All points around the globe meet to Celebrate Diversity

From the Staten Island Advance:

Annual event at Wagner College highlights Egypt, Sierra Leone, China, Russia and Native America

Monday, November 10, 2008

By DEBORAH YOUNG

ADVANCE STAFF WRITER

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Women draped in the warm-toned fabrics and regal headdresses of Sierra Leone; blonde tutu-clad Russian dancers; Chinese puppeteers and Native American drummers were among more than 2,000 Staten Islanders from points across the globe who reveled in their roots yesterday at the Wagner College gym.

The seventh annual Celebrate Diversity day at the Grymes Hill college encouraged young and old to learn from each other, share with each other and enjoy each other, with traditional performances and foods, art projects for children, and plenty of time to mingle under the backdrop of posters with such inspirational messages as: "In acceptance there is peace!" and "Share our similarities, celebrate our differences!"

"This is our culminating event, but it's the journey we do to get here where the magic lies," said Mike Baver of the Mosaic Coalition, which organized the event along with the New York Center for Interpersonal Development and Wagner College.

Planned and discussed during the Mosaic Coalition's monthly pot-luck gatherings, the day each year has highlighted different communities in this immigrant-rich borough. This year brought the cultures of China, Egypt, Russia, Sierra Leone and Native America to center stage.

The energy in the room was especially powerful in light of last week's ascent of President-elect Barack Obama, who, by virtue of who he is and what he achieved, brought the topic of diversity forefront in the national, and international conversation.

"Certainly, diversity is at the tip of everybody's tongue. Not just because of the political atmosphere, it's the global atmosphere. It's important for us to celebrate," said Baver. "Nobody is going to come here and not interact with somebody from another country."

Children received passport booklets to take with them from country table to table, while storytellers and puppeteers made traditional tales come alive.

"It's nice to see all the cultures here," said Lana Berenson, of Oakwood, whose 8-year-old son busily twisted a pipe cleaner to make the legs of a crafts spider, representing of the Ananasi the Spider, a legend of Sierra Leone.

At a nearby table in the children's room, other youngsters fashioned boats out of paper, to represent the ships which transported slaves across the Atlantic.

"They have been curious about it and learned, and that is what we hoped," said Pamela Williams of the Sierra Lenonen Association.

On the stage in the gym, the culture of each region took shape: the elegant precision of Russian dancers, feather-bedecked Native American dancers who moved to a thunderous, rumbling drum and an Egyptian belly dancer in spangles and gold fabric, who moved her arms to evoke the wings of a butterfly, alongside other performances.

Community leaders Chuan Teng, Dr. Samy Rizk, Christine Moore and the Red Storm Drum and Dance Troupe were honored this year for their contributions in educating others about their cultures.

Deborah Young is a news reporter for the Advance. She may be reached at young@siadvance.com.

CELEBRATE DIVERSITY 2008! Nov. 9th

New York Center, Wagner College and the Mosaic Coalition Partner to Celebrate the Richness of SI’s Diversity through This CultureFest

Celebrate the Cultures of China, Russia, Sierra Leone, Egypt and Native Americans

Grab your children and travel the world with them without ever having to leave Staten Island!

Attend Celebrate Diversity 2008!

Wagner College Gym
Sunday afternoon, 2-6 pm
November 9, 2008

Looking for an opportunity for your family to experience other cultures and all the wonderful things about them? Stop by November 9th from 2 to 6 p.m. and join the Mosaic Coalition, the New York Center for Interpersonal Development (New York Center), and Wagner College in the Wagner College gym to Celebrate Diversity.

What is Celebrate Diversity 2008!
An annual event, this free, fun-filled family celebration is designed to help strengthen respect and understanding among the different cultures that call Staten Island their home. This year’s Celebrate Diversity event will highlight the cultures of China, Russia, Sierra Leone, Egypt and Native American neighbors.

Children and their families will be able to travel from country to country by visiting their “marketplace” area with a “passport”. After learning a few facts about these five cultures, their passports will be “officially” stamped and they will receive a free t-shirt. There will also be a diversity-themed puppet show for the younger attendees.

In addition to sampling foods from these countries, you and your family will be entertained with music and dance performances from these cultures. An awards ceremony for students who entered essay and banner contests focusing on their cultural roots will also be held during the day.


Honor These Community Leaders
In addition to honoring several cultures at this event, individuals from each of these cultures will be honored to acknowledge the important contributions they have made to our community. Each culture chose its own honoree.

