 I believe that we need to have the conversation of culture, because we have so much to share. Culture is not only inside, but outside. Our culture is really what, you know, it's really who we are. And so by us having the opportunity of sharing who we are with other people, it is so important to be able then to let others know, but also to be able to share our history. Because it's not just us, it is all the hundreds and thousands of people that have been part of our culture before us. I believe the way that we can appreciate someone else's culture is by appreciating ours first and to be comfortable with ours, and then allowing other cultures to be themselves. I believe that by knowing other cultures, we become better people, because then we can level the playing field, because it's not just us, but it's an all-inclusive we together. I believe we take this conversation back to the community by doing events like today, by also talking to, first, our families and making sure that we're comfortable in having these conversations within our own families, and then taking it out into the different circles where we work and we play. You know, we've been talking about culture, and culture can be so many different things. And I'd like to speak about the financial culture, about financial wellness, and the culture of financial wellness. And so what do I believe, or what would I dream for the future? What would it bring in our community? What would it be in our community? It would be the leveling of the financial playing field, that everyone would be inclusive, having access to credit, having access to information about what makes a good decision with dollars and with money. When I was growing up, we really didn't have those kinds of conversations at our kitchen table. In our family, we never talked about the stock market. We didn't talk about savings accounts. What we did talk about was our families. We talked about our relatives. We talked about who we are and what made us important as a family. But I wish you would have talked about money as well. So when we talk about future, that's what I hope, is that we can level the financial playing field. That's an interesting question. What kind of wisdom would I want someone in the future to know about our present? I'm hoping that it's more of that generation was looking towards something to change. That we, as they look back from that future to what we are now, is that they saw a place that people were asking the right questions. And more importantly that we were listening to one another and not accepting our own truth to be the only truth. I think at this moment in 2016, we're living in very tumultuous times when it comes to people communicating about their beliefs and their belief system. So as it stands today, that is one of the most important reasons why we need a conversation about culture so that we can come to some sort of common ground and understanding to be able to move forward from these often times vitriolic times. I think the key thing is listening, being able to sit down and listen to the stories that people have to share with one another, where they come from, but also the anecdotes. Not only the struggles and the trials and tribulations, but the assets, the beauty that their culture possesses. I think when you listen to those things more and more, you start to realize that there's a lot of commonality. So listening is important so that you can absorb as much as you can. But I think the key thing is having conversations that are comfortable, gathering people, you know, in Spanish we call them platicas, right? The family sits down on Sundays, sits over la mesa, some pan dulce, and has conversation with the family. I think that's really key is starting in very comfortable environments where we can have sometimes these charged conversations, but in a comfortable space where people feel like they can speak their mind, be listened to and respected. I think that's the key first step, followed by events like this, larger events. My hope is that we don't need moments like this where a big part of the catalyst for these conversations are the trials. My hope is that in the future these are conversations to hold on to the distinctions between our cultures and communities, but also to look into the future and what we can create together. In other words, looking at the beauty of our cultures and the distinctions and not the impetus being why those distinctions are maybe negative, but really looking at coming together and creating a really unified fabric and for the youth I think that's really important for young children at a young age to be able to feel that comfort level at their younger ages. Listen to one another, communicate and be creative. I think with those three key things we'll be able to really create 50 years from now, 100 years from now, communities that is not only diverse, but a community that is really looking to other issues and I think that those things are what, for those generations, for your generations, are going to be really exciting. Very good question ma'am, being part of a minority, it is the realization that just like you would want to have your own culture appreciated, it gives you the tremendous energy to appreciate the other cultures to be treated the same way and the diversity is just the nature on how the Lord created us with various religious boundaries or country boundaries that just we believe is by design of the Lord and we appreciate it as a beauty and so that understanding itself perhaps leads to let me explore the world around me just like we are in a scientific world exploring the different species to the various beauty of the nature all the way from galaxy down to the microorganisms, so is the by design, the variety among us, we are all individual yet the essence is perhaps the same. The conversation back into the community is first to get community involvement just like I'm making the effort here today and thanks to the Institute of Textual