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ASIAN/PACIFIC AMERICAN HERITAGE MONTH CELEBRATION
U.S. Department of Agriculture & Indiana Department of Natural
Resource (NRCS), MAY 7, 2007
Theme: “PURSUING
EXCELLENCE THROUGH LEADERSHIP, DIVERSITY AND UNITY”
Speaker: Kanwal Prakash “KP” Singh
A few thoughts and reflections on this Year’s APA Heritage
Celebration Theme:
We have to begin any discussion that concerns people of distinct
and diverse ethnicities, cultures, and faiths who today live and
work among us and that we may be planning to serve, lead or integrate
into our society, community, or nation by fairly accepting and understanding
that first and foremost:
PEOPLE ARE A RESOURCE
Representing many visible and untapped opportunities:
- Recognize their special assets, talents, strengths, and experiences
- Identify their unique concerns, problems, cultural sensitivities
- Redress all legitimate grievances at the workplace or in the
community
- Base all professional promotions, rewards, recognitions on
merit, not on ethnicity
- Assure a rightful place and encouragement for their ideas,
perspectives
- Provide equal treatment under the law; fairness under existing
or revised policies
- Unconditional respect and thoughtful consideration of their
culture and spirit
- Make room for the unfamiliar traditions, customs, and reasonable
expectations
DISCOVERING COMMON THREADS
We must begin with a basic and thoughtful understanding:
- Our similar hopes, cherished dreams, universal needs, common
humanity
- Willingness to learn and teach one another; our collective
strengths
- Allowing friendly winds of culture to freely flow through our
universe – Our neighborhood, classroom, sacred space, and
community institutions
- Recognizing DIVERSITY as our NEW FRONTIER of OPPORTUNITY
Representing unimagined new assets, resources, talents, and investments
Enriching and innovative ideas, potentials, and experiences
New bridges to people, cultures, market places, and global exchange
A universal key to individual and collective peace and prosperity
in our increasingly interconnected and interdependent world
CREATING A WELCOME ENVIRONMENT
We must create an environment:
- Where our common humanity is the central and unmistakable thread
to our UNITY
- A sacred anchor for our UNIVERSALITY as an interdependent human
family
- A place to seek and offer PEACE and FRIENDSHIP to one another
- A space to explore, innovate, discover and surpass the limits
of our talents and technology, imagination and opportunities for
the greater good of all
DIVERSITY is not, and need not be an ADVERSITY
or a threat to our societal and institutional framework, traditions,
culture, or heritage. It is an opportunity to connect with diverse
branches of our extended family, other unique and distinct cultures
that grace the human universe that are now a part of our space and
experience.
Beyond the color of my turban, our gender, nationality, faith,
culture and ethnic origin,
IT IS THE SAME SPIRIT REVERBERATING THROUGH OUR BODIES, SAME HEARTBEAT
THROUGH OUR CHESTS, SAME OR SIMILAR EMOTIONS THAT GOVERN OUR LIVES.
- Our UNITY is not a robotic sameness, an unrealistic monolith:
We are not of one mold, but
We are made of the same clay;
We are not of one design, but
We are designed by One Master with the same basic elements, same
DNA;
We are not of one mind, but
We have a mind, heart, and spirit with similar echoes and capacities;
We are not of the same culture or ethnicity, but
Our culture is a result of familiar experiences, elements, and
inspirations;
We all do not pursue the same dreams, display same temperaments
or responses
and interested in identical things or pursuits, but
We have similar dreams and temperaments; our interests often shaped
by geography,
cultural and historical encounters, circumstances, inspirations,
and experiences;
We are not the same skin color, build, endowed with the same wisdoms,
insights, but
We all want to be loved, respected; be treated with dignity as
a basic right, blessing;
Such declarations, understandings, and assurances are the
cornerstone and foundation to foster UNITY amidst our growing DIVERSITY:
Where our outward appearance may simply be regarded as a blur but
the rich diversity of ideas, talents, pioneering spirit, and energy
that we bring to the feast of life to share with others are seen
as a real motivating force, tangible assets; our potential and intention
That best represent the true you and me
That is the true face of my humanity reflected in yours
That is the essence of your radiance shining through mine
With such an enlightened understanding as a commitment, a solemn
assurance, you can expect the best from me. I may surprise you with
my strong commitment and willing reciprocity. I may excel beyond
my own expectations, because I sense that I am a part of the team
and that as my leader, mentor, host, friend, neighbor, and fellow
American you have placed your trust in me and especially if the
trust is deserved and earned, and I am unlikely to disappoint myself
or shortchange such generosity. I am going to give the assigned
task, my team, my community or institution the best account of my
talents and opportunities and hopefully many-folds return of your
fair and modest investment in me.