The honorees are: Mr. Chuan Teng (China), Arkadiy Fridman (Russia), Ahmed D. Kargbo (Sierra Leone), the Red Storm Drum & Dance Troupe (Native Americans), and Dr. Samy F. Rizk (Egypt) and Christine Moore (Egypt).

Mr. Chuan Teng (of Huguenot) is a much-collected master calligrapher and retired economist who has devoted much of his retirement to serving the Chinese community on Staten Island. Born in China in 1934, he grew up in the north of Guangtung and lived in Taiwan before moving to the United States in 1961. He and his family have lived on Staten Island for more than 35 years.

Chuan learned the basic elements of Chinese calligraphy when he was six years old from his father who was a poet and master calligrapher. Chuan won many prizes in calligraphy throughout his school years.

After undergraduate school in Taiwan, he earned a master’s degree in Economics from Ohio University and worked as a financial system analyst serving companies such as Young and Rubicam and Bristol-Myers Squibb.

Throughout his career he practiced calligraphy an hour or two every night. His works are now collected and displayed in many homes in the local Chinese community. He has passed along his love of the art by teaching classes at the Staten Island Chinese School ( located at IS 73) and at the New York Chinese Scholar’s Garden in Snug Harbor.

No stranger to politics, Mr. Teng served as the president of the Chinese American Voter’s Association of Staten Island in 1987. He co-founded the Asian America Coalition of Staten Island, a political action group.

Mr. Teng has been married to his wife Charlene for 38 years and has a son, Michael, who works as news producer at CBS in Manhattan; a daughter, Michelle, who teaches PS 22 on Staten Island, and a grandson, Alexander, 10, and granddaughter, Lily, 5.


Arkadiy Fridman (of Dongan Hills) is president of the Staten Island Community Center. He was born in the Soviet Union in 1957. He attended the Hi-Military Academy and served in executive positions in the army until 1990. In 1991, he left the army and opened one of the first private companies in the former Soviet Union.

In 1993, he immigrated to the United States. After working in retail he decided to gather the people and resources to open a community center to serve Staten Islanders. In 2004, the beautiful building he worked so hard to build opened as a not-for-profit organization focusing on cultural, educational, and social improvements for Staten Island and the greater New York Community.

This year the NY State Assembly awarded the Staten Island Community Center, a non-profit organization under Russian-American leadership, a $4M grant for the expansion of its services.


Red Storm Drum & Dance Troupe was founded in 2002 as a Native American education performance group. The core members are: Founding member and Drum Keeper Robert Boldeagle, founding member and organizer Margie Boldeagle, and secretary and web master Ivette Alequin. Performing members are Robin Rivera, Red Thunder, Allie Bowman, and SunWolf. The members are from many different Native American cultures.

TheRed Storm Drum & Dance Troupe brings the beauty and understanding of the Native American culture to the public through drumming, dancing, music, story telling and sharing the history of Native Americans.

Red Storm Drum & Dance Troupe believes that through participation comes a greater understanding of the culture. Thus their performances always involve the audience in a gathering dance or by playing a part in their stories.

The Troupe has performed in many schools, public venues, and pow-wows in and out of New York State. They also host pow-wows open to the public here on Staten Island.


Ahmed D. Kargbo (of Mariners Harbor) is the current President of United States-Sierra Leonean Association (USSLA) Inc., in Staten Island. Under his leadership, this new organization is registered and incorporated, and in the process of securing it’s 501 (c) 3 status. He is also an executive board member of the Black Heritage Festival and led his organization in the first Annual Black Heritage Festival in 2007.

Mr. Kargbo was born in the West African country of Sierra Leone. He is the fourth of six siblings (four boys and two girls), and grew up in the midst of many cousins and nephews. He was born in a Muslim family and has maintained his religious practices.

Since childhood, Ahmed wanted to serve in the uniformed services. In the late 1980’s, he joined one of his older sisters in Germany. After seeing the United States Armed Forces stationed there his desire for the uniform grew even stronger.

In the early 90’s, Ahmed came to the United States and settled in Alexandria VA. In January of 1996, he enlisted in the US Marines where he served for eight years until his medical discharge in 2004.

Mr. Kargbo works as a Licensed Practical Nurse and has now earned a two year degree in Information Technology (IT). He is currently enrolled in an IT program at City Technical College in Brooklyn.

Mr. Kargbo has been working closely with other Island leaders to foster stronger community relationships. He balances that by reminding his team about the work they need to do for their less fortunate countrymen in Sierra Leone.

