Emma Stickney

Professor Yang
LDRS 375
November 17, 2020
Multicultural Gonzaga

For my junior year, as a young adult in the midst of a global pandemic and one of the

most charged elections in my life, this year’s Comprehensive Leadership Program class,

Leadership Across Cultures, was very useful to my learning. I’ve been able to apply the

discussions in class and concepts we discuss to my world on a day-to-day basis; something that I

am endlessly grateful for. Additionally, having the many opportunities to apply what I’ve learned

throughout this course has been remarkable during the past couple of months. Both academically

and socially, the ability to discuss with students from Japan has been a wonderful learning

opportunity. Gaining different perspectives especially from a culture I have little to no

experience with is something that will continue to be beneficial to my learning as a young adult.

An additional resource the Comprehensive Leadership Program has provided me with was the

opportunity to attend a leadership fishbowl which highlighted Regina Malveaux, a woman of

color who has dedicated her life to reforming norms of injustice in American society.

Understanding and acknowledging the experiences Malveaux has had as both a woman and a

person of color in America was inspiring, and again left me with perspective that I’ve been able

to apply to both current and past experiences. Having both these opportunities arise in a time

which is so crucial was remarkable. To further this experience, I attended the “Perspectives from

Public Health and Theology: COVID-19” lecture in which three public health doctors shared

information regarding the relationship between religion, injustice, and the pandemic. Dr.

Shawnee M. Daniels-Sykes, Dr. Teresia Hinga, and Dr. Bob Lutz were the three officials who

shared their knowledge about the remarkable COVID-19 pandemic. These three opportunities
allowed me to reflect on different cultures, whether across the world, the country, or even the

state. Learning about the varying cultures and individuals within them is critical to not only

leadership, but also to any relationship a person has. This course and this assignment particularly

have truly assisted in my ability to learn about culture and apply it to the ever-changing routine

of 2020.

The initial meeting with students from Dr. Rhee’s class was a foreign situation to me; I

wasn’t sure what to expect, how to interact, or where to begin conversation. Heading into the

sessions with similar assignments and readings to discuss highly assisted in my ability to further

discover the benefits of conversing with other cultures. During most of my discussions regarding

readings, I found that both my American classmates and the Japanese students agreed on many

aspects of conversation. One reading in particular I remember discussing was the Hanshin

Earthquake article. It was so wonderful to hear input in the present day from two cultures who

were strongly affiliated with a natural disaster that occurred over twenty years ago. Something I

found particularly interesting was how students from both America and Japan were critical of

their culture and things they had done in that situation. I found this self-reflectiveness

particularly uplifting in a strange manner. Being comfortable in rules and tradition is something

that I believe ultimately leads to unrest and harm for cultures, however I understand that this

belief is a very Americanized sentiment. Hearing students in Japan agree with this in some sense

was something I had not expected and made me question my own preconceived notions going

into conversation with the students. Looking at experiences during this year and preparing for

upcoming situations, this particular interaction has helped me realize that even when actively

attempting to deny biases prior to conversations with individuals from other cultures,

preconceived notions are always present. I believe that this isn’t necessarily an awful thing,
sometimes these ideas can help us construct and think about how we will have conversations

with other cultures. In other occasions, however, biases can be very harmful and sometimes

results in serious consequences. Luckily, the risk of conversations with the Japanese students

were very low and I was able to acknowledge the impact of my bias as being unharmful.

