Tornado Project

Items

• Negotiating a Bi-cultural Identity: An Interview with Andy Fuchigami
  The video features an interview with Andy Fuchigami, a Canadian-born member of the Japanese community in London. He grew up in a North American cultural environment, which resulted in him negotiating between two very different cultural identities. The video focuses on his feelings and experiences as a minority at school, leading to his struggle in accepting his Japanese identity. He explains how he avoided making Japanese friends, speaking in Japanese, and even trying to hide his Japanese name. However, Andy’s views have now totally shifted, and he has completely embraced his Japanese cultural identity, owing to some life experiences he has had. He went from having only Caucasian friends to making more Japanese friends, and he now actively participates in Japanese cultural activities in London.
• The German Democratic Republic: Before and Beyond
  This project is an interview with Dr. Nina Rosenbusch, a woman born in the German Democratic Republic (GDR). Rosenbusch was only a teenager when the Berlin Wall fell down in 1989 and so she is part of the generation of Germans who came into adulthood in the newly reunified Germany. This interview seeks to understand the legacy of the GDR’s culture for the citizens of modern Germany. In particular, the discussion focuses on the generation of Rosenbusch’s parents who only knew Germany as two separated states, unlike the generation of Rosenbusch’s grandparents who were able to remember a previously unified Germany. The involvement of the state in daily life is also discussed, with a focus on the German secret police service, called the Stasi. As Rosenbusch’s family did not protest against the state, they were not as affected as some individuals but were nonetheless limited in what they could do and say. Ultimately, the German Reunification was and is very popular in the former GDR, although there are still slight cultural differences and difficulties for those who lived most of their lives before 1989.
• Finding Home: The Waves of Life
  A story about the struggles and hardships that come with moving to multiple countries within a short time period. What does settling mean and where does one find home.
• Exploring Connection and Disconnection to self with Dual Cultural Identities: Canadian and Italian
  The video is focused on the story of John and Marie Meren who are the children of Italian immigrants. John with both of his parents being from Sardinia and Marie being half Canadian. It Starts with brief overview of John’s parent’s immigration story, highlighting where they were from and their motivation to move to Canada (work opportunities). Next the video moves on to focus on John and Marie’s experiences, and how they negotiated their identities in relation to their Canadian and Italian mix. John discusses the languages he was raised with (Italian, Sardinian and English) and Marie explains why she always felt more Canadian and the reasons why she never learnt Italian. They explain how world events like WW2 led to their disconnection from their being Italian at some points. John connects his job as a lawyer and to his Italian heritage. Finally, they talk about the trip they took to Italy and how it impacted them and helped to define their connection with being Italian