Dr. Samy F. Rizk (of Morris Plains, NJ) serves as a model for many young Egyptian youth. He has a medical degree from Ain Shams University Medical College and has worked as an anesthesiologist in Egypt, England, and several institutions in the United States including the Mount Sinai School of Medicine and the Memorial Sloane Kettering Cancer Center.

Dr. Rizk has many achievements and awards including receiving the North London Group of Anesthetists’ Steri-seal prize in 1975 and publishing medical work\discoveries in his field.


Christine Moore (of Manhattan) is a soprano opera singer. She has performed in operas and concerts throughout the United States and Europe including playing Mimi in La Boheme with the Leipzig Opera and Madama Butterfly with the Central City Opera. Christine is a faculty member at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music where she teaches voice, vocal performance and opera workshop.

Born and raised in Sacramento, California she is the daughter of an Egyptian mother from Cairo and an American father. She spends a great deal of her time working in the Arab- American community in New York City serving as board secretary of the Arab- American Family Support Center and a board member of the New York Chapter of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination committee.


Join the Mosaic Coalition
“Celebrate Diversity” is part of the Mosaic Coalition, a coalition of Staten Island community organizations that have come together to increase respect and understanding among the diverse groups that populate our Island through dialogue, study, reflection and play. The Mosaic Coalition kicked off in 2002 with a community forum and several study circles. The Celebrate Diversity event grew out of a request from the study circle participants to offer a broad group of Staten Islanders the opportunity to participate. The Mosaic Coalition has therefore been very active in mobilizing diverse groups of people to work together in planning this event.

The New York Center for Interpersonal Development (NYCID) provides youth, community, and professional development programs, and dispute resolution services that educate and inform about constructive problem solving, effective communication, violence prevention, and intercultural awareness. It also operates a training institute to teach these skills to others. NYCID also administers the Community Dispute Resolution Center Program providing mediation and arbitration services in many of our local courts. This program is a court-approved alternative to criminal prosecution, civil litigation, and other traditional avenues for resolving conflict.

For further information on this event, please contact Mike Baver at 718-947-4121, Mosaic Coalition Coordinator for the New York Center for Interpersonal Development.

Celebrate Diversity! 2007 Pictures

Staten Island Advance: Celebrate Diversity Article

Wagner foodies explore the borough

Searching for ethnic fare, students seek out restaurants and home cooks for samples

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Wagner College students recently undertook a spelunking expedition of sorts throughout Staten Island, sampling ethnic foods from around the borough.

Part of the homework over the semester, of course, meant examining (and thoroughly enjoying) homemade and restaurant-prepared meals in Irish, Ghanaian, Liberian, Filipino, Egyptian and Mexican traditions. The study will culminate this Sunday at the 2007 Celebrate Diversity project on the school's Grymes Hill campus. Here senior history students will introduce their own Web sites replete with recipes and photos of their experiences.

EXPLORING FOOD

Tastings at Port Richmond taquerias led to a history lesson that touched on tensions between Spanish conquerors and the indigenous Americans: The Spanish preferred wheat, while the indigenous peoples made corn the mainstay of their diet.

Treks to Canlon's restaurant in Oakwood yielded a discovery of Shepherd's Pie -- a dish of ground meat traditionally made with lamb or mutton, baked with vegetables like peas and carrots and then topped with mashed potatoes. Canlon's also provided grounds for a chat with Chef/owner Edward Canlon and a look at Irish soda bread followed by a visit to the McAndrews home in Annadale.

"The (Irish soda bread) recipe and ingredients were pretty simple," said Kelley Dembek, a Wagner senior and delighted new fan of soda bread.

"The most exotic requiring a tablespoon of caraway seeds and 1 1/2 cups of buttermilk -- It tasted like a sweet rye bread," Ms. Dembek added. She hails from an Irish background, but until now was acquainted only with her mother's recipe for corned beef, an Irish-American specialty. The McAndrews supplied her with their own family formula.

AFRICAN FAVORITES

Liberian focused foodies visited Korto's Place in Stapleton, the borough's only public restaurant at the moment serving African food. (It is located at 69 Prospect St., and is opened sporadically in the evening.) Dr. Lori Weintrob, the history professor in charge of the food project, reports that the foo-foo at Korto's is the best on the Island. Foo-foo is a starchy paste made from vegetables like African yams, plantains, taro or cassava. It is a West African dish that is produced from intense pounding with a mortar and pestle. Foo-foo pairs well with stews, or can be formed into small balls and eaten in one gulp without chewing.