In addition to connecting with the Japanese students over academic conversation, it was

wonderful to discuss topics outside of the classroom. Again, I found that opinions and interests

between American students and Japanese students were more similar than I had expected. One of

my classmates in America and another student from Dr. Rhee’s class had actually been watching

the same show on Netflix and were talking about their favorite and least favorite parts. There

was also lots of talk about American politics; something I had expected. My personal opinions

also supported what the Japanese students brought up, which also didn’t come as a surprise to

me. Additionally after reflecting on these conversations, it was clear that the American students

were much more outspoken in comparison to the Japanese students who seemed quieter and

more careful with their words. A big aspect as to why this could be is due to the language barrier,

however that itself plays into the culture differences and was another important lesson for me to

learn as I met with other cultures. Understanding that no two cultures are the same is critical in

the progress made between each culture. Sometimes the differences can be challenging to

overcome and even seem offensive or harmful. As Americans, we consistently believe our

culture is superior and that it’s our duty to help other cultures be like us; a concept known as the

“white savior complex”. The interactions with Japanese students was a great reminder to me that

cultures do have differences, but it doesn’t make one worse or better.

Outside of our interactions with the Japanese students, I was also able to learn about other

cultures from the CLP Fishbowl which featured Regina Malveaux. This discussion was inspiring
to me in many ways. Malveaux is an extraordinary example of genuine leadership and has turned

her passions and determination for justice in the American system into a career. Although

Malveaux was born and raised in America, she was born and raised as a black woman in

America; a culture which is vastly different from my own. Listening to her experiences and the

overall way she carried herself was inspiring; her persistence and determination for strength was

remarkable. One minute detail I specifically remember about this fishbowl was when Josh

Armstrong was introducing her and mistakenly introduced Malveaux in a way which didn’t

highlight all of her achievements. Instead of ignoring the mistake and moving forward,

Malveaux thanked Josh for the introduction and further corrected him, making sure her

achievements and positions were included. In this situation, Josh made an honest mistake,

however, there are many examples of men purposely demeaning the accomplishments women

have because their masculinity may feel threatened. To shut down the continuation of patterns

like this, Malveaux instantly corrected Josh and moved forward with her conversation. This

interaction was respectful, yet stern and reminded me of concepts discussed throughout “White

Fragility”. Specifically, the idea of anti-racism and how important it is to not be complacent in

situations of racism. Malveaux’s refusal for complacency was something I admired and

recognized most likely came from the culture she was raised in. Moving forward looking at

conversations with peers and even with those in other cultures, educating others on what I

believe and how I feel is critical to beneficial conversations.

The final event I attended through Gonzaga, which outlined the importance of paying

attention to different cultures, was a lecture put on by three doctors in the Spokane area. This

lecture discussed different aspects of COVID-19 and how layers of certain cultures, such as

religion and race, played a bigger role in it than expected. One doctor, Dr. Bob Lutz a white man
working in the Spokane regional health district, shared about the many disadvantages members

of different cultures faced due to the systematic racism America was built upon. He explained

many of the health inequities specifically people of color faced and how it has affected those

communities during the pandemic. Next, Dr. Shawnee M. Daniels-Sykes further emphasized the

points brought up by Dr. Lutz, expanding on the significance of the racial injustice in America.

Dr. Teresia Hinga then spoke on how Africa was handling the pandemic and how their culture is

continuing to be mistreated. She explained that Africans are being used as “guinea pigs” to test

the efficacy of medications. Her lecture was heartbreaking and helped me realize that although I

may not often or possibly ever come in contact with someone from a certain culture, it is crucial

to work and stay connected with what is truly going on. During a time of such accessibility to

media and coverage, making an effort to stay educated on different cultures is very important.

The opportunity to discuss and reflect on cultures outside of my own, whether in my

close vicinity or miles away, is something that has offered me perspective and education beyond

any classroom setting. Interacting with students across the world has allowed me to understand

the importance of cultural differences, but also the basic similarities so many of us share.

Regardless of where or how we were raised, finding genuine common ground seems to always

be a point of benefit. Watching as Regina Malveaux discussed her success with pride and

strength, I recognized the importance of communicating with other cultures with confidence and

patience. Attending a lecture addressing a topic as pressing as marginalized communities and the

injustices they face during COVID-19, it further helped me remember how critical it is to

educate oneself on different cultures. Taking these lessons in to my future engagements with

both individuals from my same and different cultures, I’m certain positive movement can be

made.