Chinese Program at U of A Brings Cultural Insight to Crystal Bridges

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Students of the Chinese Program celebrate the Spring Festival with the staff members at Crystal Bridges

On Feb. 9, 2024, a significant cultural exchange took place at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art in Bentonville, Arkansas, featuring the U of A's Chinese Program in the Department of World Languages, Literatures and Cultures.

This collaboration with the museum's IDEA (inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility) Committee and the AAPI (Asian American and Pacific Islander) Employee Resource Group marked a pivotal moment for the program, emphasizing its commitment to cultural diversity and education through an engaging presentation on the Spring Festival, known globally as the Chinese New Year or the Lunar New Year. More than 20 Crystal Bridges Museum staff members participated in this immersive educational event.

Led by instructor Li Yang, students from advanced Chinese language classes CHIN 3033 Conversation and CHIN 3983 Special Studies conducted a peer-teaching presentation to enlighten the audience about the Spring Festival's extensive history, traditional customs, modern celebrations and its significance across the globe, including in countries like Vietnam, Korea, Malaysia and regions such as Northwest Arkansas. This presentation was a testament to the Chinese Program's commitment to promoting cultural diversity and understanding within the community.

The event combined educational experience with cultural immersion, featuring a vivid tableau of Spring Festival celebrations with a tangible sense of the festival's spirit, as well as interactive cultural activities. Engagement extended beyond the presentation, with a jeopardy game that invited the audience to delve deeper into the Spring Festival's traditions. The interactive session, followed by a traditional Chinese paper-cutting activity, not only reinforced the learning but also offered a slice of the cultural practices that define this auspicious time of year.

Kariah Brust, co-chair of the IDEA committee, commended the Chinese Program for its insightful and informative contribution, highlighting the significance of such cultural exchanges in fostering a deeper appreciation for global traditions among diverse communities.

The involvement of the Chinese Program in the Spring Festival event at Crystal Bridges Museum underlines the importance of academic and cultural institutions in promoting diversity and inclusion. Through such initiatives, the program not only enriches the community's cultural landscape but also provides students minoring in Chinese or enrolling in Chinese language and cultural courses with invaluable peer-teaching and community outreach opportunities to apply their academic learning in real-world settings, enhancing their interpersonal and organizational skills in the process.