Scrutiny of Ghanaian culture led to the kitchen of Josephine Appiah in Sunnyside. And Rich Davis, another Wagner student, was enthusiastic about the Egyptian and Middle Eastern edibles crafted by Susan Mirhom's in Eltingville. Davis was impressed by her cheese-stuffed phyllo dough.

"As delicious as it was filling, the entree was able to feed close to 10 people with plenty left over," Davis said, explaining that by "combining phyllo dough, cottage cheese, cream cheese and various household spices, a layered lasagna-type pastry was born."

FILIPINO FARE

Students Mike Hess and Joe Eurell delighted in Filipino fare at Evie Mejia's house in Dongan Hills. Ms. Mejia is president of the Staten Island Filipino Association. She taught the pair how to craft food with meats, seafood and traditional Filipino spices.

"When we arrived, Mrs. Evrie had appetizers already prepared to get us in the Filipino cooking mood," Hess noted.

Classmate Joe Eurell elaborated on "the amazing egg rolls and plantains wrapped in tortilla and deep fried." Ms. Mejia clarified some matters on those "egg rolls." These are lumpia, a traditional Filipino snack prepared with a thin, flour wrapper.

Ms. Mejia stuffed the lumpia with plantain and jackfruit, a pineapple-like fruit that has a super-sweet flavor. She fried the lumpia in vegetable oil. Ms. Mejia also whipped up Chicken Adobo, a dish that might be considered the national meal of the Phillipines, and pansit (otherwise known as noodles) with chicken and vegetables.

CELEBRATE DIVERSITY

While admission is free, food at the Celebrate Diversity event will be offered from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. for a nominal fee. It is best to arrive early at the Wagner College Spiro Sports Center for the best selection of ethnic menus which will be served buffet-style. For more information, contact Mike Baver at 718-947-4121.

CHICKEN ADOBO (Serves

4) 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 1 medium-size chicken, deboned and cut into 2-inch chunks 4 small bay leaves Salt and black pepper, to taste 4 cloves garlic, mashed 1 medium-size onion, diced cup soy sauce 3 tablespoons ketchup cup vinegar

Heat oil over medium heat in a casserole-type pot. Add chicken, bay leaves, salt and pepper. Heat until chicken is browned on both sides, about 10 minutes on each side.

Add garlic and onion. Sauté until fragrant and mix together with chicken. Add soy sauce, ketchup and vinegar, but do not mix. Bring to a boil, then stir. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Season with additional salt and pepper, if needed. Serve with white rice.

AWE restaurant critic Pamela Silvestri writes the Traditions column for Wednesday's FOOD section. Contact her at silvestri@siadvance.com.

NY Daily News Article: Mosaic Coaltion

Mosaic Coalition wants neighbors to learn about different ethnicities by Clem Richardson, Nov. 3, 2007

---

Rufus Arkoi artfully summed up how we all can sometimes feel alone in a city of 8 million.

"We sit next to each other, but we do not speak," Arkoi said.

The Mosaic Coalition of Staten Island is looking to change that by sponsoring a bevy of programs that help residents learn more about the many ethnic groups that call Staten Island home.

The hope is that familiarity will breed understanding.

That's why, from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, the group will hold its annual Celebrate Diversity 2007 program in the Wagner College gym.

Local groups representing six countries - Egypt, Ghana, Ireland, Liberia, Mexico and the Philippines - will feature their food, music, dance and history at the free event.

More than 1,200 people attended last year's celebration.

"This is a way for people to learn about their neighbors," said Mike Baver, coalition co-head. "There is theater and a puppet show, and food is available cheap. Most of [the event] ... is very interactive, so children can enjoy learning about other cultures."

Nineteen cultures have been spotlighted since it began in 2002.

Mosaic Coalition executive committee members include co-heads Baver and Julian Nierva, Arkoi, Elizabeth Bonici, Rhoda Frumkin, Sam Owusu-Sekyere, Dawn Rannie-White, Susan Rosenberg, Lori Weintraub and Jon Young.

Each represents one of Staten Island's cultural communities, including Jewish, Irish, Filipino, Korean, Ghanaian and Liberian people. That's what Baver - who also is president of the New York Center for Interpersonal Development, a nonprofit group which, among its many duties, offers dispute resolution services with an emphasis on constructive problem-solving - intended when he co-founded the Mosaic Coalition.

The group was born after the Sept. 11, 2001, World Trade Center attacks, when cultural and ethnic suspicions were running rampant through the city.

"I wanted to do something to help heal the community," Baver said. "I saw that we needed a process for healing and for dialogue.