Culture in providing that platform in the cross-culture dialogue, giving us an avenue to educate about our culture as well as learn from the others and that's the perfect way to engage and we truly believe that education is the key to solution of a lot of issues which may have perhaps been set by differences. There are more common grounds than the differences which help us. There is hope to be united. I come from India which is the largest democracy which is amazing. I've now spent more of my half-life here in U.S. but it's amazing to see the unity in that country of so much diverse culture, so many languages, so many faiths but it's all under one democratic rule to a billion plus population and so is U.S. who has embraced us as immigrants way back in having the same principles and there's so much in common and so that possibility absolutely exists and both United States and India have that proven to the rest of the world. So I am a learner. I'll try to share my two cents. By definition of a Sikh is a disciple which is an ever-learning journey of the gurus or the prophet or the person who has the right wisdom. Having the right connection with the right person who provides the right wisdom is the blessing which I personally believe and so here's my two cents. There's a radical idea which, not a radical, but a beautiful idea which came into the mind and how we can solve and unite people in a mathematical equation if I can explain how unity can be defined in mathematically. So it's by nature of a human. We all understand what one is. It's a simplest number one can embrace and we all as individuals are one who have been sent to the planet. We all were born the same way it doesn't matter which country which religion. We're starting as one. The Lord created really two diversity, man and women and if man and women were not designed biologically to mate and love each other we wouldn't be simply multiplying but that was the only two difference which were created which were by design united. Now we as individuals, our nature is that as and how we find other individuals around us they are, we naturally start to add just like here in this community if you're about 100 people today that's one plus one plus one plus one two equal to 100 roughly and these are the attendees of the Institute of Texan culture. We may take it further and say well they're 101.5 million in San Antonio but it's a natural tendency to keep on adding to perhaps get to the right side of the equation which is the infinity. One plus one plus one plus one we keep on going and we end up to the infinity. However we end up dividing the left side of the equation in different brackets which I call the boundaries. These boundaries can be based on religion, understanding, culture, faith, school system, democratic, republican, you name it there are n number of ways to define that bracket and you could be one that locked in that bracket for a moment of time when you are representing that bracket to the rest of the world. But still we are about 7 billion ones on the left side and perhaps the right side of the equation would be 7 billion or maybe infinity if you were to have the universe. All I request, all it takes in the equation is to change the operator and realize the power of one. How? Plus is like this, just simply turn it a little bit, have a prison of unity and now it becomes multiplied. Now you look at the equation one times one times one times one times one times one times one times one times one. No matter how many number ones exist on the left side on your right side you'll end up with one. That's the power of one. What has left side revealed in a multiply equation is one times infinity that's the power of infinity which you still end up with the same one lord, the same one being which is on your right side which is one. All it took is a little change in the operator in our thinking, it's all in the mind and you just happen to realize the most powerful, beautiful equation for oneness. Well, I'm sorry, for me culture at one point in time back in the 70s there wasn't a lot of conversation about culture, maybe because it just wasn't the right time or a lot of groups that intermingled with each other, but to me I attribute a lot of it to the Texas Folklife Festival, they brought an awareness to the community of all the cultures that are part of Texas, which you become interested in knowing what are the values each group has, what are the arts and crafts and it becomes such an interesting topic, I find it's important for all of us to know and be aware of each other's heritage. Also I think when we get out of our homes, out of our communities, you know, we grow up in a small environment and we just know us and then as we become involved in school, in the community, in the church family, then we get to know other people. When I grew up in the small town of about 600 here in South Texas and all I knew was white, brown and one black, that's what I did community have. It was when I went to work in the hospital that I got to know this Filipino group, this other group, and we communicated through food. We had potlucks, you know, just like here. I tend to agree with both of you. In fact, I also grew up here in San Antonio, Texas, as well as listening to my parents talk about their own cultures and you are correct. We only knew about, you know, Anglo-Saxons, Hispanics, Chinese and my mother grew up in Christos City, Texas and so she was involved in the farmland there and she tells me how she grew up where she couldn't speak Spanish at all in school and prohibited from speaking. So I feel that, yes, it is important that we should know of each other's culture because in life we want to leave a legacy to others. Yeah, for me, I'm happy that I'm here today because I agree with everything. I mean, I like what I hear here but I came exactly for a specific point related to me in person. So I thought maybe when I was here about this, I said, okay, this is maybe my time to come and