“Respect and appreciation are the quiet yet powerful bridges to trust, empowerment, and inclusion” became my biggest takeaway from my time with Unity in Diversity. It is always one thing to read inclusion between the lines, but quite another to sit with the Ethnic Minority (EM) ladies and Non-Chinese Speaking (NCS) children as they struggled with Cantonese pronunciation and grammar, or to feel the quiet trust in the room as a lady drew henna on my hand.  What struck me the most from the encounters I had with the ladies and their children was how warmly and respectfully they welcomed me. Although I arrived as a newcomer who hoped to serve them, I was actually the one who ended up feeling included and embraced. The very first phrase that they taught me was “Assalamu alaikum (Peace be upon you)” This simple but warm greeting melted the distance between us and opened a space where they generously shared with me their cultures, foods, and fashions in a way that transcended any of the language barriers.  The time I spent with the ladies and their children from struggling over Cantonese tones to sitting quietly as henna dried on my hand reminded me how powerful it is when every person is seen, heard and welcomed as they are. Their kindness, especially the way they greeted me with “Assalamu alaikum” before I could even say “hello”, inspires my dedication to creating spaces where every voice matters in our community. I will leave this amazing and uplifting experience with a full heart of thankfulness.

I really feel thankful for this opportunity, as it allows me to meet with different people and gain new experiences. Through my interactions with ethnic minority women and by listening to their stories, I was able to connect the abstract theories I learned in sociology to real-world contexts and it in turn inspired my research interests in relative topics such as culture sociocultural theory and intersection between gender and immigration. It is great that I can contribute my own skills such as Chinese dance and video editing to support women, kids and teens to strengthen the entire community while learning their culture, traditions and religion. And they are always so kind and hospitable during all our interactions, which really makes me feel moved and fulfilled.

I got to interact with many ethnic minority teenagers that were closer to my age on top of their mothers, and I have never felt so included in such a short amount of time. Despite only meeting me for a few days, they have been incredibly inclusive to me, including me in conversations, games etc. Also, I was able to observe their habits, ask questions about their culture and religion that I don’t always get a chance to ask, and they were so open for me to get to know more about them. Despite our different cultures and religions, they had always been welcoming towards me, and we got along incredibly well throughout the time I had with them. It was a pleasure to be able to be friends and to get to know all of these fun and lovely people. Simultaneously, I observed that their culture is in general very hospitable, and they have always been welcoming and accepting towards us, trusting and sharing food and their culture with us, which made me feel very warm inside. It made me realize the cultural and religious gap between us is much exaggerated, as long as we keep an open and respectful mind, we do not have to be so different. I hope to use my knowledge to act as a bridge between them and the rest of Hong Kong, and I am extremely grateful that I had this chance to make their lives just a bit easier and a bit more fulfilling as they did for me.