The 2021 Conference Committee has labored long and hard to produce an outstanding conference program. We are grateful to them for all the work they did and look forward to attending the conference they produced. Following the rise in Covid cases as closely as we have, it became apparent that asking our members to get on an airplane and come to a conference that would be held indoors (despite all the efforts of the Hilton Hotel to make it as safe as possible), we could not guarantee the safety of our attendees. We did not want to put our members in harm’s way especially since a totally vaccinated person can be asymptomatic and a carrier.

When a SIETAR USA member recently suffered a breakthrough Covid infection, was sick for weeks, and found the recovery slow and painful, we were sure that we needed to do something. We have a very cooperative relationship with the Omaha Hilton. Together we have been working to reschedule our conference for the Fall of 2022. These negotiations are complicated, which is why it takes time to reach an amicable resolution of all the issues. However, it is clear that there will be no in-person conference this year.

We would specifically like to thank our conference co-chairs, Helen Fagan and Thorunn Bjarndottir for taking the helm and managing the process of organizing the conference. Our Conference program co-chairs, Ricardo Nunez and Linda Stuart along with the Track Chairs (Mind: Shannon Murphy and Marcia Warren Edelman, Culture: Rajesh Kumar and Kris Acheson-Clair, Society: Ferial Peterson and Deborah Pembleton) created a program with range and depth that makes us proud. Bob Boyce could be counted on to get the scholarship application information out on time as he did last year. Many of the other committee members are there to handle conference matters such as the Silent Auction, Dine Around, Volunteers, Roommate Connection and other items that don’t take place until the conference.

As much as we would like to gather and learn together, this is not the time. We do have some plans in the works to use that weekend of the conference (October 9 and 10) for a virtual learning experience. No, it will not be the full conference, but we think you will find it something not to miss. Details coming soon!

Opinion: New York Times, Aug 17, 2021

In the last two decades, millions of Afghan women and girls received an education. Now the future they were promised is dangerously close to slipping away. The Taliban — who until losing power 20 years ago barred nearly all girls and women from attending school and doled out harsh punishment to those who defied them — are back in control. Like many women, I fear for my Afghan sisters.

I cannot help but think of my own childhood. When the Taliban took over my hometown in Pakistan’s Swat Valley in 2007 and shortly thereafter banned girls from getting an education, I hid my books under my long, hefty shawl and walked to school in fear. Five years later, when I was 15, the Taliban tried to kill me for speaking out about my right to go to school.

I cannot help but be grateful for my life now. After graduating from college last year and starting to carve out my own career path, I cannot imagine losing it all — going back to a life defined for me by men with guns.

Afghan girls and young women are once again where I have been — in despair over the thought that they might never be allowed to see a classroom or hold a book again. Some members of the Taliban say they will not deny women and girls education or the right to work. But given the Taliban’s history of violently suppressing women’s rights, Afghan women’s fears are real. Already, we are hearing reports of female students being turned away from their universities, female workers from their offices.

None of this is new for the people of Afghanistan, who have been trapped for generations in proxy wars of global and regional powers. Children have been born into battle. Families have been living for years in refugee camps — thousands more have fled their homes in recent days.

The Kalashnikovs carried by the Taliban are a heavy burden on the shoulders of all Afghan people. The countries who have used Afghans as pawns in their wars of ideology and greed have left them to bear the weight on their own.

But it is not too late to help the Afghan people — particularly women and children.

Over the last two weeks, I spoke with several education advocates in Afghanistan about their current situation and what they hope will happen next. (I am not naming them here because of security concerns.) One woman who runs schools for rural children told me she has lost contact with her teachers and students.

“Normally we work on education, but right now we are focusing on tents,” she said. “People are fleeing by the thousands and we need immediate humanitarian aid so that families are not dying from starvation or lack of clean water.” She echoed a plea I heard from others: Regional powers should be actively assisting in the protection of women and children. Neighboring countries — China, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan — must open their doors to fleeing civilians. That will save lives and help stabilize the region. They must also allow refugee children to enroll in local schools and humanitarian organizations to set up temporary learning centers in camps and set up temporary learning centers in camps and settlements.

