Ethnic Studies of the Kurdish People by Tavee

Ethnic Studies of the Kurdish People by Tavee - February 2022 Scholarship Essay

If I had the opportunity to design a new elective class, I would decide to make an Ethnic Studies of the Kurdish People elective. The Kurds are the largest ethnic group without a country of their own. I, being a Kurd myself, would like to spread more information and light about the Kurds through education. This class would be beneficial to students because it will enlighten them about a region that has gone through hardship and betrayal over and over, even today. My story is very similar to the millions of other Kurds in the world. Our struggle should be known so that our history doesn’t die.
In 1992, my parents came into the United States as refugees from a war-torn country. My parents are from Kurdistan, Iraq, and left when dictator, Saddam Hussein, and his army were attacking the Kurdish people. I was born and raised here in San Diego, California. I grew up hearing stories about my parents being forced to leave their home country with everything behind to simply exist. My parents did not come to America for the sole purpose of giving my little sister and me a chance for a better life. Instead, my parents were forced to drop everything, leave their families behind, and start a brand new life in a foreign country with no support. Living in America as a first-generation is already extremely difficult, but it is more challenging when you are Kurdish. Kurdish people are the largest ethnic group without a country of their own. There are roughly 45 million Kurds worldwide. Growing up, it was difficult to see any kind of representation of Kurdish people. In my history classes, my teachers never spoke of Kurds. My classmates and peers didn't even know who Kurds were. I was one of the few Kurds to attend my high school, middle school, and elementary school. Kurdish people are not usually represented and that is what makes us resilient. We fight for our independence and we always embrace our culture. Due to our history as a semi-stateless minority group in the Middle East without loyal allies, the Kurdish proverb, "No Friends But The Mountains" is used to describe our feelings of betrayal, alienation, and isolation. In my own life, I've witnessed the marginalization that Kurdish people confront. In 2017, I attended the Kurdish referendum rally in downtown San Diego. 93% voted yes towards the separation from Iraq. Unfortunately, those efforts were completely demolished as other countries were not in support. As a Kurd, I had hoped that this referendum would contribute to the progression of Kurds, but in reality, it pushed us further back. More recently, the Trump administration was responsible for abandoning the Kurds in Syria, which allowed the invasion of the Turkish military in the Kurdish region of Syria. This has once again resulted in thousands of displaced Kurds. These particular events validate the ongoing Kurdish struggle. By investing in education, I aspire to one day become a valuable asset to my people, educate others, and bring an end to the Kurdish conflict.
The way I would design this elective would be in parts. For the first semester, I would have it be researched based. For homework, students would take notes on short readings about the background of the Kurdish people and what they did throughout history. When it comes to in-class learning, students would be given in-class lectures where they would have to take notes. Along with these notes, they would highlight the information they saw in their homework that was also present in the lecture. This is so they know that they’re taking good notes and understanding the material. For the second semester I would stray away from research but of course, still have it here and there. Students would use their previous knowledge of the background of the Kurds and apply it to projects. These projects include: interviewing Kurds, attending Kurdish events like Newroz, creating learning games like Kahoots, and getting hands-on with Kurdish culture and its aspects. The best way of learning and applying something is from the source itself. Interacting with Kurdish communities would be one of the best learning options for maximum knowledge. Not only is it learning more about the culture, but students would be able to get hands-on experience with multiple cultural aspects and traditions.