Spring 2011 Center Report

Spring 2011 Issue
May 2011
The Center Report
Mission Possible
921 Church Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
Phone: (734) 662-5529
E-mail: info@ecir.org
Web: www.ecir.org
I Only Lived...
I only lived at ECIR
for the last four
months of my fouryear stay in the
United States, and I
regret
not
living
there from the very
beginning.
During
Moises Perales-Escudero my brief stay, I made
friends among the residents, the staff,
and the board members and volunteers,
all of whom contribute to making ECIR a
unique, remarkable community.
Being an international student can be
tough at times, and in more than one
way. You obviously don’t know your
way around. You don’t have many of
your useful belongings with you. More
often than not, you don’t know anyone
in your new environment and need to
overcome linguistic and cultural
boundaries in order to make friends with
people from cultures other than your
own. ECIR extends a helping hand to all
of us who find ourselves in the interesting situation of being an international
student. And then some.
From a purely material perspective, I
am very grateful to all the people that
have contributed and continue to contribute to make ECIR a comfortable
place to live. Although this may sound
shallow, it is very comforting for international students to know that we are in a
place with so many material conveniences and comforts are available at no
extra cost. I thoroughly enjoyed the
amazing ECIR kitchen with all its appliances as well as the cozy living room
area and the recreation room.
These spaces are also important be...Continued on Page 4 ‘I Only’...
Going to Japan Now?
“Going to Japan now? For medical
relief?” Some of my friends thought
that perhaps I was setting off to be a
hero, saving victims of the disaster.
Some of my colleagues thought that it
was too dangerous to go. I wouldn’t
be telling the truth if I said I did not
have any reservations making the
decision to join the team: “‘They
should have enough doctors by now.’
‘I may not be of any use.’ ‘Many aftershocks are happening.’ ‘The nuclear
disaster has not been settled.’…” But
another voice was saying, “‘There
must still be health care needs.’ ‘Even
a little help would be appreciated.’…”
In 1995, another large earthquake hit
the western part of Japan. I was at
work in a hospital in Tokyo, and the
TV news was showing the fires after
the quake. The country did not have
much experience organizing volunteers—at least I didn’t know what volunteering following a disaster was
like. A few days later, I took 10-days
leave and traveled to the area by myself. I visited a local government office
to ask where I could help. The officers
were far too busy to worry about me
Aftermath of Tsunami in Japan as witnessed by
Keiko Asao.
and told me that I should see and find
it out. Without any clue about the areas, I visited a couple of shelters and
hospitals, and worked with local doctors and self-defense force personnel.
It was winter, and I saw many patients
who had caught colds. I helped transfer elderly patients in nursing homes to
secure areas. It was several days after
the earthquake, and the health care
needs had shifted from rescue and
trauma to chronic issues that a usual
internist like me could help with.
Now, years later, when I started work
at a shelter two weeks after the earthquake, what I saw was déjà vu—the
patients waiting for us had been suffering from the cold, and constipation,
...Continued on Page 3 ‘Going’...
50th Annual International Dinner
On Friday, March 25th, 2011,
ECIR, in cooperation with the
University of Michigan International Center, held its 50th Annual International Dinner at Bethlehem UCC in Ann Arbor, MI.
18 countries were represented
by the close to 200 people who
attended the event. The evening
program comprised of performances by several musical groups including Quartex (jazz improv ensemble),
the U of M Gospel Chorale, traditional Kurdish music by Abdurrahman Baris,
and classical piano by ECIR resident Jonathan Gomez (France). ECIR would
like to thank the many volunteers and persons whose hard work went into creating a very successful celebration of cultural and religious diversity.
Spring 2011 Issue
Director’s Message
Page 2
What is Our Mission?
are my age…
Dr. Bruce D. Martin,
Director
ECIR has been revisiting the important question of mission. According
to a Higher Education study report,
…survey results from eight American
colleges showed that many international students – despite becoming a
larger presence on campuses every
year – still struggle with discrimination and are unsatisfied by the degree to which student services
helped them make the transition to
the cultural and educational systems
of the United States.
(At Home on Campus, Not in
Country, April 6, 2011)
The most frequent issues for international students, according to author
Bethany Schweitzer, are social and
academic adjustment, isolation, racial climate, and political ideology.
But students cited in the report commented on struggles related to cultural understanding and adjustment.
The office helped in all administrative
matters, but nothing more….they did
not help in my transition from Mexican to American culture.
I wish I had known the difference
between Latin Americans and [North]
Americans when making friends. I
was never able to date because it is
a different process and I went
through a lot of pain and frustration. I
thought I was different and I was being alienated from the people who
Other study report respondents mentioned discrimination and the tendency of student affairs professionals
to refer them to university counseling. The study overlooks the real
struggles of international students—
transition from one culture to another. To be of service to international students in transition, student
affairs and counseling professionals
will need to address the very real
struggles of understanding and adjusting to cultural differences. These
are best learned through cultural
education and structured cultural
engagement experiences in the context of a supportive intercultural community.
