Ethnic Studies Week explores cultures, encourage discussion

Students, staff and faculty come to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln from all over the world.

This week, UNL's Institute for Ethnic Studies is hosting a series of Brown Bag Discussions and movie nights with various ethnic studies professors.

Ethnic Studies Week features events that represent African American and African studies, Latino and Latin American studies and Native American studies. The Brown Bag luncheons give speakers the chance to present their research.

"We just feel that the university needs to be aware of ethnic studies and the professors who are here," said Nancy Knapp, staff secretary for Ethnic Studies and coordinator of the week.

Ethnic Studies Week also features a guest speaker, Nwando Achebe, an associate professor of history at Michigan State University. She will speak today at 3:30 p.m. in Andrews Hall. Achebe will discuss research in and about Africa.

"As one of the few people who teach (about) Africa on this campus, I'm trying to expose students to the continent in all kinds of forms," said Dawne Curry, an assistant history professor at UNL, who helped bring Achebe to UNL for the event. "It's about getting students to see beyond the geographical boundaries of the United States."

Carleen Sanchez, an assistant anthropology and geography professor at UNL, will speak about ancient Mayan instruments on Friday in the Nebraska Union.

The movie nights are co-sponsored by the Office of Academic Support and Intercultural Services and show a movie or documentary to incite a faculty-led discussion.

"It's taking the academic side and using it with the student affairs side, so it's blending the two different approaches," said Bill Waters, the OASIS program coordinator who is hosting this week's movie nights. "One of the best mediums to talk about issues is movies and documentaries.

"(We want to) engage them in conversation, just hoping to talk about the issues that were raised to broaden our horizons and make students more aware."

Three faculty members each choose a movie that covers African American, Latin American or Native American issues, and leads a discussion after the film. Waters said the audience is a mix of all ages, genders and ethnic backgrounds, and have produced some interesting and active discussions.

"We're not one person," Waters added. "We're different people, so people are coming from different perspectives, different backgrounds, different ideologies, so they're looking at issues differently.

"It's opening up ideas that may not have been though about, and that's what education is really about is that exploration of ideas and thoughts (and) new opinions - and sometimes that's uncomfortable."

andreavasquez@dailynebraskan.com