This Independence Day all of us are going through a lot. The inflation, ever lasting pandemic, possibility or already here recession, and other news of how everything is going in reverse direction. Together we will survive all of this. It's a good time to remind ourselves where our strength comes from each other. Our diversity makes our lives richer. Let's use that diversity to bring positivity and excitement to our July 4th celebrations.
It's easy to include diversity in your July 4th celebrations, here are a few suggestions -
1. Food! - The deepest way we connect across different races and cultures. Try and barbecue some different cuisines that you may have never tried cooking before. Here are a few suggestions!
2. Read a translated book - Reading literature from a culture different from our own helps develop a wider understanding of the world around us. You know that! Need a recommendation? Have you read Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri? One of my favorites. Ok I cheated. That's not translated, just not written by someone with English as a first language. One of the best books I have read on immigrant experiences.
3. Host an International Movie Night -A family friendly movie night? Watch The Breadwinner, story of Parvana, 11-year-old girl growing up under the Taliban regime in 2001. Available on Netflix. Grownups movie night? Watch Parasite, a Korean movie that will shake you up. It's unfortunately based on a true story. Available on Hulu and Amazon Prime.
4. Support a minority owned business - Whether you are eating at a restaurant, buying groceries, gifts, or anything else. Make it a point to go to minority owned businesses, at least this weekend.
5. Listen to music from another culture or/and learn a dance from another culture! - Here are top 45 non-english most popular songs. Extra fun if you play a game of how many languages you can guess and even more points if you can sign along made-up lyrics. The last one! Learn a dance from another culture, take a BollyX class with me. Sign up here.