Vapid, strangely dressed youngsters who speak in unintelligible slang; cute bubble-gum popping girls who idolize Paris Hilton and young men who showcase their bodies as canvases for ink are the made-for-television stereotype of tomorrow’s future.

Unfortunately, images of smart-speaking responsible kids don’t equate to TV ratings and it would be a surprise to find a representation of the promising, young student on TV. Where are the young men and women who are the hope for the future? The ones who are supposed to make the world a better place?

NHA Magazine is proud to present personal essays from three over-achieving college students who may change your mind about the fate of the future. Their opinions voice the awareness of what being Asian American means and articulate a surprisingly centered approach to juggling diversity, family and studies.

 

Bridging Cultures
A College Freshman Unites a Student Body

by Monica Shin

Racism is still a major problem in our society. Growing up as a Korean individual, I have experienced stereotypes and name-calling first-hand. On the other hand, I am a part of a Korean community that can also be ignorant of other ethnicities. Having been on both sides, I realize that the reason why stereotypes and intolerance exist is because of ignorance of cultural differences.

Being that I attended an ethnically diverse high school, I decided to use that to bring an opportunity for my peers to become more culturally aware. By creating a new club dedicated to spreading cultural awareness, students could learn about their peers from different backgrounds. The new International Club would combat racism and stereotypes.

The process took time, but with the help of a few peers and a teacher who became our club advisor, it paid off. Roseville High school’s first International Club began with a bang on Club Rush Day, a lunch period dedicated to allowing students to learn and sign-up for the multitude of clubs offered. I didn’t quite know what to expect. It was the students’ first time being given the chance at school to become acquainted with unfamiliar cultures.

My expectations were blown away. At the end of the period I had more than 14 pages full of student names. All were interested in the club. I was thrilled with their initial excitement. Getting the club going resulted in a lot of work planning for events. We have organized fundraisers for trips to events such as UC Berkeley’s Dhol Di Awaz, an intercollegiate Indian dance competition, cultural food days for students to try foods of various countries, and presentations on countries and their customs.

Recently we’ve had a presentation by a Thailand exchange student on daily life and modern society of his home country. These are just a few of the things we have done so far.

My goal for the club was to give the chance for students to step in the shoes of someone with a different cultural experience. I began the club out of my desire to share my experiences and to give people an opportunity to share theirs. Now that this club is available at school, I feel that students have that chance to share and learn. In founding this club, I have advanced my enthusiasm for knowledge about the world and recognized the importance of a diverse yet interlinked society. Even more importantly, I discovered in the process that I was not alone in my interest. By taking the first step to create a safe forum, I was able to join with my peers to learn about each other.

My intrinsic initiative in combination with my passion for a unified community and student interaction are strong characteristics that I will bring to the University of California. I know that the Universities of California are diverse communities with many opportunities to learn and thrive in a multicultural environment. I feel that my individual experience also has something to offer.

Making an organization that educated and unified my peers under a similar interest through their differences inspires me to use that same zeal to do the same in the university environment. I believe I can continue to encourage people to bridge cultural differences by involving the university’s student population in order to form a better understanding of ourselves, one another, and ultimately, our world.

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Monica Shin will be a freshman at UC Berkeley in the Fall semester, 2006. This is one of the essays she submitted with her college application. She was also accepted at Cornell University, UCLA, UCSD, and UCD but chose to attend UC Berkeley for its rich history in cultural diversity and its number one ranking in the nation’s public school system.