Looking to Afghanistan’s future, another activist wants the Taliban to be specific about what they will allow: “It is not enough to vaguely say, ‘Girls can go to school.’ We need specific agreements that girls can complete their education, can study science and math, can go to university and be allowed to join the work force and do jobs they choose.” The activists I spoke with feared a return to religious-only education, which would leave children without the skills they need to achieve their dreams and their country without doctors, engineers and scientists in the future.

We will have time to debate what went wrong in the war in Afghanistan, but in this critical moment we must listen to the voices of Afghan women and girls. They are asking for protection, for education, for the freedom and the future they were promised. We cannot continue to fail them. We have no time to spare.

Malala Yousafzai (@malala) is a global activist for girls’ education and the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate. She is also co-founder of the Malala Fund. (Malala Yousafzai image: CC license)

Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram.

At first, when Sandy approached the three of us to share some thoughts about a New York Times article by Malala Yousafzai regarding the situation of women in Afghanistan, we weren’t sure which direction to go. None of us consider ourselves experts on Afghanistan and none of us claim to understand the Taliban. We shared concerns about writing from our western-influenced lenses and how that may just perpetuate stereotypes. Soumaya recalled that the USA invaded Iraq to free the women, yet the women there were nuclear scientists. It’s messy. But I typically do what Sandy asks of me, so I proposed that Luby, Soumaya, and I have a Zoom call to just chat, as friends, who also happen to be interculturalists with personal experience and some expertise in Muslim/Arab/MENA (Middle East – North African) cultures; there is a little overlap from that perspective. And we’d see what insights we might be able to share. Since I identify as a ‘rule-breaker,’ there was some veering off from Sandy’s original request to focus on Malala’s commentary regarding the current situation of women in Afghanistan and the possible implications on their education. Instead, much of our discussion focused on what we (all of us!), as interculturalists, can do to support, given the events in Afghanistan that are continuing to unfold.

Here we share some snippets from our conversation. First, it is important to acknowledge that with the news cycle these days, events are developing quickly and information sometimes becomes outdated before it even gets out in print. We recognize, too, that Afghanistan is a diverse country with various ethnic groups, each with unique qualities and priorities.

Watching the initial news coverage about Afghanistan as the August 31st evacuation deadline approached, Luby shared a connection to some of her earlier work at the beginning of what turned out to be a 20-year war. “A few days after 9/11/2001, I’ll never forget. I received a call and it said, ‘US Government’ and I picked up the phone and they said ‘This is the Department of Justice and we received your name,’ and I thought, ‘For what?!’ It was the Community Relations arm (peacemakers) of the DOJ and they said they needed to know how to quell the tensions and bring peace into the community after the attacks on the Twin Towers… They wanted help to understand and de-escalate …. And that initial experience brings us to today and what’s going on… and what we’re being asked which is: How do we, as interculturalists, show up in this moment?”

Soumaya chimed in with a thought we were all feeling - a strong desire to be proactive. “OK, here is the situation we’re in. We’re getting refugees from Afghanistan – how are we going to accommodate them?” We all agreed that we can’t do anything to change what is going on in Afghanistan and how the Taliban is doing it. So, what we need to do is figure out how we can respond as interculturalists in our own spheres of influence. How can we help prepare our local communities to receive new Afghan refugees? How can we facilitate mutual understanding, on all sides?

Here are some ideas on how you can engage respectfully:

• Interculturalists can play a key role in their own communities in the area of refugee resettlement. Take initiative where you are and seek out local organizations who are set up to help. Let the decision-makers know that you can help them understand cultural differences (on both sides).
• Keep in mind that more than financial help is needed. Volunteer your time.
• Familiarize yourself with some core Afghani values:
• • Hierarchy and social stratification are significant. Recognize this and look for the nuances of power structures. Keep in mind that immigrants/refugees may experience backlash from their own local Afghani community if they step out of the expected hierarchy (even if the purpose is to more effectively acculturate)
  • History matters! US Americans often say “It’s history. It doesn’t matter.” But in Afghani and Arab cultures, people say, “It’s history – it matters!” So, it is important to recognize this and to learn more about their history. Ask questions and show curiosity.
  • A strong sense of tribalism guides social relations. This tribalism, in addition to the hierarchical structures, adds another layer of complexity.
  • Relational loyalty and connections are important.
• Emphasize the importance of understanding gender roles and the etiquette between men and women. In some ways, US American women have more power of access than men to assist the Afghan refugees – many of whom will be women and children and who may be vulnerable. They’ll feel more comfortable with women helping them.
• Recognize the prevalent misconceptions in the west about women in places like Afghanistan and how those women see themselves.
• Help people understand that if they are coming from a faith background, their help should be without strings attached.
• Keep in mind that Afghans are very proud people – notice how this manifests in their behavior.
• If you witness bias or harassment, consider using strategies recommended for ‘bias-interrupters.’ For example, if you notice someone is staring or beginning to harass another person, engage with that ‘targeted’ person in friendly conversation, and ignore the harasser. This can disempower the harasser. You do not need to know specific information about the culture and you don’t need specific training. You can simply use these tips to be a decent human, to be that friendly face in the community.

