CMU students embrace Middle Eastern cultures
On Wednesday night, students gathered in the French Auditorium on Central Michigan University’s campus to learn about and discuss the breadth of Middle Eastern cultures during the “Many Roots One Region” event.
Hosted by CMU student Andre Mirijanian for Arab American Heritage Month, the event featured a brief presentation on the differences between Middle Eastern cultures that are often overlooked.
After presenting on the Armenian Genocide during last year’s Arab American Heritage Month, he said that this year, he wanted to focus on the individuality of each Middle Eastern Culture.
“I feel like a lot of people get the impression that there is only one ethnicity in the Middle East,” Mirijanian said. “Or they are trying to put us all in one category, which shouldn't be the case because we all speak different languages, perhaps (have) different religions, different clothing. It's all pretty different. I want to educate people more on how there is a difference and the consequences of not seeing that.”
Mirijanian discussed the geographical, religious and cultural histories of Middle Eastern ethnicities, including Arabs, Iranians, Persians, Kurds, Turks, Armenians and Assyrians.
Language was noted as another key differentiating characteristic of each ethnicity, as Arabic, Farsi, Turkish, Armenian and Aramaic are spoken in each culture, respectively.
He also presented on the benefits of having cultural awareness and knowledge, noting that “It’s better to ask than to assume.”
Mirijanian told a story about his father’s plights of being a Middle Eastern man following the 9/11 attacks. Despite being Muslim, he wore a cross necklace daily to avoid being stereotyped or targeted as a “terrorist” due to his beliefs.
Mirijanian said that the ethnic categorization of Middle Eastern Americans following the 9/11 tragedies was a primary example of miseducation.
As there are a lower number of Middle Eastern students enrolled at CMU in comparison to other demographics, Mirijanian said that events such as his own could be a catalyst for change, encouraging other students of Middle Eastern descent to enroll.
“I think (events such as this) are important for students because obviously everybody comes from a different background, right?” Mirijanian said. “Me as a Middle Eastern man, isn't going to have the same views as maybe like a Hispanic man or an African-American man. Each and every person in the world has something to bring to the table.”
Mirijanian invited students to ask questions following his presentation, inciting a conversation about ethnic terminology and cultural insights.
One of the attendees, Aneta Boutros, said she was ecstatic to attend the event, and said that she felt even better afterwards.
As a Middle Eastern American on campus, Boutros said that she initially struggled to find community, but eventually felt right at home.
“I remember the first event they had (for) Arab American Heritage Month, I was so excited, because I finally felt like I found my people,” Boutros said. “I've been trying to find them for so long, because I'm a sophomore here, so when I finally found that they had events for this, I was so excited. I just wanted to connect more, so I didn't feel more alone.”