let's talk about my issue which is I am actually an Iraqi refugee and I am a former Muslim. I've been converted in my country to Christianity and then I came here as a Christian but the thing is I love everybody surrounding me and they are here in San Antonio especially they don't see any problem. I mean, they don't mind if I am here to be anything but the thing is actually, I'm sorry to say it this way, I have noticed from my own people a kind of, I would not say a kind of, not everybody but some who they kind of separated me. I mean, let's say when I go to certain group for the refugees, I start to feel a kind of isolated. So I saw myself, I'm glad I'm here, I'm happy but it's an opportunity here to say specifically this point of mind. Thank you. I think if we give importance, if we value people and we should value their culture too and I think it's important, otherwise there's really not any meaning to believe in different countries or to deal with different people but I don't know, I think it's really very important and I was so happy that when I was in Michigan there were some people of, I mean, they were my American friend but they were kind of celebrating my either religious celebrations like Christmas or things like that. So I think it's very important and when you see that person who you are dealing with is also trying to understand your culture and after that you can become more open to those people and what I think what really brings those cultural conversations, I mean, at the end you see that that person, even though you had a lot of prejudices, I mean, has a lot of common things because we all are human beings and we live in this world so we value family, we value, we like food, right? I think it's very important. Can I talk about myself? I'm sorry, excuse me. I feel if, back again to my certain people, I mean, I'm talking about the refugees they came with me because they are kind of still under the cultural shock maybe but by time, my message is that by time let your children, maybe not you but let your children adapt themselves to this culture and let them be free, really free not just to enjoy the benefit of freedom in difference and then when it comes to a specific point you say, alright, let them be free in everything but not about this, so please, I wish those parents or grandparents who they have now, these kids and babies, let them for the future be open to any discussion let them be anything, like in any religion, not just to enjoy the rest of the freedoms. Thank you again. I think she's talked about the festival that we have here at the institute. One of the things I like to do is with my family. I belong to a huge family. When they come visit me and they like to come visit, spend some time during spring break or during the vacation time, I bring them here, I bring them to the festival, I take them to LBJ Ranch, I take them to different places in Texas that are different for them and this exposes them to other ways of living. I've never gone to a Muslim church, I've never gone to something like that but we had that here, we had the exhibit here and we had the speakers come to speak to us so we got to know this way. But I think it's us starting with our families, our groups and then one of the things we do here is we serve as volunteers to tour children that come that want to see and hear about the different cultures that establish Texas. So I think it's doing our part a little bit but it goes a long way. The group is set at home. That's where you have to make the children aware because if we don't continue what we know now and it just drops, it fades away and then there's more questions on, well who's that group? I've been to places or big major cities where one group lives here, they don't ever go down the street and cross and we're not like that in Texas. We're totally different or in San Antonio. Everybody says hi, everybody's hugging everybody and we just all get to know each other and you got to just work with the children so that they will know the proper way and know about all these different religions and foods and cultures so that's why they're our future. Exactly and it's very important because I was listening to the conversations here and the way I would communicate this is at home first of all. Telling my own children that we're here, yes, with a different color skin, yes, but we talk, we dress differently but we need to be a community together so then in actuality I'm very blessed to work at an elementary school and this gentleman here to my left said let children just live and learn and love because when they come into those doors they don't know about the color of your skin, they just take you as who you are and they give you the love and I nurture those students. I teach these students to become who they are and who they will become one day. That changes them. That's what it takes, that's what it takes. I think you're right, we should definitely pass this conversation starting at our home, we should tell our kids that we should respect to everyone. That's actually, one of my daughters, she is third grade now but I was trying to talk about her, I'm trying to tell our religion and things like that but she all the time gets so curious about what the people believe. She is just eight years old but she is so curious and I'm saying you can go and discuss but I always tell her that if they say something different than what I'm saying you should be okay, do not feel bad, this is what the people are thinking so you should be respectful, so I'm trying to teach her to be respectful to everybody like every belief or whatever. I think it really starts at home. I want our children to have the opportunity to be educated so that they can learn skills so that they can support themselves, support their families and also not only have that kind of education but also have the values from home that guide them once they live home because they will. They have those values that have come from the