In observance of National Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month in May, EODM invited employees to participate in a traditional Urasenke tea ceremony and learn about Chado, the Japanese “Way of Tea.” The Tea Ceremony originated among Zen Buddhist and was given its distinctive Japanese form in the 16th century. Today, the Tea Ceremony is recognized as a vital part of Japan’s cultural heritage.
Volunteers from the Urasenke Tea Ceremony Association of Washington, DC transformed a section of Room 2E39 into a Japanese tea room complete with a traditional ryūrei-style table, shoji screen, and other ceremonial objects placed specifically to create the aesthetic known as wabi, which celebrates austerity, spontaneity, and apparent artlessness. The volunteers demonstrated and explained the highly choreographed art of preparing and drinking matcha, the powdered green tea used in the ceremony, which requires many years of study to master. Each attendee was then served a bowl of tea, holding it in their left hand and rotating the bowl clockwise before drinking. Afterward, many guests described the tea ceremony as a relaxing, almost meditative experience.
EODM works closely with Headquarters’ Employee Resource Groups and organizations to develop enriching programming for national observance months. These employee-led groups serve a broad strategic purpose, advancing the Center’s mission, as well as its diversity initiatives. If you are interested in contributing your time and talents toward promoting diversity and inclusion at NASA Headquarters, joining one or more of these groups is a great way to get involved!
- Hispanic Outreach Leadership Alliance (HOLA)
- Women of NASA (WON)
- Blacks in Government (BIG)
- NASA HQ Pride Alliance
- Asian American & Pacific Islanders ERG *in progress