"Everyone here wants to be here, has their heart in it, brings different things to the table. But it doesn't matter where you are coming from - we all want to make things better."

"We want to change the fact that people are afraid to talk to their neighbors," said Rosenberg, Wagner's associate coordinator of graduate studies. "People are afraid to talk to someone who doesn't look exactly like they do. We want to get over that.

"We want people to understand it's important to reach out and interact with each other."

Weintraub, a Wagner College history professor and coalition co-founder, said Wagner's support of coalition projects - the college is co-sponsor, along with the New York Center, of tomorrow's event - allows the coalition to be a bridge between the college and the community.

"The celebration is a chance to remind Staten Island that we are all neighbors," Weintraub said.

Wagner's participation in coalition programs is not limited to the annual diversity event. Group members have picked up garbage and planted flowers in the Park Hill community. They also hold monthly potluck dinners - Nierva's egg rolls are always a hit - where they focus on interactions between cultural groups.

"We try to practice what we preach," Baver said. "It's sharing things, from talking about what triggers we have, individual triggers that set us off, or we can talk about what is your favorite dish from your community or from a community we visited.

"All of these meetings have food, because food is a great way to learn about each other and about different cultures," Baver said.

Nierva, an attorney of Filipino descent and first-generation American, said he joined the coalition "because my family has always been very grateful for all we have enjoyed here in the United States. I want to be able to give back to the community which gave my family so much."

Under the coalition, Wagner students visit homes of people of different ethnicities throughout the year. There they listen to stories about the group's concerns and sample the culture's cuisine.

"Wagner is one of the institutions that stepped up to make this program work," Baver said. Wagner also has created a scholarship for students from different ethnicities, he said.

A coalition member for the last five years, Owusu-Sekyere said the group has taught him mediation techniques he has been able to use in his Richmond Terrace neighborhood.

Despite a reputation for sometimes being less than welcoming to diverse groups, Staten Island "is a very nice place to live," said Owusu-Sekyere, who has lived there for 10 years, since immigrating from his native Ghana, West Africa. "I'd rather live here than in any other borough.

"The diversity of our community is a motivation to learn more about other cultures," he said. "People from different backgrounds tend to think differently about different things. If you learn more about them, you learn more about how they think."

RANNIE-WHITE, an artist, said he joined Mosaic "because they're a bunch of really good people."

"Just look around the table, the diversity around this table," said Arkoi. "We come together as community leaders, talk about what we're doing, then when we separate we can connect our communities with the other people. We're all benefiting from knowing each other."

"However we got to this table, clearly the people here believe in this type of work," Baver said. "Unfortunately, there are a lot of people on Staten Island and in this state and this country who don't see this as something to be valued as we do."

Celebrate Diversity! Honorees Announced

Each of the countries in the spotlight at Celebrate Diversity! chooses an individual to honor. Sometimes the person they choose may be a community leader; sometimes, an example of the American dream. Often it's an individual who gives of their time and talents to assist others as they strive to accomplish their dreams. It's always someone who makes their community proud.

This year's honorees include:

Egyptian Honoree:

Mona Aboelnaga Kanaan is President and CEO of Proctor Investment Managers LLC, a New York City-based firm which makes strategic private equity investments in asset management firms, and which she co-founded in 2006. Proctor affiliates manage nearly $9 billion in assets in diversified traditional and alternative strategies. She was previously Vice Chairman and Senior Managing Director of Proctor’s predecessor firm, Overture Asset Managers, LLC. With a career spanning over 15 years in the private equity and investment banking fields, Mona oversees Proctor's strategic development and acquisition program as well as its international expansion strategy.

Before co-founding Overture in 2002, Mona was a Senior Vice President at Communications Equity Associates where she worked on expanding the firm's private equity business as well as investing in and launching new businesses. Prior to joining CEA, she was a Vice President and Portfolio Manager at Siguler Guff & Company, a NY-based diversified private equity firm with over $3.5 billion under management. Mona has also held various positions at PaineWebber Investment Banking in the Leveraged Transactions and Financial Institutions Groups. She began her career as a financial analyst at Mitchell Hutchins Asset Management.

Mona is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and serves on the boards of Proctor Investment Managers, Conquest Capital Group, Explorer Alternative Management, Capital Programs, Inc., American Near East Refugee Aid; The Tanenbaum Center for Interreligious Understanding and The Arab Bankers Association of North America. Mona is a frequent speaker/commentator on private equity and asset management within the international finance industry and national business and financial media, including in the Annual Meetings of the IMF/World Bank, The Wall Street Journal, and Bloomberg News.