From our experiences assisting with refugee services, we believe that even small gestures can make a big difference. The emphasis should be on a warm welcome. For example, paying attention to the culture when selecting the staple foods and spices when equipping a kitchen can make a big difference.

Like many of you, we have been feeling disheartened by watching the events in Afghanistan… but we don’t want to be stuck there. We want to spring into action and see how we can help… find creative ways to make a difference within our circles of influence.

This is a call to action. We, as interculturalists, need to focus on – and motivate others to – move forward. This is what we were built to do! We build bridges. We change the world…

Written by:

Lobna "Luby" Ismail

Soumaya Khalifa

Basma Ibrahim DeVries

This month BookMarks welcomes guest reviewer Peter Franklin, whose book The Mindful International Manager we reviewed in this space a few months back. Peter’s review choices here reflect his own story to some degree: he is an Englishman, graduate of Cambridge, who has lived almost all his professional life in Germany, where he now teaches at Konstanz University of Applied Sciences and at that institution’s Lake Constance Graduate School, where Peter helps business students master intercultural communication and intercultural management. (Craig Storti, Book Review Editor)

Fred Uhlman: The Making of an Englishman, published in 1960 by Victor Gollancz

Peter Gumbel: Citizens of Everywhere, published in 2020 by Haus Publishing

A review by Peter Franklin

These two books, separated in their writing by 60 years, share the starting point and some of the path on the intercultural journeys they describe. The journeys finally lead to two very different destinations – one of them - my adopted country - over many years engaged in a slow and steady process of societal development for the better; the other – my country of origin - recently catapulted into a process of change, which many fear can only lead to something worse.

Fred Uhlman was a German Jew, born in 1901. He escaped the fate of his parents in Theresienstadt by ultimately finding refuge in England. All of Peter Gumbel’s grandparents were also Jewish. Like Uhlman, Gumbel’s grandparents fled to England. But Peter Gumbel’s final destination much to his sadness was not to remain England but to his joy became Germany.

Fred Uhlman’s memoirs are a very readable account of a remarkable man – the story of an intercultural journey from Germany via France and Spain to England, where he achieved modest fame as an artist and writer. It begins as a fascinating tale of a German childhood and youth in the early years of the last century. But it is also a story of a Jewish life in Germany at a time of increasing anti-Semitism. Uhlman didn’t opt to keep his head down but practised from 1927 as a lawyer in Stuttgart, mainly, as he put it, defending the defenders of the Weimar Republic relentlessly under attack, and taking on a leading role in the SPD. In March 1933, after most of his political friends had been arrested, he received a tip-off from a sympathetic Nazi judge that Paris was very nice now, meaning he should flee to France immediately as he was about to be arrested.

In Paris, unable to practise as a lawyer, Uhlman taught himself to paint and achieved remarkable success as an artist. Tiring of pre-war Paris and wanting to devote himself entirely to painting, in 1935 he continued his intercultural journey and moved to the Costa Brava in Spain, where with other artists he believed he could fulfil his artistic ambitions. There he fell in love with Diana Croft, the daughter of a right-wing, British Conservative member of parliament and later minister, followed her to England and with Diana made the country his home. Knowing nothing of the country, culture or language, he experienced the difficulties of many a migrant or refugee, compounded as it was by his father-in-law’s stern disapproval of his marriage to his daughter and by a six-month internment in 1940 as an undesirable alien.

