Human. Humane. Humanities. Why We All Need the H-Factor | Thomas Jesús Garza | TEDxUTAustin

Key Concepts

• Code-switching/Spanglish mindset
• Social hierarchy of privilege based on language and identity
• Serendipity
• The "H Factor" (humanities): critical thinking, questioning, and empathy
• Cultural stereotypes and xenophobia
• Importance of difficult conversations
• Transformation of Russia and the rise of authoritarianism
• The role of humanities in resisting unjust policies

Early Life and Education

The speaker, Taoran Song, recounts his childhood in Refugio, South Texas, a place with two names depending on whether you spoke English ("Refugio") or Spanish ("Refugio"). This early experience highlighted the existence of a code-switching or Spanglish mindset. He notes that in the 1960s, language, like skin color and faith, was part of a social hierarchy. Speaking Spanish at school was discouraged, and Latino teachers were scarce. He describes this prejudice as background noise, always present and felt.

Influence of the Joslins and Haverford College

While growing up in Corpus Christi, Song worked for Elliott and Louise Joslin, a retired couple from Princeton and Vassar, respectively. They encouraged him to apply to colleges in the Northeast like Williams, Haverford, and Amherst. His high school counselor discouraged him, saying "You people don't do very well in those kinds of schools." Despite this, Song applied to Haverford College and was accepted. He emphasizes the importance of education for his parents and describes his acceptance to Haverford as an act of serendipity.

Serendipity and the Study of Russian

At Haverford, Song needed to fulfill a second language requirement. Because French, German, and Latin classes were full, he enrolled in Russian. He found that different disciplines ask different questions: chemistry (how and what), anthropology (where and who), and political science (what and where). Humanities courses, however, ask "why?" He refers to this critical approach as the "H Factor."

First Trip to the Soviet Union

In his senior year, Song traveled to Leningrad for six weeks. This trip challenged his preconceived notions about Russia and Russians. He realized that the "us versus them" paradigm was counterproductive and similar to the prejudice he experienced in South Texas. Listening to Soviet counterparts fostered understanding.

Academic Career and Research in the Soviet Union

After returning from the USSR, Song changed his major to Russian. He earned master's degrees from Bryn Mawr and Harvard, and a doctorate in education from Harvard, focusing on language acquisition and applied linguistics. He taught English Lit at Del Mar Community College. As a Fulbright Hays Dissertation Research scholar in the USSR in 1986, he researched why Soviet students achieved high English proficiency without native speaker contact. During the Gorbachev era, he gained unprecedented access to schools and was even allowed to bring video equipment. He taught the American variant of English, previously banned, and co-authored "Breakthrough American English for Speakers of Russian," the first Soviet-American collaborative textbook.

Debunking Stereotypes and Overcoming Xenophobia

His research and interactions with teachers and students in the Soviet Union debunked cultural stereotypes. He realized that the real enemy was not the "red threat" but xenophobia. To improve his Russian, he challenged himself daily with new tasks, enhancing his grammatical, lexical, and cultural knowledge.

State Department and the Fall of the Soviet Union

After his dissertation, Song worked at the State Department's Foreign Service Institute, training diplomats for Eastern Europe, the Balkans, and the former Soviet Union. He notes that the fall of the Berlin Wall and the disintegration of the Soviet Union transformed the geopolitical landscape. The ability to ask "why?" and think critically was crucial during this time.

Return to Academia and Current Situation

In 1990, Song joined the University of Texas at Austin, teaching Russian language and culture. From 1991 to 2020, he and his wife led students to Russia for cultural exchange. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic and the invasion of Ukraine ended his relationship with Russia. He was placed on a list of sanctioned individuals banned from entering Russia, labeled as an anti-Russian propagandist.

Conclusion: The Importance of the "H Factor"

Song emphasizes the importance of the humanities ("H Factor") in resisting unjust policies and practices. He argues that asking "why?" fosters critical thinking, empathy, and courageous conversations, leading to a more humane future. He connects the dismantling of the Berlin Wall to the erection of walls along the US-Mexico border, highlighting the need to question and understand the motivations behind such actions. The transformation of Russia into an authoritarian regime serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers of unchecked power and the suppression of free thought.