Mona earned a B.S. in Economics and Marketing from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and an M.B.A. in Finance and International Business from Columbia Business School. Mona lives in New York City with her husband and two daughters.

Assad Jebara, a resident of Staten Island, is President and CEO of Zana-Di Jeans/Alpha Garment, Inc., one of the largest junior denim brands and Arab-American owned companies in the United States.

He is on the Board of Governors of the Arab American Institute and a Director of the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee.

Irish Honoree: Frank Powers of Tottenville

Francis H. Powers was a partner and managing director of Weiss, Peck & Greer, LLC, from 1977 to 2002, a firm now owned by Robobank/Robesco. While at the firm he was head of its Operations and Clearing Services Division, served as treasurer for the company’s public mutual funds, provided management supervision for information technology, and was in charge of human resources functions. He also served on the firm’s Management and Operations Committees.

Prior to joining Weiss, Peck & Greer, Mr. Powers was a partner with Faulkner, Dawkins & Sullivan, Inc. for nearly ten years, where he was in charge of operations processing, human resources, and facilities planning. He also helped merge the firm into what became Shearson Lehman, Inc.

In addition to being a member of the New York Stock Exchange and the Chicago Board of Options for more than 20 years, Mr. Powers has been one of Wall Street’s innovators and pioneers in securities processing operations. He led the effort to reengineer and provide automation of the movement of securities, working with all of the major industry firms and facilities, and served as president of the Securities Industries Operations Division.

He has demonstrated a substantial commitment to giving back to the community in many ways. Highlights include service as president of the Staten Island Academy, the oldest independent school in New York City; 20 years of membership on the board of trustees of St. Vincent’s Hospital, Staten Island, serving on its Finance Committee and as assistant treasurer. He has also been president of the Downtown Athletic Club and president of the Heisman Trophy Foundation.

Ghanaian Honoree:

Sam Owusu-Sekyere of New Brighton of New Brighton, is a Supervisor for Five Star Packing at Newark Airport.

Liberian Honoree: George Curtis of Park Hill is President of the Staten Island Liberian Community Association. (No picture available)

Mexican Honoree: Elizabeth Lopez of New Brighton served two terms as President of "Las Senoras De Santa Maria", a domestic worker cooperative, and is currently a board member of El Centro.

Philippine Honoree: Lamberto "Bert" Garcia of Todt Hill is the Owner, Manager of Caigar Corporation.

At Celebrate Diversity! children and their families will be able to travel from country to country by visiting the "marketplace" with a "passport". After learning a few facts about these six countries, their passports will be "officially" stamped and children will receive a free t-shirt.

There will be a diversity-themed puppet show and music and dance performances from each of the cultures. You can sample foods from the countries and attend the awards ceremony for students who entered essay and banner contests.

Join Us For Celebrate Diversity!

November 4

Wagner College Gym

Celebrate Diversity Performance Schedule

1:00 pm Performances from High School Step Teams During Setup

2:00 pm Philippine Community

2:30 pm Liberian Community

3:00 pm Irish Community

3:30 pm Mexican Community

4:00 pm Egyptian Community

4:30 pm Ghanaian Community

5:00 pm Community Awards:

• Honoree Awards
• Banner Contest Winners and Essay Contest Winners
• ‘Moment of Silence’ for the victims of hate crimes this year
• We Are The World’ Sing-A-Long

Mosaic Coalition sets gathering as it looks ahead Potluck Supper

Wednesday, May 09, 2007

ADVANCE STAFF REPORT

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Potluck, anyone?

The Mosaic Coalition will be opening its doors to the Staten Island community for a Potluck Supper tomorrow from 6 to 8 p.m. in the Brighton Heights Reformed Church, St. George.

Along with the dinner, the coalition will be unveiling their restructuring, as well as discussing plans and initiatives.

Founded in 2002 by the New York Center for Interpersonal Development and Wagner College, the organization brings together community residents and organizations to foster increased respect and understanding among the many diverse groups that are part of the Island.

The 2006 U.S. Census revealed that the borough led the way in population gain statewide -- the second-largest county population gain between 2000 and 2006.

Much of the gain is being attributed to the influx of immigrants to the Island.

The dinner is part of monthly event shared by members as the group explores their cultural backgrounds, discusses local issues and shares perspectives on life. In addition, during the meeting, the group will unveil their restructuring including announcing various committees and discussing ideas and activities that are being planned. The event is open to all Islanders.

The church is located at 320 St. Mark's Place. For more information, phone Mike Baver at 718-815-4557 .

