From Kolkata to Academia: A New Beginning听
Chandrima鈥疨owers’鈥痵tory begins in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), India, where she was the only child born to Hindu Bengali parents. Despite her鈥痯arents’鈥痳eligious background, she found her鈥痮wn鈥痵piritual path in Christianity during her early school years, coming to faith in the sixth grade.听
This personal transformation was the first of many profound changes that would shape her life. Her journey to the United States in 2007, driven by a desire for higher education,鈥痬arked the start of鈥痑 new chapter. She pursued a鈥痬aster鈥檚鈥痑nd a Ph.D. before eventually joining 海角在线 (海角在线), as Associate Professor of Psychology. She was attracted by the university鈥檚 Christian values and academic offerings that aligned perfectly with her expertise.听
At 海角在线, Dr. Chandrima Powers found a community that鈥痭ot only welcomed her but also鈥痗elebrated her unique background.鈥疭he recalls the significant impact of her initial interactions, where colleagues and students embraced her with open arms, even praying over her鈥攁 gesture of inclusion and respect that deeply touched her.鈥�听
鈥淚 really liked how it felt – the Christian environment,鈥� she says. 鈥淧eople were welcoming, and I remember they prayed over me, all gathering together. It was such a beautiful experience. It was like nothing I had experienced at other Christian universities,鈥� she reflects.鈥疶his acceptance鈥痺as a stark contrast to鈥痵ome of her previous experiences in academia, where she faced ignorance and exclusion outside her immediate department.听
Celebrating Cultural Diversity: Teaching and Learning听
In her role as鈥痑 professor at 海角在线, Professor Powers uses the opportunity during her lectures to share aspects of her cultural heritage, particularly in classes like social psychology. She leverages her鈥痯ersonal鈥痚xperiences to illustrate the differences between individualistic and collectivist cultures, enriching her鈥痵tudents鈥� understanding of global perspectives.鈥�听
“What does that actually鈥痬ean? So,鈥痝iving鈥痚xamples,鈥痶hey’re鈥痳eally鈥痠nterested in it,”鈥痵he explains, highlighting the curiosity and engagement of her students.听
A Vision for the Future: Advocacy and Awareness听
Despite the overwhelming positive experience, Dr. Chandrima Powers acknowledges the subtle challenges of living between two cultures. She points out that even well-meaning actions can sometimes perpetuate stereotypes or biases. 听
鈥�“But honestly, even with the best intentions, we sometimes have implicit biases, implicit stereotypes that we are not even aware of.”鈥�听
She urges everyone to consider鈥痶he impact of their actions and to鈥痚ngage in open dialogues to foster better understanding and respect.听
听鈥淔or example, when assigning tasks, one might think they are helping by not assigning challenging tasks to women, assuming they might not handle them well. This well-intended action can inadvertently reinforce stereotypes and may overlook an individual’s capabilities. It can be the same when approaching people from different cultures. It is important to recognize that even actions meant to be kind can have unintended consequences, especially when they stem from our unrecognized biases.”听
As AAPI Heritage Month unfolds, Dr. Powers hopes that it will be a time for reflection on the nuanced realities of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. Her message is one of awareness and advocacy, urging people to look beyond surface-level interactions and understand the deep-rooted cultural dynamics at play.鈥�听
