FAYETTEVILLE -- The inclusive nature of a small neighborhood parade altered Fulbright scholar Sima Niro's perspective of Fourth of July festivities and American culture, she said.
She watched children dressed in red, white and blue ride bikes alongside dogs in patriotic collars. Parents in tie-dyed T-shirts led children along the street and waved Americans flags, and a man riding in the back of a red pickup shouted "Welcome to America" and "Happy Fourth of July."
Niro, a Fulbright scholar from Baghlan, Afghanistan, knew why Americans valued the holiday, but she didn't know they would allow her to celebrate with them, she said.
"It was very friendly. They included everyone," Niro said.
Niro arrived in the U.S. a couple of weeks ago to begin a program for Fulbright scholars at the Spring International Language Center, an English and cross-cultural education school affiliated with the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Staff members matched her and 23 other Fulbright scholars with Arkansans to experience the holiday firsthand, said Bethany Peevy, student services coordinator for the Spring International Language Center.
The center receives grants from the Fulbright Scholar Program, an academic program sponsored by the U.S. Department of State's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, to organize programs in Fayetteville, Peevy said.
This summer they are participating in a Fulbright pre-academic conference that allows scholars to spend six weeks in Fayetteville to learn English and become acquainted with American culture, preparing them for graduate programs at universities across the country.
The center has partnered with UA to match families with international students for Thanksgiving, but Wednesday marked the first time students in the program have experienced the Fourth of July, Peevy said.
On Wednesday morning, Niro met Jhonnie and Bob Taylor, a Fayetteville couple who volunteered to host students during the holiday.
The Taylors started welcoming international students into their home in 1998 and have met new students almost every year since then, Jhonnie Taylor said. Pushpins stick out of a world map inside their home, documenting all the places where their international students have come from.
Holiday celebrations in Niro's home country consist of family celebrations, and sometimes neighbors will join in, but involving an international student is unheard of, she said. It's also rare for anyone other than men to participate in public celebrations.
"It was something very special," Niro said of her experience Wednesday. "They are open, and they involve their wives and their pets also."
Sarah Mohammad from Baghdad and Rajendu Sulochana from India also spent the day with the Taylors, starting with the neighborhood parade.
"The whole experience is really exciting for us," Mohammad said. "Every day is another adventure."
The Spring International Language Center has also received grants from the Mexican government to arrange programs for Mexican teachers, Peevy said. This year the center matched 17 teachers from Mexico with Arkansas families and individuals for the holiday, Peevy said.
Fayetteville resident Susan Patton, director of the Eleanor Mann School of Nursing at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, had never hosted international students in her home until this Fourth of July, she said. Patton and her husband spent the day with teachers Maria Luisa Martinez from Coahuila, Mexico, and Antonio Garcia Popoca from Mexico City.
"We like to travel, and the best experiences we have when we travel is when we can get with someone in their home or learn more about the culture rather than just being a tourist," Patton said. "I think it's nice to give back and help create that experience for someone else."
Martinez, Popoca and the Pattons also began their day with a neighborhood parade in Rogers, then went shopping, made tortillas and spent the evening grilling outdoors, Patton said.
"It was totally new for me, but I loved it," Martinez said. "It was an experience I will never forget."
Hearing people recite the Pledge of Allegiance and sing "The Star-Spangled Banner" created a "magic moment" for Popoca, he said. He appreciated the parade's welcoming atmosphere and the residents' enthusiasm for Popoca and Martinez's attendance.
"In Mexico we have heard a lot of things from President [Donald] Trump, so coming here and being welcomed, accepted and respected was so great," Popoca said.
Popoca had been to the U.S. multiple times as a tourist, but returning as a student has been a unique experience, he said.
"This is a great opportunity to know more about the culture in America, and not just as a tourist -- as a guest," he said.
Metro on 07/05/2018