Undoubtedly helped by his wife’s network, Uhlman exhibits his work as the book ends in the early 1940’s with renowned artists such as Jacob Epstein and Henry Moore. And he is able to appreciate his new-found home in the book’s final pages as one characterised by tolerance, politeness, political maturity and fairness – all attributes he failed to experience in Germany.

This was a very different England from the Brexit-inflamed country that compelled Peter Gumbel to seek German nationality - not as a resident of Germany but as a citizen of everywhere as his book’s title has it – a deliberate contrast to the term ‘citizen of nowhere’ which the then prime minister Teresa May disparagingly used to refer to the supporters of continued membership of the EU.

Peter Gumbel’s Jewish grandparents, like Fred Uhlman, made England their home as well. What the author describes as an essay - of 60 short pages – begins with the tale of how his Jewish grandparents on both sides of the family, well-established, commercially successful and recognised in their respective communities, were forced little by little by the institutionalised discrimination and persecution of the Jews in Nazi Germany to give up their livelihoods, flee to England and start all over again in a foreign country.

Peter Gumbel’s family remained stateless in England for the war years and his father, like Fred Uhlman, was interned before studying law and going on to pursue a successful career in international reinsurance. As Peter Gumbel puts it, his family was ‘a poster child for successful immigration and integration’, an example of interculturality, acquired not through overt education and training but through a lifetime’s journey. His father was decorated both by the English Queen and by the German state for services to his profession.

Growing up in such a family, Peter Gumbel describes how as a young man he also embarked on an intercultural journey of coming to an understanding of the burden German history places on its citizens. Living a professionally mobile life in the spirit of the European Union and settling in Paris, he gives a sensitive account of how Brexit also challenged his sense of identity (as it did that of the current reviewer), such that after the Brexit referendum, he wanted to use the right guaranteed by the German constitution to descendants of those whom the Nazis had deprived of their citizenship to have their citizenship restored.

Fred Uhlman was fortunate to find a home and also the political maturity in England that Peter Gumbel (and many others) before and after Brexit failed to find and which prompted him to identify with a Germany which today more obviously represents his values – despite his grandparents’ experiences in Nazi Germany. An intercultural journey indeed.

The Nomination period has closed, and we have two incumbent candidates for the two Board positions: Cheryl Woehr for Professional Development and Willette Neal for Membership Outreach and Diversity. Both candidates were serving unfilled terms and have completed the application process. The next step is for the Nominations and Elections Committee (Sue Shinomiya, Pilar Montejo, Kwesi Ewoodzie, Michele Hanna and Sandy Fowler) to interview each candidate and make a recommendation to the Board of Directors. As soon as the candidates have been vetted and approved by the Board, the slate will be announced and there will be a period of time in which anyone who wants to be added to the list can petition to be on the list. Then the membership will have the opportunity to ratify each candidate.

You may have noticed that the President Elect position has not been mentioned. Over the years it is fairly rare for someone to step forward for that position. That means that the committee needs to search for the best possible candidate. That is in motion. We have a candidate who would be great, and we are waiting for a commitment. We hope we can announce who it is in the next newsletter!

Board of Directors Changes

The Leadership Development Director, Michele Hanna regretfully resigned her position due to an overloaded work and home life. She appreciated her time on the Board but felt that it was only fair to both SIETAR USA and to herself to leave at this time.

We are fortunate that we had three candidates for the two open positions and one of the candidates was interested in serving in the newly opened position of Board Leadership. Since this is an appointment, she won’t be on the slate until she completes the remainder of Michele’s term, and then if she decides to continue in that position, she can run for election to be ratified by the membership and serve a full 3-year term. The Board of Directors approves of all appointments and unanimously voted to appoint Nkenge Friday as the new Leadership Development Director at the Board meeting on September 16th, 2021.

Sandy Fowler

Nominations and Election Committee Chair

by Elmer Dixon and Deanna Shoss

Reprinted with permission from Executive Diversity Services https://www.executivediversity.com/2021/08/09/is-your-diversity-training-making-things-worse/

2020 was a year rife with crisis. A global pandemic, ongoing police shootings of black and brown people and subsequent nationwide protests brought racial inequities in the US to the forefront. Conversations outside of work moved inside as employees expected employers to stand behind them. Companies responded: openings for Directors of Diversity and other Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) related job titles were 54% higher in December 2020 than pre-crisis levels. (Glassdoor). Along with that increase came a higher demand for DEI, Unconscious Bias and Anti-racism training.

