By Kim Ae-ran
On the way to San Antonio Korean Martyrs Catholic Church in Oklahoma, I stopped by San Antonio's five Spanish colonial missions stretching along the San Antonio River in Southern Texas.
Built by Franciscan missionaries in the early 1700s, San Antonio's five missions reveal the interweaving beauty of various cultures. The five frontier mission complexes include Mission San Antonio de Valero (known as 'The Alamo'), Mission Concepcion, Mission San Jose, Mission San Juan and Mission Espada.
Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2015, the San Antonio Missions reveal the process of interweaving incorporation between Spanish culture and Indigenous cultures, including the Coahuiltecan Indians.
The incorporation of the Aboriginal residence towards the central square, the decorative elements of the church that combine Catholic symbols and Indigenous patterns that are inspired by nature, and the traces of secularization that show the belief in common values reveal the interaction of Indigenous peoples, missionaries and colonies. Not only those but also the water distribution systems, architectural and archaeological structures, farmland, residences, churches and granaries show a crisscross mix of different groups and cultures. All these efforts led to fundamental and permanent changes in culture and values.
The most beautiful thing that I observed from San Antonio's five missions is the incorporation of two different cultures. Many traces of interweaving efforts between Spanish culture and Indigenous cultures were revealed in the relics of the church buildings. Mutual differences and their diversity are mingled together to create collaborative harmony and coexistence.
In the 1830s, it is said that approximately 100,000 Indigenous people such as Cherokee, Creek, Chickasaw, Choctaw and Seminole were forced to relocate. They passed through the Trail of Tears to move from Michigan, Louisiana and Florida to the west of the Mississippi River.
The other day, I watched the film "Te Ata," meaning "bearer of the morning," that tells the inspiring true story of Mary Frances Thompson Fisher (1895-1995) who was born in Emet, Indian Territory, and raised with the songs and stories of her Chickasaw tribe.
As a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation, she went beyond cultural barriers and became a story-telling actress. Her daring adventures to make known her identity and its inspiring Indian inheritance and wisdom, appeal to build up the enduring value of the minority.
The world is something like an 18,000-piece jigsaw puzzle. Each piece is so tiny and different. But they fit together to make a larger picture. In the same way, each of us, despite being different and diverse, can coexist globally across the world.
According to the recent world migration report by the International Organization for Migration, there are around 281 million international migrants in the world. Those who are moving to Asia and Europe are becoming more prevalent than those who go to North America.
Whether we are a minority or majority, we are in the same boat building the global village with common goodness. At the same time, we are also sharing phenomenal problems such as the climate crisis, natural disasters and the threat of nuclear weapons. We are all under the same umbrella.
"How good and how pleasant it is, when brothers dwell together as one! Like fine oil on the head, running down upon the beard. Upon the beard of Aaron, upon the collar of his robe. Like dew of Hermon coming down upon the mountains of Zion. There the Lord has decreed a blessing, life for evermore!" (Psalms 133:1-3)
The author is a member of the Daughters of St. Paul. Please feel free to visit her blog "A piece of sunshine" at mtorchid88.blogspot.com.