S haista Kazmi, a Michigan local, was taking care of her elderly mother-in-law and father when she realized that she could use some help. How- ever, when she called local senior service agencies, she realized there was a problem: the services being provided didn’t meet their cultural needs. Kazmi took initiative to found the company Apna Ghar, Urdu for “Your Home,” which provides homec- are services catered to those from South Asian and Middle Eastern back- grounds in Michigan. One of the projects that Apna Ghar has been working on recently is pro- viding cultural food with nutritional value to homebound seniors. When Kazmi spoke to Meals on Wheels, a senior service that delivers food to the elderly, she found that “they were aware that there were some cultural and religious issues and the halal meats are taken care of in Dearborn.” Howev- er, what she “had to explain to them was that their palate was very different.” Fortunately, Apna Ghar is planning to work with Meals on Wheels to fill some of these gaps to allow these seniors to use these resources that should be more readily available to them. They are a part of this community. As Kazmi says, many of them worked and raised fami- lies here, and thus, their cultural differ- ences shouldn’t make them unable to attain the same services as others. “We’re just trying to get local agen- cies to hear their voice because I don’t think their voice was being heard and their needs were being met,” Kazmi mentioned. Though local senior ser- vices are likely happy to accommodate this elderly population, they are often unaware of their needs, or that these needs even exist. This lack of cultural awareness is a problem that’s present in many social, work and school environments and needs to be addressed at every level. In my daily interactions at school with my colleagues, or even with some school faculty, I sometimes find that lack of cultural awareness. To clarify, I don’t expect people to understand everything about my cultural, reli- gious and socioeconomic background. To fully understand every culture and subculture is impossible, but what I do expect is for people to understand how to speak in a way that is culturally sensi- tive and to think in a way that is cultur- ally aware. I often find that some people who have questions are too afraid to ask because they’re unsure of exactly what words to use. I expect people to take something new that they learn about my culture as a learning opportunity as opposed to something to ridicule. That’s what I expect at the Univer- sity, and often I do find people with those qualities. I acknowledge that the University is making efforts to fix some of these problems by re-evaluating the race and ethnicity requirement and cre- ating an Intergroup Relations minor. I acknowledge that the University is also trying to incorporate halal food in the dining halls to accommodate Mus- lim students and that they try to com- municate with students from different backgrounds to accommodate a range of student needs. However, I also do not feel that the University itself strives enough to educate its stu- dents and faculty on cultural aware- ness, which could then be translated into the work- place. This would hopefully also improve campus climate, but only if done effectively by addressing the real gaps. Instead of the race and ethnicity requirement being a class that focuses on a single culture, there should be a requirement that educates students on how to conduct themselves in a way that is culturally aware. This could include appropriate language use, American demographics and how to differentiate between stereotypes and realities. How- ever, this is something that professors should also keep in mind when teach- ing about a specific culture or speaking to a student of a different background. It should be a part of training or orienta- tion so that these gaps are filled. The University is just one example of where this should be implement- ed. Although cultural awareness is important in every situation and should be taught to students across many ages and workers in all occupa- tions, it’s something we should strive for, to create a shift so that people appreciate diversity rather than shy away from it. —Rabab Jafri can be reached at rfjafri@umich.edu. Unsigned editorials reflect the official position of the Daily’s editorial board. All other signed articles and illustrations represent solely the views of their authors. EMMA KERR EDITOR IN CHIEF AARICA MARSH EDITORIAL PAGE EDITOR DEREK WOLFE MANAGING EDITOR 420 Maynard St. Ann Arbor, MI 48109 tothedaily@umich.edu Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan since 1890. 4 Thursday, July 30, 2015 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com OPINION If implemented, these bills would require employers to take on a greater role in the welfare of their female employ- ees by informing them, and female applicants, of repro- ductive health care coverage. This would allow women to make more informed deci- sions regarding their health- care and place of employment. Given the increased employer oversight in contraception and reproductive rights for their female employees, a possible result could be discrimination against women. This bill, how- ever, anticipates and accounts for this possibility by including a provision that would prevent discrimination by employers against women based on their birth control. The state would also have to take on a larger role in wom- en’s reproductive health under this legislation. Particularly, the state would have to spread information about emergency contraception and ensure that emergency contraceptives are available to rape victims. These efforts toward better access to birth control are important considering the introduction of this set of bills comes after a large decrease in state funding for family planning in Michi- gan; between fiscal years 2001 and 2012, state funding for pregnancy prevention fell 91.6 percent. According to the Mich- igan Department of Health, this decrease in state aid correlates with an increase in unintended pregnancies; over this time period, the rate of pregnan- cies that were unintended for women ages 15-19 rose from 72.4 percent to 82.1 percent. These bills, through increased family planning funding that prioritizes education about and access to contraception, would reverse this trend. By enabling more people to avoid the financial difficulties that come with unintended pregnancies, the cost of an abortion or the cost of rais- ing a child, these bills would help create more financially stable individuals, families and communities. Needless to say, passing this legislation has overwhelming, undeniable Incorporating other cultures RABAB JAFRI FROM THE DAILY Better family planning Bills in Michigan legislature important for contraceptive access O n July 22, Rep. Winnie Brinks (D–Grand Rapids), chairwoman of the Progressive Women’s Legislative Caucus, introduced a package of bills aimed at creating better access to birth control and decreasing unintended pregnancies. These bills would, among other things, make emergency contraceptives available to rape victims and make it illegal for employers to discriminate against women based on their use of contraceptives. This proposed legislation should be passed, as it is a long overdue step toward leveling the playing field for women. “This lack of cultural awareness is a problem in many social, work and school environments.” CONTRIBUTE TO THE CONVERSATION Readers are encouraged to submit letters to the editor and viewpoints. Letters should be fewer than 300 words while viewpoints should be 550-850 words. Send the writer’s full name and University affiliation to tothedaily@michigandaily.com.