OUR CHANGING CULTURE AND WORLD
Today many diverse celebrations and experiences color and enrich
our landscape:
Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, Black History Month, International
Festival,
St. Patrick’s Day Parade, Italian and Greek Festivals, American
Indian Pow Wows at Eiteljorg Museum, Gyuto Monks at the Indianapolis
Museum of Art, the Sikh Baisakhi, Indian Diwali, Chinese New Year,
and countless others events and happenings are all about diverse
ethnic and cultural journeys converging in this blessed land. We
have brought our hopes and dreams, songs and dances from our native
lands to the “New Courtyard of World Civilizations”
that is America. This is exciting for us; we must be enthusiastic
partners in celebrating our individual cultures and our emerging
ethnic and cultural composite, our beautiful “Tapestry of
Cultures,” not because it is a politically correct thing to
do but because it is the right thing to do. Together we can further
strengthen our “One Nation under God, Indivisible, with Liberty
and Justice for All.”
United States of America offers a very farsighted vision, a formidable
promise, and each of us has a responsibility and solemn stake to
honor this promise. As old and new daring souls, pioneers, innovators,
and trailblazers in search of the possible and impossible we have
to pick up the banner of generations of Americans before us and
fully engage in building “A More Perfect Union” and
taking it yet unimagined heights. We must simultaneously pursue
our own dreams and answer the call of our own spirit.
As the great Indian Nobel Laureate, poet, educator, musician, songwriter,
philanthropist, and humanitarian Rabindra Nath Tagore reminds us
that there are “no aliens” in the human race, or among
us. The sacred Sikh scripture command us to, “Recognize all
humanity as One Race, One Brotherhood” and know that, “Every
living being is a repository of Divine Light.” Many sacred
texts further elaborate that “No one is outside the Circle
of God’s Benevolence and Compassion” and must not be
outside our thoughtful consideration and basic respect. The Buddhist
sacred text, Meta Sutra reminds us: “One should cherish all
life, radiating friendliness; above, below, all around without limit.”
Ignorance about our common humanity or continuing to promote unfounded
stereotype about other people, cultures, and faiths is a serious
roadblock to knowing our collective spirit, promise, and unimagined
potential. We are all fellow travelers brought together by destiny
and invitation of Lady Liberty. We need to get along; create and
provide the environment and framework for us to excel; and discover
unity, friendship, love, and light in each other.
It all begins with each one us seeking, celebrating, and encouraging
the best in each other. Our ethnic and national origins, cultural
textures, and religious associations are a matter of pride, but
our real calling card is that we are all Americans, members of one
human family. In that spirit, we should respect and celebrate our
native and national events, diverse and colorful traditions, other
significant and landmark anniversaries. We must understand and embrace
the privilege of being in a place where cultures and people from
the farthest corners have met to shape a new chapter for human civilization.
By taking the time to know other members our team, partners in this
endeavor, we may suddenly discover that there are no strangers in
the human race, only people we have not made our friends yet. Each
has much to contribute to our personal growth, economy, and future.
By combing our traditional strengths with those of new pioneers,
we have the best chance of undreamed-of achievements and success
in critical fields and meeting the challenges of our times. We need
to mainstream our attitude towards one another, towards the entire
human race, attract the best and brightest to our shores, and harness
the untapped and under-utilized wisdoms and experiences of all who
come here from distant lands with unfamiliar customs and cultures.
The world looks to us for our generosity, spacious skies, and unimagined
wealth and we must look to the world for yet untapped resources,
talents, and marketplaces where we can make a difference for our
fellow man or another nation. We must seek and promote a united
front and fight against poverty, hunger, disease, illiteracy, and
global menaces such as HIV/AIDS, terrorism, and violation of basic
human rights. We must teach and learn about being a world citizen.
The English poet William Blake reminds us, “Clasp the hands
and know the thoughts of men in other lands.” Today, we can
see the world is already at our doorsteps. Let us transform this
presence, incredible energy, ancient wisdoms, and gifts to solve
problems. Let us preserve, honor, and celebrate all spectrums of
our cultural and spiritual heritage, our unique and treasured textures,
rhythms, and creativity as a vital key, bridge to shared humanity;
and find inspirations to strengthen our unity, solidarity as fellow
Americans.
We can begin by providing the kind of leadership and optimism that
is contagious; that encourages unity amidst diversity; that rewards
fairly and excellence over mediocrity; and promotes the best in
each of us as people with sights on our collective greatness.
Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month is another reminder of millions
of Americans of Asian origin from many Asian countries who are making
incredible contributions in many diverse fields to American culture,
excellence, and prosperity. It is also a reminder to do all that
we must to mainstream and celebrate their presence and assure their
rightful place in the American dream. In honoring fellow Americans
or any facet of the American spirit and our emerging and colorful
cultural festival, we honor ourselves.
Kanwal Prakash “KP” Singh
Indianapolis, Indiana USA
www.KPSinghDesigns.com
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