Diversity in our midst

We all know Staten Island is unique, in so many ways, but also a rapidly changing community. A recently published US Census report shows that Staten Island had the 2nd largest population gain in the state since the 2000 Census - A 7.6% growth in 6 years.

The report identified that much of the population growth is due to immigrants, a trend anticipated to continue over the next 25 years. Between 2000 and 2006, 12,944 people migrated to Staten Island from around the world, representing about 40% of the population growth during that time.

To read the full article, click here

To learn about how to celebrate the cultural diversity in our community, join the Mosaic Coalition. Contact Mike Baver at 718-947-4121.

We hope to see you soon.

The Meaning of My Cultural Heritage and Identity

By Tristan D'Souza, Grade 623, Michael J Petrides School (P.S. 80)

Winner of First Place for Middle School Students, Celebrate Diversity 2006!

From time immemorial, cultural heritage and identity have played a major role in forming the lives of many people. By birth, I would be an American. But since my parents are Indian by birth, I have more of Indian than American culture. My cultural heritage has played an important role in my life. Like for instance, my parents have developed my intellectual faculties.

My cultural heritage has also influenced my behavior. Mostly everyone in the Indian culture has a peaceful lifestyle. Since my parents are two of those people, their teachings have made me a better person.

The Indian culture has also influenced me in many ways. These are a few ways:

-The Indian culture is one of the oldest and most unique cultures in the world. The Indian culture is a composite mixture of varying styles and influences. In the matter of cuisine, for instance, the north and the south are totally different. Color, gaiety, enthusiasm, prayers, and rituals characterize festivals in India. In the realm of music, there varieties of folk, popular, pop, and classic music.

-Christianity is one of the prominent religions in India. About 73% of the Christians are Catholics. In India, religion is a way of life being an integral part of the Indian tradition. The deep religious faith of my parents has made me a good Catholic thus shaping my life in a very special way.

-Indian cuisine is diversified in its varieties similar to its culture, races, and regions. Thousands of variations of dishes are prepared in the different parts of the country everyday. The essence of Indian cooking lies in the aroma of the spices, which are blended, together and added to enhance the basic flavor of a particular dish. Spices are always freshly ground to the required combination called Massalas. Many of these spices are noted for their medicinal values and are also used as appetizers. The ingredients, for the masala vary from region to region.

Rice is the staple food of the south while in the north it is supplemented or substituted by pooris, chappathis, or Nan. Dhal and Dhai are common throughout India. Vegetable dishes are prepared based on the main dish with which they are served. Rice is served with vegetable curries, vegetable side dishes, and curd. As India has a very long coastal area, dishes prepared with fish are also popular. The Indian culture is unique because of its diversity and its variety in physical, religious, racial, linguistic, and artistic fields.

Although the culture of the United States of America is a lot different from the Indian culture, it has still influenced me in many ways. Its culture is a western culture, and has been developing since long before the U.S.A. became a country. Its chief early influence was British culture, due to colonial ties with the British that spread the English language, legal system, and other cultural inheritances.

The United States has traditionally been known as a melting pot, but recent academic opinion is tending towards cultural diversity, pluralism, and the image of a salad bowl rather than a melting pot. Due to the extent of American culture, there are many integrated but unique substructures within the United States. The strongest influences on American culture came from northern European cultures, most prominently from Germany, Ireland, and England.

In conclusion, the Indian and American cultures have had a tremendous impact on my identity.

Diversity at the Dining Room Table

Pew Research Center: Guess Who's Coming to Dinner: "22% - Guess Who's Coming to Dinner

More than one-fifth of all American adults (22%) say that they have a close relative who is married to someone of a different race, according to a new Pew Research Center survey."

What does your culture and heritage and identity mean to you as a citizen living in New York?

This amazing essay won second prize in the Celebrate Diversity! Essay Contest. Congratulations and thank you, Elizabeth Holmes, for sharing your story.

Culture, Identity, and Heritage are three main themes that have consumed me for at least twelve of my fourteen years. Exploring and developing these themes is an emotional and challenging adventure that is an important part of my life. I have always been an introspective and reflective person. As an overseas Chinese who was adopted by an American family when I was three months old, I felt from the beginning of my life that I had a lot to think about.

My name is Elizabeth Li-Anna Qiuju Gaeta Holmes. That's a long name for a three month old infant. From the very beginning, my American parents were very sensitive to include in my name all my cultural heritages. My first name, Elizabeth, is the name of my Scott-English paternal grandmother and god­mother. Li-Anna is my middle name. Li, which means Beautiful in Chinese, is the adjective modifying both the word An (which means peace in Chinese) as well as Anna, the Italian name of my mother's sister and great aunt. Qiuju, (which means Chrysanthemum in English) is the name given to me by my birthmother. Gaeta is my adoptive mother's surname and Holmes is my adoptive father's surname.