2020 also was no different than any other period where people emerge from the chaos in seek of opportunity. Indeed, a new rash of self-labeled diversity and/or unconscious bias trainers have come forward in the aftermath, many offering ineffective training that does not work.

SAY THAT AGAIN? DIVERSITY TRAINING DOESN’T WORK?

The last thing you would expect is a long-time DEI professional saying that diversity training doesn’t work. Yet that’s not the full picture. The broader picture is that ineffective training can actually do more damage than good.

Successful DEI training should be grounded in research and based on proven theory and techniques for creating equity and inclusion. Many would-be DEI consultants who are new to the field lack the ability to create effective training curricula. Here are a few things to consider when selecting your DEI consultant:

• Are intercultural services the vendor’s core business?
• Does the provider have the appropriate knowledge base and program design and delivery skills?
• Have they contributed to the intercultural field by writing articles or books and making presentations at professional conferences?
• Can they identify and discuss key cross-cultural concepts?
• Do they understand the developmental states people experience in becoming culturally competent?

(See an in-depth guide on https://www.executivediversity.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Selecting-Diversity-Consultants-and-Trainers-EDS.pdfSelecting Diversity Consultants and Trainers here.)

SO WHY ARE SO MANY COMPANIES STILL GETTING IT WRONG?

“When unconscious bias became a thing, a lot of people jumped on the bandwagon and said they could do this work,” says Elmer Dixon, President of Executive Diversity Services (EDS). However, “most unconscious bias trainers identify only surface level bias, what EDS calls https://www.executivediversity.com/2017/08/31/physiognomy-unconscious-bias/the Physiognomy of Unconscious Bias. What they fail to do is to look at the deeper implications of unconscious bias and how it impacts hiring, promotions and a lack of inclusion on teams,” adds Dixon.

Identifying bias is only one part of the equation. You also need tools to respond. For example, if one finds they harbor a bias against people of a different gender, superficial trainings will call for more exposure—e.g. to spend more time with people of that gender. “Mere exposure without tools that get at the deeper level of unconscious bias will not address the more complex issues,” says Dixon.

BEWARE OF SINGLE-SERVE TRAININGS

If the trainer is offering a quick one-and-done training, “it’s not worth the time or investment,” says Dixon. And if they are only offering unconscious bias training, that is a red flag right there. Bias training is only one small part of broader DEI training. According to a BBC Worklife article: “the kind of training which institutions tend to favor the most, such as “short, one-shot sessions that can be completed and the requisite diversity boxes ticked,” are unlikely to make a difference in the habits or long-term behavior of participants.” (Zulekha, 2021).

“What’s next?” is a good question to ask after an initial training. How is the trainer continuing to build knowledge and competence within the company? “Remember that cross-cultural competence is not a destination, but an ongoing journey. You’re never done. You can always learn more,” says Dixon. (Read more about DEI training as a part of an overall DEI strategy.)

DON’T BE CAUGHT BY A FLY-BY-NIGHT TRAINER

Having diverse groups of employees that know how to best communicate and work with one another is key to success. A 2015 McKinsey report on 366 public companies found that those in the top quartile for ethnic and racial diversity in management were 35% more likely to have financial returns above their industry mean, and those in the top quartile for gender diversity were 15% more likely to have returns above the industry mean. (HBR, 2016).

Having a qualified DEI consultant can make a difference in your company’s success. Check the trainer’s background and references. How long have they been doing this training? What are measurable outcomes (beyond number of people trained). How are they following up in three, six or nine months? And are they customizing the training to your needs?

Training led by a qualified trainer, that is tied to company business goals, is part of an ongoing company-wide strategy and has support from the top of the organization, is what will ensure successful outcomes.

See an in-depth guide on Selecting Diversity Consultants and Trainers here or contact us to learn more.

RESOURCES: LEARN MORE ABOUT WHAT MAKES AN EFFECTIVE DEI TRAINING, AND HOW IT HELPS YOUR COMPANY’S BOTTOM LINE.