The novelist, Frederick Buechner,
wrote that “vocation” is discovered
when a person’s deepest joy intersects the world’s deepest needs.
This can also be applied to an organization’s mission. This study report reminds us that our mission is to
welcome students and scholars from
the US and around the world, provide transformative residential and
educational programs, encourage
respect, equality, and justice for all
cultures and religions, and promote
cooperation, and peace between all
communities and nations. Our mission (vocation) is to aid international
students with the deep struggles of
cultural transition, with their need to
achieve cultural understanding and
adjustment.
ECIR is addressing these real struggles through our residential and educational programs. Our recent 50th
Annual International Dinner was a
welcoming celebration of cultural and
religious diversity. ECIR provides a
Learn a New Language!
American
Sign
Language
home for international students and
scholars who are in cultural transition, adjusting to American culture,
and learning about many new cultures. Our residential program includes the intentional structuring of
apartment living to encourage engagement with new cultures and different belief systems. In addition,
our weekly Global Village Dinner
brings our residents together to
share meals, befriend neighbors,
respect differences, and build community.
We also offer educational programs
that provide service-learning, cultural
engagement, and social action experiences. Recent examples include
our Sault Ojibwe Cultural Engagement (Upper Peninsula), Appalachian Service Learning (St. Paul,
VA), Bread for the World Advocacy
(Washington, DC) programs. Local
programs include Serving the Homeless at the Delonis Shelter, exploring
American culture through the Taste
of Chicago, and visiting local religious communities through our Exploring Spiritual Traditions. Our residential and educational programs are
designed to introduce students and
scholars to American culture and
expose them to multiple cultures
while providing social experiences
within a supportive community. In
these ways and others ECIR is addressing the struggles and needs
identified by the international students cited in the 2011 Higher Education study report.
Helping internationals with the struggles of cultural understanding and
adjustment, our world’s greatest
need, fills us with joy and gives focus
to our mission.
-Bruce D. Martin
Begin With the Alphabet
Alphabet!
Page 3
The Center Report
I Was a Resident...
Upcoming Events!
I was a resident of what was then called
ECC from 1979 to 1983. I have always
enjoyed learning about different cultures
and was introduced to ECC from meeting a Greek friend named Angeliki. We
soon became roommates along with
Shu-fen from Taiwan, and Suzanna Winnie & Dhiravadh Tan, both
former residents of ECIR.
Lee, a Chinese American. At the time
there were many residents from India,
some from the Phillipines, SE Asia, a few from Europe and Africa.
Paul Dotson was the director then along with Shirley Lewis and Marg
and Arlene Schmidt were the secretaries. I did not meet my Thai husband at ECC, but he soon became a resident and we were married in
1985 at the International Church in Bangkok, Thailand. His name is
Dhiravadh Tantiviramanond. We have three children ages 19, 16 and
13 years.
Dhiravadh and I were on the Planning Committee that was chaired by
Shirley Lewis. One of the activities we planned was the March cultural
night that Asha Radhamohoan wrote about in the November 1, 2010
newsletter where her parents met. There were many holiday parties
with music that included Nigerian drums, Swiss guitar and folk music,
and Motumbo acting as PA. Motumbo and Shirley Lewis facilitated a
workshop on Africa. That conference made a great impression on me.
I learned that I may harbor prejudices even if I like to view myself as a
tolerant person. ECC has provided me with connections to places in
every continent and a commitment to service.
-Winnie Tan
Mark Pilarski, ECIR’s new
Property & Building
Maintenance Manager.
Hi! My name is Mark Pilarksi, I am
newly on staff as the Property and
Building Maintenance Manager at
ECIR. My responsibilities are for maintenance and repair work in our building. I was born in Detroit, MI, and I formerly worked as a carpentry contractor
and for quality inspection. I currently
live in Ypsilanti, MI with my wife and
our pets. I’m a lifelong sports fan, and I
root for University of Michigan football.
I like traveling, hunting, fishing, and
meeting new people. I’m deaf and fluent in American Sign Language. I think
ECIR is a great place to meet people
from other countries and where one
can find other ways to communicate.
-Mark Pilarski



Washington D.C. Trip– Bread For the
World (June 11th-14th, 2011)
Trip to Chicago (July 2nd– 5th, 2011)
Summer Picnic (Date– TBA)
For More Info or Questions::
info@ecir.org
...Continued from Page 1 ‘Going’...
high blood pressure, diabetes, stress, or minor
injuries. The difference from the previous experience, though, was that I was a part of a
team called TMAT (Tokushu-kai Medical Assistance Team). The organization was operating
medical assistance at three shelters and a hospital from the beginning of the disaster: each
site had three or four physicians, five to seven
nurses, a logistician, and often a pharmacist
and other health care providers, too, working
under 4-days’ shift schedule.
