Mustafa Popal is a dynamic Afghan-American professor of history here at Skyline College. He teaches all of his classes through the lens of identity, which emphasizes the importance of history when attempting to understand ourselves and our contemporary zeitgeist. In this interview, we explore thematics such as diversity, culture and education through some authentic avenues, such as identity, family and hip-hop.
Born and Raised: From Afghanistan to Germany To Concord, CA
Growing up with a primarily Afghan Social Circle
Mustafa analyzes whether the transition from primarily
Afghan social circles to more diverse social circles had
an effect on his identity.
Mustafa explains why he considers his relationship with
being bi-cultural in America as embodying the
"salad bowl theory" as opposed to the "melting pot theory."
Stay tuned to find out which element of the salad he most relates to!
Mustafa explains the experiences and responsibilities
associated with being bi-cultural in America.
“Everything, then, passes between us.
This "between," as its name implies, has neither
a consistency nor continuity of its own.”
-Jean-Luc Nancy
Being Singular Plural
Mustafa explains his theories on why Americans
lack the ability to engage in healthy discourse.
Mustafa discloses what he would like to see in education
so that students leave with the ability to articulate their thoughts
and feelings and engage in healthier discourse.
on imposing their decisions, do not organize
the people- they manipulate them."
-Paulo Freire
Mustafa describes the relationship he
had with hip-hop as he was growing up.
Hip-Hop: Continued
Mustafa gives some insight on the factors,
aside from hip-hop, that led him to fall in love with History.
A Quick Inspirational Message from Mustafa
Mustafa provides some insight on the way he
teaches history through the lens of Identity.
purpose and truth, all prerequisites for engaging in
the day-to-day activities necessary for survival and existence."
-Mustafa Popal
Blooper: What if We ARE Robots?
BYE!