• Dobbin, Frank, and Alexandra Kalev. Why Doesn’t Diversity Training Work? The Challenge for Industry and Academia. Harvard Scholar, 2018 https://scholar.harvard.edu/files/dobbin/files/an2018.pdf
• Maurer, Roy. New DE&I Roles Sike after Racial Justice Protests. August 6, 2020 https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/hr-topics/talent-acquisition/pages/new-dei-roles-spike-after-racial-justice-protests.aspx
• Rock, David and Heidi Grant. Why Diverse Teams Are Smarter, Harvard Business Review, November 4, 2016 https://hbr.org/2016/11/why-diverse-teams-are-smarter
• Rock, David and Paulette Gerkovich, PhD. Why Diverse Teams Outperform Homogeneous Teams, neuroleadership.com, June 10, 2021 https://neuroleadership.com/your-brain-at-work/why-diverse-teams-outperform-homogeneous-teams/
• Stansell, Amanda and Daniel Zhao, Diversity Now: How Companies and Workers Are Bringing Nationwide Social Justice Protests to the Workplace. July 15, 2020, updated December 9, 2020. https://www.glassdoor.com/research/diversity-jobs-reviews/
• Story, Sylvana. Unconscious Bias — Making Millions From Theory, Huffington Post, January 15, 2016 https://www.huffpost.com/entry/unconscious-bias-making-m_b_8771258
• Zulekha, Nathoo. Why ineffective diversity training won’t go away. bbc.com, June 16, 2021, https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20210614-why-ineffective-diversity-training-wont-go-away

Download the attached PDF of CFP

International Academy for Intercultural Research's 12th Biennial Conference is 23-28 July 2022 at Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences, Rapperswil-Jona, Switzerland

Fostering Intercultural Hearts and Minds
Applying Intercultural Research for a Sustainable Future

(Fellows Day and the PhD/Early-Career-Development Workshop on Sunday, 24th of July)

Introduction of the CFP:

"After being caught in the chokehold of the Covid19-pandemic for almost two years, what have we learned from this global crisis for the future of our togetherness on this planet? Has the pandemic led to more cooperation between cultural groups, or has it enlarged already existing conflicts? Obviously, in this decade we will have to deal with other burning issues such as global warming, migration, the rise of ”Nationalists” and ""Anti-Globalists,"" distrust in academia, poisoning of communication by conspiracy theories, and the consequent polarization of societies, steered by tribalistic attitudes and actions—among others.

How does our intercultural research address these issues? How can we apply our intercultural expertise effectively in different professional fields to have an impact on individuals and societies? How does intercultural research help to develop an intercultural and ethical mindset in our various target groups for dealing with the challenges of the present VUCA-world (VUCA: Volatile, Uncertain, Complex, and Ambiguous)? Moreover, how can intercultural research contribute to the four pillars of sustainability (Environment, Economy, Social Equality, and Culture)?

The mission of IAIR is to encourage the highest quality empirical research and practice aimed at intercultural understanding. Each IAIR conference aims to attract research-oriented scientists and practitioners from a variety of intercultural disciplines to present their work, exchange and discuss ideas, and contribute to intercultural understanding and cooperation. We especially invite you to propose research-based remedies for dealing with the conditions and prominent challenges of these ""post-globalized"" times."

During the August Board of Directors meeting, a question of the vision for SIETAR USA was raised. There was a follow-up question about the “bridging thing.” We need questions like that so we can continually revisit who we are, who we want to be, how close we think we are to our goals, and how we plan to get there.

That got me thinking about the bridging between the interculturalists and the diversity, equity and inclusion specialists in SIETAR. The association started as purely intercultural. Many of the early members were involved in activities having to do with international relocation and intercultural research as well as education. Intercultural communication was a central facet of most SIETAR members’ work whether it was teaching, research or training. “Domestic interculturalism” (as it was called then) was known but not a central focus of most of the membership. That has changed. The founding idea behind SIETAR was to create a forum where intercultural educators, trainers, and researchers could meet and create an essentially new field. That forum now includes by choice: diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice.

