Culture Talk has your back in informing you all about the histories of various regions and countries around the world. We want the global community to learn more about the histories of other nations, and how those histories have an impact our society. today.

Freedom of speech. Freedom of religion. Learn about what laws mean and what rights the governments protect. Our law section provides information about different legal systems and key legal documents that will enrich one's legal knowledge.

Russia has eleven time zones. Vatican City is the smallest country in the world. Ace your next trivia or jeopardy game by looking at the geography section. We will be covering information about the continents, oceans, and seas. Especially, for travelers, this section will serve as guidance for planning your trip. We also discuss about human geography too, such as migration and population patterns.

Join our journey and cherish diversity by checking out our different sections that we have to offer.

If you are interested in getting involved with our organization, please fill out this volunteer interest form: https://forms.gle/ce157Uxt31GsYw5RA.

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Email us or connect with us on social media with any questions you have!

We are so excited to welcome you to our adventure to spreading cultural awareness!

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