Thursday, April 26, 2012
Culture Cart Update
Unfortunately, Culture Cart did not make it to the finalist round of the MN Idea Open. Thank you to everyone for your support though! This is not the end of the Culture Cart idea either! :-)
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
Diversity Networks Spur Creativity & Innovation
I like this article because it talks about how diversity helps to spur creativity and innovation: http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/news/bmag/sbsm0305/ideas_ruef_networking.shtml
"Diverse networks and sources of information encourage the diffusion of non-redundant information and thus stimulate creativity," says Ruef. In terms of the entrepreneurial team itself, "the more entrepreneurs you have, the more likely you are to have innovation because people come in with different backgrounds and perspectives."
Encouraging people to build bonds across cultures and faiths not only helps to build harmony, cooperation, and collaboration in a community, but it also helps the community to progress and promotes the ability of people to come up with innovative solutions and invent creative new technologies!
"Diverse networks and sources of information encourage the diffusion of non-redundant information and thus stimulate creativity," says Ruef. In terms of the entrepreneurial team itself, "the more entrepreneurs you have, the more likely you are to have innovation because people come in with different backgrounds and perspectives."
Encouraging people to build bonds across cultures and faiths not only helps to build harmony, cooperation, and collaboration in a community, but it also helps the community to progress and promotes the ability of people to come up with innovative solutions and invent creative new technologies!
Monday, April 23, 2012
Who is behind Culture Cart?
Hi! I thought I should tell you a little bit about the person behind Culture Cart because I know I'm always curious to learn more about people and how they came up with ideas based on their background and experiences. My name is Michelle Tran and one of the reasons I'm so passionate about helping people to build bonds across cultures and faiths is because my parents are refugees from Vietnam. They immigrated to the United States in 1975 and raised my brothers, sisters, and me in Kansas--home of Dorothy, tornadoes, and endless wheat fields that give the state its title of "Breadbasket of America."
Growing up, my education did not begin in kindergarten. My first classes never even took place at a school--they were at home, around the family dinner table. After respectfully asking Dad for a bowl of rice, the conversation would quickly turn to current events--everything from politics to religion was on the menu--and the discussion only commenced once the mango slices had been doled out and the jasmine tea drained.
Much of what I have learned in life and the relationships that I have formed started out around a similar table, a shared meal, and the breaking of bread. In fact, I have always found it appropriate that the words "company" and "companion" stem from the Latin roots of "com" and "panis," or "with bread."
As first generation Vietnamese-American, I always felt like I was on threshold between two different worlds and it has given me a unique perspective on the importance of building bonds across people of different ethnic backgrounds and faiths. When I was 14, I auditioned to be a host for a television program about cultural diversity, called "zygo." I know what you're thinking--Kansas is diverse? To many people's surprise, Kansas is actually very diverse, and becoming more so every day. My parents were part of the first wave of Vietnamese refugees to arrive in the state, but there are now immigrant communities from all over Southeast Asia and the rest of the world. When I hosted "zygo" I interviewed families from all over the map--Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Nigeria, Samoa etc. Hosting this show was truly a joy because I had the opportunity to learn more about the rich diversity in Kansas and help bring that knowledge to the rest of the state.
After graduating from college and completing my Master's degree in Public Policy, I joined the Foreign Service because of my keen interest in international relations. It was a great job and career because I learned a lot about working with people from different cultures and backgrounds, but personal reasons eventually brought me back to the Midwest--this time to Minnesota. I felt like Laura Ingalls Wilder from "Little House on the Prairie" because I was a Kansas girl who made her way up north to Minnesota! I have fallen in love with Minnesota because of its beautiful lakes, parks, and community spirit. People in Minnesota are more civically engaged than anywhere else I have ever been and the community is rich with diversity.
When I saw Challenge III of the MN Idea Open, I was so excited that I sent it out to all the young people that I work with in the community. What a neat contest and way to engage the community in finding solutions to critical issues! Then I started to think about what I wanted to enter as my best idea. At first I thought that a show like "zygo" would be great for Minnesota. But then, I wanted to think of something more creative and more innovative--something that would draw in a broad array of people, even people who might not normally participate in community events or initiatives because of time constraints or other committments. That's when it dawned on me--food trucks! I love food trucks. Every state I go to, I'm always looking for the local food trucks. When I was in Austin, Texas it was Chilantro and in DC my favorite was the Fojol Bros. But I didn't want Culture Cart to be just any old food truck. I wanted it to be more interactive and engage people in an educational opportunity as they wait for their food.