To some extent, the intent is much the same: a forum where intercultural and DEI professionals can meet to exchange ideas and work together toward their common interests. There is not, nor should there be, a mandate that all interculturalists and DEI practitioners meld the two fields in all of their endeavors. However, there is mutual benefit from learning about and including DEI content and intercultural theory and practice in the work that each of us does.

Bridging is a work in progress. We are still figuring it out. It is heartening to me to see so many SIETAR USA members involved in that effort. Only good things can come from this passion.

Sandra M. Fowler
Editor

Now Is Your Opportunity!

At our last meeting, the Webinar Team decided for the 2022 series to open the monthly webinars to proposals from SIETAR USA members. Previously the process was for the Webinar Team to identify speakers and invite them to present. Cognizant of the limitations of that system in missing fresh talent and innovative work the Team sees this as a way to broaden opportunities for members to showcase their work and for expanding developmental opportunities. As many of you may know, SIETAR Europa already uses a member proposal system with great success, so we are ready to give it a try. Any suggestions or best practices for implementing this system are welcome.

If you are interested in presenting a SIETAR USA webinar, and application form is available at this time from our Administrative Officer, Karen Fouts (info@sietarusa.org). Please put webinar application as the subject. The application process for 2022 is open now and will close December 31, 2021. Our webinars are 90-minutes long, 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM Eastern Time and typically the second Wednesday of the month. They are recorded and made available to members at no cost and for a reasonable fee to non-members. Registration is done by the SIETAR USA office and production is supported for you.

Scheduling the annual webinar program, requires carefully attending to the expertise and diversity in topical areas held by SIETAR USA members. We also pay close attention to diversity within the membership and ensure that it is represented in the roster of presenters each year. The list of webinars for 2021:

Let us hear from you! We know that you have something to share with the SIETAR USA community and we are grateful for your support.

September 15th to October 15th celebrates National Hispanic Heritage Month in the United States. Hispanic Heritage Month is celebrated from September 15th to October 15th to coincide with the Independence Day celebrations of several Latin American nations. September 15th is significant because it’s the anniversary of independence for Latin American countries Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. Mexico celebrates its Independence Day on September 16th. Chile celebrates its Independence Day on September 18th. Belize declared its independence from Great Britain on September 21st. Additionally, October 12th is a U.S. federal holiday, Columbus Day. Alternatively, many cities and states recognize October 12th as Indigenous Peoples' Day. Día de la Raza (Day of the [Hispanic] People) has been celebrated across Latin America since 1917. (Editors, 2020)

This monthlong celebration honors the history, culture, accomplishments, achievements, and contributions of past and present Hispanic and Latino/a/x Americans, whose ancestors came from Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America, and South America. Their history, cultural diversity, and many accomplishments have contributed to and enriched all aspects of US American culture.

In June 1968, Hispanic Heritage Week was introduced by California Congressman George E. Brown, who represented East Los Angeles and a large portion of the San Gabriel Valley. Congressman Brown wanted to celebrate and recognize the important role and contributions of the Latinx community throughout American history. President Lyndon B. Johnson issued the first Hispanic Heritage Week presidential proclamation on September 17, 1968. It was expanded to Hispanic Heritage Month by President Ronald Reagan in 1988 and enacted into law that same year. On September 14, 1989, President George H.W. Bush became the first president to declare the 31-day period from September 15 to October 15 as National Hispanic Heritage Month. (Editors, 2020)

Many U.S. government agencies recognize this important cultural heritage celebration, including the Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution, and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Works Cited

• Editors, History.com. “Hispanic Heritage Month.” HISTORY. A&E Television Networks, September 11, 2020. https://www.history.com/topics/hispanic-history/hispanic-heritage-month.
• “Hispanic Heritage Month - NPS Celebrates! (U.S. National Park Service).” www.nps.gov, September 18, 2020. https://www.nps.gov/subjects/npscelebrates/hispanic-heritage-month.htm.
• “National Hispanic American Heritage Month 2019.” Hispanicheritagemonth.gov, 2019. https://www.hispanicheritagemonth.gov/.
• Wikipedia Contributors. “Columbus Day.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, May 17, 2019. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbus_Day.
• Wikipedia Contributors. “Indigenous Peoples’ Day.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, September 12, 2019. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indigenous_Peoples%27_Day.

Written by: Emily Kawasaki