The Human Library: Reading Lives, Tasting Culture, and Planting Seeds

 

如果中興大學的國際學生可以是真人圖書館的話，那這二週我們借了三本介紹印尼、巴基斯坦及德國的原文書來國際文化交流(ICE)的班上。透過遊戲、示範、簡報及問答的過程，師生們享受了教科書不會有的美好學習體驗，而同學們專注的眼神和笑容則是我的動力和成就感來源，下學期我們會再續借，就這樣來比較台灣和世界其他國家吧。

Have you ever "borrowed" a person instead of a book? I’ve always believed that the most profound lessons don’t come from textbooks; they come from connection. My ICE (International Culture Exchange) class at KMJH has transformed into a living, breathing "Human Library."

We invited international students from NCHU not just to give presentations but to share the vibrant colors of their home countries.

Meeting Our "Living Books"

The beauty of this exchange was the diversity. Three incredible international students—Angelina, Parsa, and Fabienne—showed us that being different is beautiful, and it’s even better to appreciate those differences.

• Angelina (Indonesia): She opened up about the struggles and resilience of Chinese Indonesians during the riots. It was a heavy, real moment. She shocked us with the reality of Indonesian heat—teenagers drive to school at 16 because it is simply too hot to walk!

• Parsa (Pakistan): Parsa brought the colors of her country to us, demonstrating the rituals of prayer and explaining headscarf practices. She showed us landscapes that looked like they belonged in a movie.

• Fabienne (Germany): My own classmate from my PhD program! She shared her life as a global nomad and exchange student, proving to my students that the world is accessible to them, too. Instead of just telling them, we preferred to encourage them to think and share by creating a cleared, open space in the classroom.  

The Reality: It Wasn’t All Easy

We touched on some serious topics. When Angelina spoke about anti-Chinese sentiment, or when Parsa alluded to the fight for girls' right to education in Pakistan.

With limited vocabulary and a lack of background knowledge, it was really challenging for many of my students to grasp the full cultural significance of these heavy issues. They are junior high kids, after all. But that’s okay. I realized that today wasn't about them writing a thesis on these topics. It was about planting a seed.

The Universal Language: Fun and Food!

Fabienne’s friendly personality was infectious. She led games that got everyone moving, forcing the students to stop sitting quietly and start interacting. The anxiety of speaking English melted away when they were laughing.

And then, there were the snacks. Nothing bonds people quite like food. It gave us a fresh taste of the world—literally—and immediately helped the students bond with the content today.

Why I Do This

Listening to Angelina and Parsa didn’t just teach me something new. It forced me to really look in the mirror and question my own cultural assumptions as well.

It was big for the students, too. Did they grasp the full weight of it right in the moment? Maybe not completely—you know how that goes. But moving forward, they aren't going to look at Indonesian Chinese people, Pakistani culture, or Islamic practices as just flat definitions on a page. They’re going to see the real, living nuance that textbooks never quite capture.

As a PhD student of Taiwan and Transcultural Studies at NCHU, this is exactly what I live for. I am committed to finding more opportunities to invite international students in this "Human Library" format.