I thought about a sushi making class that I took once where the chef not only showed us how to roll sushi, but also taught us about the origins of sushi. Apparently, a giant earthquake completely demolished the major city in Japan. Construction workers were brought in to help rebuild the city and they needed something quick and easy to eat on their short lunch breaks. Thus, roadside vendors started making sushi. It became pretty popular among the non-working class and they would put various fish in it, like tuna. When sushi was brought over to California, tuna was too expensive so people looked around for something that had a similar texture--thus avocado was added to sushi rolls! Now, avocado is such a popular ingredient in sushi that you can find it all over the world, including in Japan.
I love learning the history of how food has come about and how it has been influenced by different cultures. Food is an integral part of all cultures and faith traditions. I think it is the perfect entry way for people to start a conversation and to learn more about each other. When I hosted "zygo," I had the opportunity to taste Lebanese food for the first time and learn more about where the food originates--and it was amazing! I hope to help provide that same experience for people who go to Culture Cart. Perhaps a lunch at Culture Cart will inspire someone to volunteer for other community events that encourages us to work together across cultures and faiths.
I'm excited to be a semi-finalist in the MN Idea Open and hope to make it to the finalist round so that you can have the opportunity to vote on my idea and help make it a reality. Thanks for joining me on this journey to the creation of Culture Cart, an interactive food truck for everyone!
Growing up, my education did not begin in kindergarten. My first classes never even took place at a school--they were at home, around the family dinner table. After respectfully asking Dad for a bowl of rice, the conversation would quickly turn to current events--everything from politics to religion was on the menu--and the discussion only commenced once the mango slices had been doled out and the jasmine tea drained.
Much of what I have learned in life and the relationships that I have formed started out around a similar table, a shared meal, and the breaking of bread. In fact, I have always found it appropriate that the words "company" and "companion" stem from the Latin roots of "com" and "panis," or "with bread."
After graduating from college and completing my Master's degree in Public Policy, I joined the Foreign Service because of my keen interest in international relations. It was a great job and career because I learned a lot about working with people from different cultures and backgrounds, but personal reasons eventually brought me back to the Midwest--this time to Minnesota. I felt like Laura Ingalls Wilder from "Little House on the Prairie" because I was a Kansas girl who made her way up north to Minnesota! I have fallen in love with Minnesota because of its beautiful lakes, parks, and community spirit. People in Minnesota are more civically engaged than anywhere else I have ever been and the community is rich with diversity.
When I saw Challenge III of the MN Idea Open, I was so excited that I sent it out to all the young people that I work with in the community. What a neat contest and way to engage the community in finding solutions to critical issues! Then I started to think about what I wanted to enter as my best idea. At first I thought that a show like "zygo" would be great for Minnesota. But then, I wanted to think of something more creative and more innovative--something that would draw in a broad array of people, even people who might not normally participate in community events or initiatives because of time constraints or other committments. That's when it dawned on me--food trucks! I love food trucks. Every state I go to, I'm always looking for the local food trucks. When I was in Austin, Texas it was Chilantro and in DC my favorite was the Fojol Bros. But I didn't want Culture Cart to be just any old food truck. I wanted it to be more interactive and engage people in an educational opportunity as they wait for their food.
I thought about a sushi making class that I took once where the chef not only showed us how to roll sushi, but also taught us about the origins of sushi. Apparently, a giant earthquake completely demolished the major city in Japan. Construction workers were brought in to help rebuild the city and they needed something quick and easy to eat on their short lunch breaks. Thus, roadside vendors started making sushi. It became pretty popular among the non-working class and they would put various fish in it, like tuna. When sushi was brought over to California, tuna was too expensive so people looked around for something that had a similar texture--thus avocado was added to sushi rolls! Now, avocado is such a popular ingredient in sushi that you can find it all over the world, including in Japan.
I love learning the history of how food has come about and how it has been influenced by different cultures. Food is an integral part of all cultures and faith traditions. I think it is the perfect entry way for people to start a conversation and to learn more about each other. When I hosted "zygo," I had the opportunity to taste Lebanese food for the first time and learn more about where the food originates--and it was amazing! I hope to help provide that same experience for people who go to Culture Cart. Perhaps a lunch at Culture Cart will inspire someone to volunteer for other community events that encourages us to work together across cultures and faiths.
I'm excited to be a semi-finalist in the MN Idea Open and hope to make it to the finalist round so that you can have the opportunity to vote on my idea and help make it a reality. Thanks for joining me on this journey to the creation of Culture Cart, an interactive food truck for everyone!