parents and from the family and from the grandparents that makes them who they are because that's who I am today. I am my grandmothers, my grandfathers, that's who I am but it's changed, it's evolved through all the different experiences that I've had and of course my faith is most important and I think this has to be critical for our kids not just to get educated, not just to make a good living but also to have a faith that is good there. And grandparents play such an important role, they were very influential without even realizing how much and I like to see the children get off the iPads and at my house, at the dinner table, no phones or good rings, they will call back. They used to on the rotary phones years ago, they call back. So they will call back and don't worry about it, you know but to get off those phones and get more personal if there's someone at school, the kids, talk to that little person in your room and get to know who they are, get to know what they're like and so many of them now, it's wonderful modern technology but they're getting so cut off and so as a grandmother, I just figured it's my job parents are very busy and all that so it's my job to say, hey, put that down over here let's look at a book, let's read, let's do... I would say to children just exactly what these two young beautiful women said that we have to talk to our parents because parents gave us experience we learned from them we also learned from teachers when we were growing up however, we need to have time to read because I do see that it is very vital for children to pick up a book and begin reading I graduated from UTSA in 2009 I was blessed I was born and raised in Edgewood ISD and I'm very passionate because I was one of so many in my family that wouldn't have been able to make it and I was blessed because I did but the only thing that I do would like to see more of is for children to know about the different, you know, heritages that we have in life because they do not know of them they're too busy involved with electronics and it's a shame that they can't just have a peaceful sit-down, peaceful talk and discover who are you and I don't mean to interrupt because you've got a valid point but sometimes for them to know about their own culture they don't even know their own culture sometimes on what are the specific foods or the language and that is what we need to teach them because as a community, you know, they're being lost because they're too busy doing other things and not calling grandma You know what they'll call grandma? When it's time to do the family training That's right, you're right Family training Then you get called because they want to know they've not been curious before but now they have to know about the assignment They get to a point My hope is that the parents, the grandparents, the grandmothers give more time to the kids because sometimes, as adults we are the ones who are busy so that's why the kids go for the parents sometimes So I would love that to see that the parents the grandmothers, the mother give from their time more for their children because I don't know I feel that many kids, they need their parents but those parents are so busy and I would love to see the whole culture give more time to the kids I think the children in the future I'd really expect them to be a more critical thinker I don't really want them to accept anything that is being told to them They should really question them and they should try to understand them like making some questioning and interpreting in their own brain so hopefully it's going to make our I don't know, the whole world much beautiful because I think the future becomes much better if we have people, if we have those young kids who got education but it's not just only pure education like education with wisdom I think it's very important and they should be critical thinker Exactly Love your elders Love education and most importantly, love God because without faith without family without the learning you know, that is unity and the spice of life is the community that different heritage heritage come together It's actually my kids that everyone who ever belongs to whatever culture is I think they should know how to cook their so they don't sandwich from their culture This is really my concern I am really, I don't know, considered by my kids they are going to cook some Turkish food in the future, but who knows, you know Right I would want them to follow their dreams I would want them to not try to be what someone else is but who is that individual and how can I live out who I am regardless of whether it's now And I would like to see for them to go back if I had grandchildren 50 years from now, come back look and see what Grandma Kraus did for different events and activities look to your future but look what you came from what past where your roots were and don't forget about those people we made a lot of beautiful advances along the way I think about my grandparents, but learn and move and keep it all together in a little shell right in your heart Grandmothers teach your children I'm not sure how to cook What I want them to know about us is that we very much thought about our past and plan for our future and that it's thoughtful and purposeful and as you hear me say a lot design means purpose design means that you're really taking many things into account and so here we have a city that is rich in history, it's rich in culture it's rich in diversity and that I think is the city of the future. We already call ourselves the city of tomorrow in that this is what the United States is destined to look like and my hope is that in the future we say this is truly as I stated earlier today cities cannot nurture what they do not honor and so that is exactly what we learned tonight. I really believe that this city is on a pathway to something really great and the great history that we have is a lesson to all of us about the great future we can have as well. I love it. Thank you.