Women of different generations and ethnicities filled the quaint living room of the Women’s Center on Tuesday to participate in The Food Chain, a monthly event held to help offer faculty and students of color a source of network and support on campus.
Continuing their four-year tradition of monthly luncheons, this month’s celebration belonged to Asian-American women. Among new-comers and continual supporters of this program, the women discussed scenes from the film, The Joy Luck Club. During the hour-long discussion, clips were played to highlight concerns faced by women in this generation. Over a plate of food, a staple at each Food Chain event, the attendees discussed and shared personal insights about their concerns as women of their time.
The clips presented the dynamics within a mother-daughter relationship. Conversation among the women about their own personal relationships with women in their lives, allowed everyone to recognize and notice the importance of having a strong female influence. Whether it is a supportive group of female friends or an encouraging family relative, their strength directly correlates with the strength and confidence found within each woman.
Courtney Aberle, the coordinator for women’s programs at SMU, agreed that a supportive foundation of women is important to the self-assurance of oneself. She encourages young women to continue to seek for that encouraging family of women to help keep a strong identity.
“It’s hard to find that niche where you feel a connection, especially culturally, but I’m lucky to have found my support group through a couple of organizations that I am involved with,” said Jessica Chang, junior Music and Finance major. Cultural connection among the generations past and present is the goal of these monthly meetings where attendees are encouraged to speak openly about their experiences.
Using different clips from the film to move discussion from one topic to the next, the question of preserving ones identity and the continual cycle of submission by women in relationships arose. A general consensus among the women found that the lack of knowing ones worth contributes to the persistent battle with women’s inequality. It is less of a societal issue and more of a historical pattern within the family that must be broken in order to realize one’s ultimate self-worth.
Programs such as The Food Chain are a great source of support for women to acknowledge and become aware of their own power to accomplish. The program has provided both SMU faculty and students a safe haven to discuss issues such as racism, women’s role in society, and the new generation of minorities in America. The candid talk amongst these women about their concerns on the delicate matters brought about a calming sense of connection with one another- a feeling the Women’s Center will continue to try to achieve.
To learn more about the Women’s Center and its programs, please visit their website http://www.smu.edu/womenscenter/index.html or contact Courtney Aberle at 8-4796 or Karen Click at 8-4582. Women’s Center of Southern Methodist University empowers women and men on campus through educational programming and leadership opportunities designed to increase awareness of gender equity issues. Through advocacy, information and referral services, the Women’s Center provides a safe haven for students struggling with issues of injustice and oppression.
