Introductions....

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Apparently jet lag is a very real phenomenon. I didn’t sleep last night, but I'm doing fine running on adrenaline. Today was all about introductions. We all met for breakfast and then spoke about what we hoped to learn and implement in our projects. My project is definitely going to need to be a work in progress. I have about three ideas running through my head. I would like to look at how the media portrays cultural identity in each country. I would then like my kids to examine how the media portrays their own cultural identity and analyze the accuracy of the portrayal. On a second note, I would like to study environmentalism in each country and then work towards creating a "green" school at 74th Street. I also got a couple of really great ideas from the teachers. Renato, Julie Anne, and Maggie are creating blogs as a way to share their experiences with their staff (Thanks for the idea!). Barbara is planning on creating culture boxes for her kids. She fills Rubbermaid tubs with regalia, books, lesson plans, and cultural artifacts from each country she visits. The boxes can then be used as resources by everyone at the school. I hope to "steal" her idea and create Canada and Mexico culture boxes.

After lunch we headed over to the Canada Institute at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. We discussed Mexican and Canadian cultural identity and how it differed from American cultural identity. Mexican cultural identity can be described as the process of mestizaje. Mexican culture is the mixture of indigenous (Mayan and Aztec) culture with Spanish colonization. Mexican culture is much less European that Canada or the US. Both Catholicism and an Authoritarian government have shaped Mexico’s history and culture. Canadian culture on the other hand can be best described as being "not American". The analogy I liked best describes Canada as America's little brother. Canada wants to differentiate itself from America whenever possible. Canadians are a modest people who are committed to environmentalism and the greater good of the public. Canada's culture has been shaped by its geography. Of course each of these descriptions are entirely too brief. I'm currently reading Fire and Ice by Michael Adams, which is a greater explanation of Canadian culture.

Following our visit to the Wilson Center we traveled to the Canadian Embassy for dinner. We met ministers and key players from the Canadian Embassy. After drinks and appetizers we sat down to dinner. I was fortunate enough to sit next to Roy, a Canadian minister. It was interesting to hear about Canadian culture and his perceptions of the US. I also realized that I have a lot of misconceptions about our neighbors to the North.

Discussion Question: What assumptions do your students have about Mexico and Canada?

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