A few years back, I told a student of mine on St. Patrick's Day that I was Irish. This pre-teen girl of Caribbean descent looked me up and down in disbelief.
"If you're Irish, where are your pointed ears?"
Whether she mistook Irish for leprechaun, or elf, or even Vulcan, her sincere naivete was refreshing. I was able to educate her about something in which I was an expert by birth, being Irish American.
One of the joys of teaching in New York is the opportunity to meet people different from me. From Sesame Street to Star Trek, with a course on American Pluralism, in between, I have come to enjoy finding and celebrating the differences in individuals, beginning with some of the broader differences like culture.
One of my greatest heroes, Bruce Lee, was so proud of his heritage that he wanted to share it with the world. He met resistance from Chinese elders, fearing he was divulging something that made the Chinese people special. However, Lee also knew the value in taking from other cultures, weaving principles of martial arts from France, Korea and all destinations into his own Jeet Kune Do
Consequently, there is a line in the movie biopic "Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story" that sums up to me the ideal student. "I will teach anyone who wants to learn," says Bruce Lee.
So for St. Patrick's day, a day I would claim as emblematic of my cultural history, I share this anecdote about identifying with pride my own cultural heritage, while blending in some fact about my hero, who happens to be of another culture. Celebrating heritage should not happen at the expense of another, but rather it should happen as a way to build connections with people form different backgrounds.
So, lend me an ear and I'll tell you a story or two, and I'll reciprocate, pointed ear not withstanding.
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