​It’s a small world after all…

By Sabrina Hornung and Tom Bixby

sabrina@hpr1.com

Since its inception--America has been heralded as the land of opportunity. This week’s cover story is Welcoming Week, an opportunity to introduce New Americans to their American-born neighbors through a variety of events, whether they be meals, soccer games, art events, and the list goes on.

These New Americans have had a significant impact on our community. Some have introduced new flavors to our primarily European taste buds with the variety of culinary traditions that they have brought with them. Just think, what would the state of sushi be in Fargo-Moorhead without the Thai-born entrepreneur Keng--the founder of Thai Orchid, Thai Leila, Bangkok Corner, Wasabi, The Drunken Noodle and the list goes on--the list of restaurants as well as entrepreneurs.

Think of the folk art and traditions that have travelled with these people! We could use this as a chance to dig around our own roots, to compare and contrast our own cultures, and creatives can use this to fuel and inform their own crafty fire.

If you haven’t noticed already, you will learn that this big old world just keeps getting smaller and smaller and these global issues that we hear about on the news start to hit a little bit closer to home, because by now we have worked alongside or become acquainted with someone who has provided a firsthand account of the terrors of war or who could tell you--if they’re willing--about the conditions of a refugee camp.

You realize that your slow internet or the state of the foam on your latte are really first world problems.

A few years ago I was at the Ukrainian Culture Institute in Dickinson. Pysanka eggs, religious icons and various other examples of Ukrainian folk art and regional history were on display. One piece in particular that captivated me, was a heavy shearling jacket that was part of the exhibit.

No, it wasn’t my near obsession for vintage and antiquities that drew me too it, not completely, but the story behind this piece was heartbreaking. Traditionally these heavy coats were intricately embroidered with bright ethnic floral patterns--which are quite common in Eastern Europe. Tragically many of these Ukrainians removed the embroidery so they could more easily assimilate into the American cowboy culture and slowly shed their Ukrainian identity.

Ironic, because it was housed in a facility whose sole intent was to preserve the very culture that the previous owner tried to shed.Though the owner of this coat more than likely made their way to North Dakota well over 100 years before Welcoming Week was even a thought.

Several years ago a young woman, a new American, was interviewed by a local magazine. She’d gone through high school in Fargo and made no friends. Now she was in the U.S. Army with lots of friends, and happy at last.

We read the article and were appalled. Think of all the cliques of three or four or more girls in that high school. Not one of them had reached out to her.

We’re not saying that reaching out never happens or that this is typical, and we never met her, and we know that attitudes have been changing. But we’ll repeat the old saying, that if you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem, and we confess that it applies to us as well.

Almost all of us have barriers inside of us that we’re unaware of. We need a good example, like Jacky Arness. After the San Bernardino massacre last December, she posted this in Facebook:

“To anyone in the Fargo-Moorhead area who wears hijab, Al-Amira, shayla, khimar, chador, or ANY OTHER TYPE OF COVERING:

If you feel unsafe shopping or running errands to the mall, Target, the grocery store or anything else please contact me and I will go with you

Acts of hatred have no place here and I am appalled about the incident (which I know is, tragically, not isolated) in Grand Forks, and generally some of the rhetoric circulating in media. As I said, if you feel uncomfortable or unsafe for any reason I would be honored to accompany you. Love, your neighbor Jacky”

Native Americans aside, we all have New American blood flowing in our veins. Let us be all-inclusive. We’re all human and let us embrace that.