Show Weaving the Threads of ol Identity Features Utahn's of Various Descents Brenda Lewis Community Westminster College student student stu stu- stu- stu dent Alison nal Marelli's original original documentary Weaving the Threads of Identity fea featured fea- fea six of various descents who told about how their social categories and the expectations of others formed their individual identities The presentation of the film was the last of three lectures in Cultural Diversity Series of 2005 The documentary was premiered at the Bill and Vieve Gore School of Business Auditorium on the Westminster Campus on April 5 The stars of the film Ruth Croteau Ali AH Manuel Maravi George Sinju and Darron Smith spoke openly about their experiences in living living living liv liv- ing in Utah and particularly how the Mormon Church affected them in their search for where they fit in society Marelli and four of the five in in the th f hn d t 1 u t m U orme a a panel panel after the film and answered questions from the audience Ruth Croteau is a Korean- Korean American who at a young age realized she was different different different differ differ- ent than the other little girls in her neighborhood Because of her feelings of exclusion she learned that she must put her faith in what she was rather than what others told her she was In the discussion after the film she pointed out that she was not a member of the church but attributed attributed attributed attrib attrib- her strong Christian foundation as giving her strength Croteau was raised in America She said that the best thing that educators of young children c can n do to pro- pro emote accept acceptance nce o of ope people pe p e. e of f other cultures is to o be aware ware Ml 1 i I L I I of cliquishness and discourage discourage discourage age it Division starts early Croteau said AH All a young man manof manof manof of Persian descent said that he wanted to be in the film because his nationality needed needed needed need need- ed a face in America He believes that Middle Eastern cultures are misunderstood and the unfortunate events of 9 11 broadened the chasm between the West and the East Arabs have by far the largest populace of the Middle Eastern cultures he said but there are Turks and Persians as well He fears that his culture will wither away like the Egyptians spent his earliest years in Tehran Paris New NewYork NewYork NewYork York and Salt Lake City but did not learn English until he was seven or eight He said that Americans would do well to read history books America did not fall out of the sky he said His suggestion suggestion suggestion tion to educators was that they show interest in the different different different dif dif- dif dif- ferent cultures of their stu stu- dents Manuel Maravi came to Salt Lake City in 1993 from Argentina and attended BYU He said that he felt left out and wondered why the principles principles principles ples of the religion that had to todo todo todo do with fellowship weren't actually applied He believed that it was unintentional and that people were simply going about their business but it was a lonely time for him Being a gay man made it particularly so His religions religion's religions religion's religions religion's reli reli- gions gion's position on homosexuality homosexuality homosexuality created conflict in him and he searched for answers Am I going to live my life suppressing this part of me or oram oram oram am I going to be myself he wondered After graduation he left the church He still found it difficult peo peo- pie le because as a non-drinker non and smoker non-smoker the bar scene did not appeal to him He joined the Salt Lake Mens Men's Choir and a running group and found friends there Maravi said that he hasn't been in his country in 12 years but that he still carries his culture with him He accepts that others live the way they live and asks that he simply be allowed to do the same He wanted to be in the film because he wanted to share his story with other young Mormon men who may be struggling He is a frequent contributor to a web web- site that encourages young gays to discuss their feelings He said that its it's important that they realize that they're not only gay They are also artists or mathematicians or sons None of us are one thing he said George Sinju's father sent him to Utah from Africa because it was the only place where white women have ten children Sinju said that living living living liv liv- ing in Provo was startling in its whiteness He had never attended school with women before and his father had cautioned him that kissing a white woman would mean he would be sent home He made many mistakes early in residency On Halloween he thought the trick or were bringing bringing bringing bring bring- ing him candy and had to answer to some understandably understandably understandably understand understand- ably angry parents His first trip through the drive thru at a McDonalds McDonald's was an eye opener Hed He'd ordered a Big Mac and said Sure when asked if hed he'd like fries and a drink with it He didn't realize realize realize real real- ize that he was expected to pay for those as well and the See Descents contin continued ed oh on page ge 4 Descents continued from page 3 I manager of the franchise had to explain it to him He found the church services that he attended were much too long and it seemed that he was no longer a Mormon Sinju is grateful to be in the United States and be able to take advantage of its vast opportunities He graduated ed from Utah State and now owns a mortgage company As a businessman you have to reach out to everyone you have to try to understand how they think Sinju said America is the first place where he talked to people from China or India He smiled broadly when he said that there is no such thing as an American culture and finds the diversity diversity diversity diver diver- sity here to be a wonderful thing Darron Smith is a black man who attended BYU and converted to the Mormon Church When he learned about black history within the church he was stunned to find out that the church was just like any other white dominated group Smith found Utah tah to be extraordinarily extraordinarily extraordinarily white and Republican He told of an incident with the father of a girl he was dating The man called Smith and suggested that he stop seeing his daughter When asked if that shouldn't should should- nt be the girls girl's decision the man told Smith to go back to Africa Smith suggested that the father back go to Europe Smith said that racism will end when white Americans take responsibility fo for their belief that blacks systems- systems He have done all they can do also said that the LOS Church has done a poor job of ending it in their ow own faith and and wondered how they reconcIle reconcile rec rec- that with Christs Christ's teachings of I love and tolerance I J |