Thursday, April 19, 2012
MN Idea Open
To read more about my Culture Cart idea go to: http://www.mnideaopen.org/node/9638?breadcrumb_type=semifinalists
You can even "Like" it or post comments about it by clicking the "Discuss" button--thanks! :-)
You can even "Like" it or post comments about it by clicking the "Discuss" button--thanks! :-)
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Variety is the Spice of Life
"Variety is the very spice of life, That gives it all its flavor." - William Cowper (1785)
MN Idea Open
I can't go to sleep at night because I'm so excited about being one of 25 semi-finalists in the MN Idea Open! MN Idea Open is a contest started by the Minnesota Community Foundation that challenges people across the state to learn about critical issues and develop creative, new solutions to address those issues.
This year's challenge is to think of the best idea to build bonds and work together across cultures and faiths in our community. My idea is to create Culture Cart, an interactive food truck that serves as a vehicle for people to increase their understanding of our diverse community, to foster conversation, and to empower local artists and aspiring entrepreneurs.
Food is an integral part of every culture and faith tradition—and Culture Cart is an innovative way for people to learn about other cultures because it features a rotating menu of cuisine from all over the map and provides information about the featured culture for people to read and watch as they wait for their food.
For example, Vietnamese spring rolls might be on the menu during Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month while sambusas could be dished up during Somali Week. Culture Cart will have a screen that plays videos of dance/music performances or interviews with people from the featured culture, and the truck will be decorated with photos, art, and stories about the featured culture so that people can learn about the traditions of where the food originates. Local artists, schools, and community groups will decorate the truck—thus providing additional chances for people to work across cultures and faiths.
Guest chefs create the menus each month—some may be established chefs and others may be aspiring home cooks. For a fresh twist, two chefs from differing backgrounds will team up to blend together new food fusions, such as kimchi fries. This shows how people of different cultures interact and influence each other’s traditions.
The food truck will have a website, Facebook page, and Twitter account to tweet its location, menu and facts about the featured culture. People online will learn more about different cultures, post questions or videos, and engage in discussions. The “Culture Cart Ambassador” program will provide incentives, such as free meals, for active participants. For example, a "Culture Cart Ambassador" could get a stamp in their "Culture Cart Passport" if they volunteer to help out with an English Language Learner Conversation Circle at one of the local libraries. This stamp could then allow them a free lunch at Culture Cart. There will also be daily trivia questions about the featured culture that allow people an opportunity to get a small discount on their meal.
Culture Cart could be incorporated into a variety of events--from the State Fair to a multicultural soccer tournament. Culture Cart could even host fun contests and events like "Where in the World is Culture Cart?" The food truck will also have a library of board games, like mancala, for people to check out. On each game, there will be a little history about the culture where that game originates.
People may come for the food, but they will also get a dose of the cultures and faiths that make up “Minnesota Spice.”
This year's challenge is to think of the best idea to build bonds and work together across cultures and faiths in our community. My idea is to create Culture Cart, an interactive food truck that serves as a vehicle for people to increase their understanding of our diverse community, to foster conversation, and to empower local artists and aspiring entrepreneurs.
Food is an integral part of every culture and faith tradition—and Culture Cart is an innovative way for people to learn about other cultures because it features a rotating menu of cuisine from all over the map and provides information about the featured culture for people to read and watch as they wait for their food.
For example, Vietnamese spring rolls might be on the menu during Asian-Pacific American Heritage Month while sambusas could be dished up during Somali Week. Culture Cart will have a screen that plays videos of dance/music performances or interviews with people from the featured culture, and the truck will be decorated with photos, art, and stories about the featured culture so that people can learn about the traditions of where the food originates. Local artists, schools, and community groups will decorate the truck—thus providing additional chances for people to work across cultures and faiths.
Guest chefs create the menus each month—some may be established chefs and others may be aspiring home cooks. For a fresh twist, two chefs from differing backgrounds will team up to blend together new food fusions, such as kimchi fries. This shows how people of different cultures interact and influence each other’s traditions.
The food truck will have a website, Facebook page, and Twitter account to tweet its location, menu and facts about the featured culture. People online will learn more about different cultures, post questions or videos, and engage in discussions. The “Culture Cart Ambassador” program will provide incentives, such as free meals, for active participants. For example, a "Culture Cart Ambassador" could get a stamp in their "Culture Cart Passport" if they volunteer to help out with an English Language Learner Conversation Circle at one of the local libraries. This stamp could then allow them a free lunch at Culture Cart. There will also be daily trivia questions about the featured culture that allow people an opportunity to get a small discount on their meal.
Culture Cart could be incorporated into a variety of events--from the State Fair to a multicultural soccer tournament. Culture Cart could even host fun contests and events like "Where in the World is Culture Cart?" The food truck will also have a library of board games, like mancala, for people to check out. On each game, there will be a little history about the culture where that game originates.
People may come for the food, but they will also get a dose of the cultures and faiths that make up “Minnesota Spice.”
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