When I was two and a half years old, I looked at my Mom's eyes, which are brown, and then my eyes which are black. I was very upset. I told my Mom I didn't like looking different than she did. 'When am I gonna get brown eyes? I don't wanna be Chinese!" My mother pointed out that my Dad has blue eyes and my brother has green eyes. Even though we all look different, we are one family. This was just the beginning of my noticing racial differences and wondering who I was.

When I was three years old, my family and I joined the Grace Christian Church, a church that is multi-cultural, but predominantly oversees Chinese. There I met Asian adult role-models and made several Asian and Caucasian friends. Being at this church, I experienced certain aspects of the Chinese culture, such as language, food, and traditions. However, I feel similar to these oversees Chinese, but, in other ways I feel extremely different. After all, I am different. I am not only Chinese but I am also an adoptee and I live in an Italian-Scott-English American family.

My family and I are members of an organization called FCC (Families with Children from China). Every year we attend Chinese Culture Day, an event sponsored by FCC. Here I get to meet other adoptees from China, who live in American households. We celebrate and learn about Chinese culture and at the same time I get to share concerns, feelings, and issues related to adoption.

When I was nine years old, my family and I returned to China with a tour group consisting of thirty other Chinese-adopted children and their families, While I was in China, I experienced the beauty of the country. I also visited the homes of native Chinese families and schools. I saw and realized how fortunate and blessed I was to be living in America, "the Land of the Free."

Before this trip, I took American freedom for granted and did not truly appreciate what it meant. As a nine year old girl, I was allowed to travel from New York City, to China. However, I was almost prevented from being reunited with my Chinese foster mother, Cheng. Cheng she was not allowed to travel from one city to another without permission from her employer.

For some reason, or perhaps for no reason, the employer refused to give permission. It did not even matter that Cheng was willing to travel to visit me, even on her day off. It took a month and a lot of persuasion from my parents, the tour director and her advisor to get the employer to change her mind.

Luckily for me I live in the capitol city of diversity, New York. I love being a New Yorker. I love going to Broadway shows, museums, parks, concerts, and just walking around, When in New York I feel I can walk around freely, dress as myself, and be accepted as me, I express my identity and develop my sense of self through many personal avenues, I enjoy music, (cello and piano), sports, (soccer, gymnastics, swimming, and skiing), participating in charitable events, and community service. I also explore my interests with clubs at school (in middle school, I participated in GLOBE, which is a program of science and I was on a Math Team,) I've performed at Carnegie Hall in a Borough-Wide orchestra, I play the cello in my school orchestra and I am part of an advanced orchestra,

There is still so much to explore and think about regarding my culture, heritage. and my Identity, The culture and diversity of New York City fosters and encourages this kind of exploration. Everyday I find out just a little bit more about myself. I expect this journey of exploration will take a lifetime

Elizabeth Holmes, Age 14

Petrides School

October, 2006

Photo by MYKAUL

Mosaic Coalition Essay and Art Contest Winners

Elementary and high school students throughout Staten Island had an opportunity to explore the impact of their cultural roots on their identity through art and essay. Over the next few weeks we'll publish some of their work.

These are the winners.

ELEMENTARY ART CONTEST:
Individual Prize Winners:

First: Philip Marcus, PS 36
Second: Philip Passante, PS 36
Third: Samer Moussa, PS 36
Honorable Mention:
Jacklyn Simeone, PS 36
Carissa Cardinale, PS 26

Group Prize Winners:

First: Class 5-521, MJ Petrides School
Second: Early Childhood Center, MJ Petrides School
Third: Class 4-422, PS 57
Honorable Mention: Class 4-303, PS 19
& Class 4-208, PS 35

MIDDLE SCHOOL ESSAYS

First: Tristan D'Souza, MJ Petrides School
Second: Bianca Audrey Duah, MJ Petrides School
Third: Nicholas Anderson, IS 72
Honorable Mention: Katherine Scarangello, IS 24

HIGH SCHOOL ESSAYS

First: Joye Mercado, St. John Villa
Second: Elizabeth Holmes, MJ Petrides
Third: Lauren Lyngholm, Notre Dame Academy
Honorable Mention: Andre Thomas, Susan Wagner High School
& Ramique Green, Curtis High School