I read that about 15,000 health care providers
had volunteered after this earthquake. But it’s
not only health care volunteers making a difference. Many people from the government and
industry have helped re-establish lifelines, such
as the provision of water, electricity, food, and
transportation. Moreover, many people are
helping communities clean the huge amounts of
debris left by the earthquake and tsunami. Still
other people are working hard too, covering for
those who are away for volunteering. And, of
course, local survivors, many of whom lost their
family members and houses, have been working restlessly to rebuild their communities. Supportive messages for the areas have been sent
from people across the globe. I am thankful for
tremendous international relief effort for the
earthquake. Each of us can do a little, and together we can rebuild lives and communities.
-Keiko Asao
TMAT working to provide medical assistance in Japan.
The Center Report
Page 4
What Minutiae I Recall...
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
What Minutiae I Recall of the Islamic Burial for My Uncle
Who Died of AIDS Contracted at the Dentist’s Office
(He Had a Toothache)
If he dies during the month of brides it is a great shame.
Wash the body three or five or seven times. Never two or four
or six times.
We see Allah rearranging the candlesticks in the starry hall of
heavens,
creating spectral shapes, undoing them and creating others,
in widening circles containing us in his compulsions,
wondering which fires he has left unextinguished.
Where do these instructions come from?
Your heavenly blameless Father,
his prophets. Your earthly fathers,
their superstitions, their blind notions.
All are welcome at the funeral: Buddhists, followers of Christ,
those who believe in Chang’e, the lady in the moon
who sweeps her vast cold palace all alone.
Recall the small black dogs your mother dreamt of devouring
each other in play near the incense pit,
and know that if there are night visions,
there are mystical visions and there must be a heaven,
their birthplace, and there resides Allah, your one true God.
The face must point towards the House of God in Mecca
and the living must walk beside or in front of the dead.
No foreign objects may be placed in the grave.
Avoid burial at sunrise, high noon, and sunset.
No music or outburst of emotion is allowed,
for though we return the dead to the earth,
out from it we shall bring them again.
A Moment With...
Alma Ambrosio Chand
What drew you to the ECIR mission?
I love meeting people from all over the world. It
is a real education for me and stimulating.
What was your
experience
like
when you first
came to the US?
I always dreamed
about coming to
US to get an education. I thought
that the US was a
place where peo- Nile Harper honoring Alma Chand at
ple would break ECIR’s Volunteer Brunch, Nov. 2011.
into song and
dance on the street. Of course, soon I realized it
was not like that. It was really nice being at the
International House (IH) in Chicago. It is ten
times bigger than ECIR with 550 residents, half
of whom are American and the other half from
outside the US. I learned a lot there. Every meal
I would say, “Now, what country do I want to
learn about?” and I would sit with a person from
that country and have a very stimulating conversation. That’s how I met my husband. My parents studied abroad at Columbia University and
met at the IH in New York. Then they went back
to Philippines and got married. That’s why I alThe procedure described above is the only correct one. ways had the dream to study in the US. So,
when I got a chance to do it, I decided to live in
To him do we belong and unto him is our return.
-Mary-Alice Daniel the IH in Chicago. When I moved to Ann Arbor, I
found out about what then was called the Ecumenical Campus Center (ECIR). Nile Harper
Mary-Alice Daniel is from Nigeria and will be
was the director then and I joined the board at
a resident of ECIR in the Fall 2011. She will
that time.
be pursuing a Master of Fine Arts in Creative
Writing (poetry) at the Univ. of Michigan.
...Continued from Page 1 ‘I Only’...
cause they provide a place for residents to meet and mingle, to share bits of their lives and experiences with one
another and to grow spiritually richer from the glances we
get at the many different ways of understanding and experiencing the world that each one of us represents. Especial to us all are the Global Village Dinners, not only
because of the delicious meals that we share but also
because of the plentiful opportunities to engage critically
with topics of pressing social relevance. These discussions helped me to gain a better understanding of US
society, and the insights I gleaned have allowed me to
see my both US and my own culture in more complex,
nuanced ways.
ECIR is also a great place to make friends. Beginning
with the staff, everybody at ECIR is incredibly friendly.
And they are so in the true spirit of friendship. To me, this
involves not only providing support and helping to meet
needs but also the willingness to share parts of their individuality and set an example of service and selflessness to
the rest of us. I was particularly impressed by the generosity of the weekend shopping volunteer drivers. They are
generous not only with their time and resources, but also
with the wisdom and experience they have accumulated
throughout their lives. They have inspired me to be, like
they are, true leaders and community builders for a better
world. I want to close with a big thank you to all the staff:
Rosana, Kay, Cynthian, Stoney, and Bruce. They are all
amazing human beings that truly made me feel that I was
at home at ECIR. I leave Ann Arbor and the United States
knowing that I found a home away from home. The memory
and the example set by the people that made this experience possible will remain with me forever.
-Moises Perales-Escudero