#001: About Ingeniously Inclusive

The Perils of Being An Outsider

Being on the outside, not fitting in and unintentionally standing out are familiar situations. Every speech or action seemed to attract dramatic reactions, which could be adoration, or envy. As the Japanese say,

The nail that stands out gets pounded down, (出る釘は打たれる, deru kugi wa utareru)

As a Third Culture Kid, I've grown into a Globalised Adult; it was a difficult journey. Since young, I had always been an outsider, the only woman among men, the only junior among seniors, or the only ethnically Chinese among Caucasians or any other majority ethnic group.

Through the school of hard-knocks, learning to adapt and integrate in different cultural environments became second nature. No longer was I worried about saying or doing the wrong things. No longer did I fear criticism or isolation. Meeting, connecting, talking and collaborating with people from diverse background became exciting and enjoyable. This was especially the case, now that I'm in my second year in the Psychology of Intercultural Relations, with ISCTE-IUL in Portugal.

The alchemy of people and experiences of work, life, and academia resulted in KulturKraft, a platform about the psychology of culture and society, and Ingeniously Inclusive, a fortnightly newsletter.

By exploring science-based theories and practices, together, we can create a movement for ingenious inclusion.

Why Ingeniously Inclusive?

Ingenious means new, original or inventive.

Inclusive means differences are accepted and embraced. Equal opportunities are the norm.

Everyone matters.

In this journey of cultivating an inclusive society, inevitably, people will make mistakes. Nobody knows everything. And, people have the right to make mistakes, learn from them and become better because of it.

Ingeniously Inclusive means the continuous effort to experiment and learn ways to bridge differences, discover diversity, and create a society of safety and belonging.

Unfamiliar with the Chinese New Year? Anxious about moving to a new country? Or paralysed by a cross-cultural misunderstanding turned to conflict.

Ingeniously Inclusive will explore and discover ways to tackle uncertain inter-cultural situations and overcome diversity challenges. Together.

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Culturally Cool Stuff

If you've got a cool site or link about culture, diversity, equity or inclusion, share it with us!

• Forgetting My First Language,  article (9 min), Jenny Liao, New Yorker
• How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love Discussing Race, video (11 min), Jay Smooth, TEDx Hampshire College
• The Culture Inside, podcast (56 min), Yowei Shaw & Kia Miakka Natisse, Invisibilia.

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