Cultural Diversity at St. Michael's: Interview One (By Hannah Haas '22)

INTERVIEW WITH MELINA USTINOV
 
HANNAH: Tell me a little bit about your cultural background.
 
MELINA: I’m half Russian and half Brazilian. My mom is Brazilian and from Rio de Janeiro, and my dad is Russian from Vladivostok. The mix of cultures created a really unique household environment since my dad would speak Russian to me while my mom speaks Portuguese, and their cultural backgrounds are completely different, too; so their ideas about things are different.
 
HANNAH: Has there been a conflict with those two different cultures?
 
MELINA: Not really. I believe that my parents really tried to foster a love of culture in me while I was young but also tried not to force it on me. They just gave me the ideas so that I could make my own decisions later. I basically got the best of both worlds.
 
HANNAH: How often do you go to the countries?
 
MELINA: I went to Russia when I was a baby and then again when I was six. Not recently, but I still remember a few moments here and there. Then Brazil, the first time I went was when I was eight and then again at twelve, so that’s a little more recent.
HANNAH: What was your favorite parts about the countries?
 
MELINA: I love how open and free they are in Brazil. You just see people dancing on the sidewalk without caring about the others around them, and they just always look like they’re having fun. The nightlife is also really big there. If you just look out your window, you’ll see people walking back from parties and stuff like that. Not the safest, I admit, but there’s just always something happening. There’s life there. Whereas Russia, it’s totally different. It’s shut down compared to them, it’s just this quiet where you can concentrate on yourself and focus on what you’re feeling instead of getting distracted by everything that’s happening around you. There’s not much to look at where my dad is from, though. I mean, the most substantial thing there is a bridge. So yeah, looking into yourself for Russia and looking outward for Brazil.
 
HANNAH: That’s really interesting! What’s your favorite Brazilian or Russian food?
 
MELINA: For Brazilian, I make these desserts called brigadeiros.
 
HANNAH: Wait, I think I’ve had those before.

MELINA: Yep, I made it for you. You make it with condensed milk, chocolate powder, and you can put sprinkles on it if you want… but it’s like a chocolate caramel truffle that’s gooier. For Russian food, it’s definitely pierogis. It’s just a meatball in a pasta envelope. You can put pepper or butter on it after it’s done… Gosh, I really miss it. I wish I could eat it now.
 
HANNAH: Me, too. Switching gears, do you feel like you belong to one nationality over the other? This also includes being American. If so, do you ever feel conflicted about your identity?
 
MELINA: I’m always conflicted about my identity. As I said, I’m very open to everything, but I don’t know how to identify myself because culturally, I practice a lot of American things, but at home, I practice a lot of Brazilian and Russian things, though it’s is very watered down because I live here.
 
HANNAH: So, do you feel like you try to hide those cultural parts of yourself, or are you okay with being mostly American?
 
MELINA: I actually struggle, because I almost forget that I have all these cultures within me since I basically look like everyone else around here: white, blonde, blue eyes. So, I even look very American and culture-less. So yes, I think I do really struggle with it, but overall, I would consider myself American.
 
HANNAH: I think it’s interesting you say that because being “American” always needs to be elaborated on since the country is just a big mix of different cultures.
 
MELINA: As they say, it’s a melting pot.
 
HANNAH: Exactly. What do you think is different and the same about your cultures?
 
MELINA: As I said, Brazil and Russia are completely different on the spectrum. They’re extremes with being fun and lively vs. introspective and maybe a bit depressing, depending on your perspective. For America and Brazil, the lifestyles are very different as well. In Brazil, you live in your parents’ house until you’re married, which is like a lot of other cultures. But for America, it’s out out out as soon as you’re 18. Also, for America, I think it’s way more serious jobwise than Brazil. There, it’s very free. The timing is loosely structured because you can get into work a little later but then stay a little later as well, at least from what I’ve seen. It’s like Spanish time, I guess.
 
HANNAH: What about Russia in regard to time?
 
MELINA: You would expect them to be really rigid about time, and I feel like work is like that for sure, but when it comes to social gatherings it’s like America, where you just schedule with your friends. Like, if you’re a little late, it’s not the end of the world.
 
HANNAH: How have your cultures influenced how you think about things?
 
MELINA: I already touched on this, but I feel like it really opened my mind up to new things. I’m more welcoming to other cultures, and I understand that there’s a difference between everyone and to accept that in people. I think thoughts in more logistical ways than ideally, and I feel like I got that from my dad, which might be due to his culture? I don’t know, I just relate that to my dad’s side instead of my mom’s, where it’s more easy-going.
 
HANNAH: That’s really interesting! Last question. What do you see yourself doing 10 years from now?
 
MELINA: Wow. I have absolutely no idea. 10 years from now, I’ll be 26, four years out of college. I guess the typical response would be having a significant other by then, maybe an apartment. Jobwise, my dream is to be a photographer.
 
HANNAH: What would you like to photograph in particular?
 
MELINA: I love photographing different people participating in their cultures, and people in general. The photo of Malala in National Geographic really inspired me when I saw it for the first time. It’s what made me want to photograph that kind of stuff.
 
HANNAH: So, would you want to travel a lot for that?
 
MELINA: Yes, definitely. That would be amazing.
 
HANNAH: Where would you want to travel? Your must-go place.
 
MELINA: Well, I’ve already been to Russia and Brazil, so I’d want to go somewhere different. I’d love to go to Italy to see the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. I did a project on it once, and ever since then, it’s been stuck in my mind. The architecture there, in general, is something I want to see and photograph because I want to see the different styles of architecture in different regions throughout the time period. I don’t see much of that in America since it’s such a new country. Whereas there, it’s been hundreds of years where they had different cultures to influence the way they built. I also want to try the food, particularly some really old, fermented balsamic vinegar.
 
HANNAH: Wow, to each their own! That’s the end of the interview. Thank you so much for your time!
 
MELINA: Thank you, too! This was really fun.
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