I was born and raised in California. Growing up, most of my friends were people of color. I went to a private Catholic K-8th grade school and then a private Catholic high school. Even though private Catholic schools are usually predominantly white, there was diversity in culture, race, social class, and ethnicity at my school.
High School
People of color represented 50.1% of the population at my high school. I joined the Filipino Club, where we celebrated Filipino culture, food, and dancing. I enjoyed being able to freely celebrate my culture with people that looked like me. In class, we often talked about our culture and how we were raised by our families and listened to what everyone experienced.
College
I didn’t realize how fortunate I was to experience the diversity in California until I came to UW-Eau Claire. According to the UWEC factbook, in 2023, out of the 8,795 undergraduate students at UW-Eau Claire, 11.6% of students were students of color. I was surprised at how different the culture was compared to California. To help my transition, I joined Blugold Beginnings, which is a group that recognizes underrepresented, low-income, and first-generation students. I met many people of color that I was able to relate to and feel welcomed by them. I took classes for this program where we discussed our experiences and who we were. I was in this group for one year and the next year, due to scheduling issues, I was unable to dedicate time to Blugold Beginnings.
Reflection
Looking back on this experience, I wish I could have done more with the people in this program because I have often found myself not expressing my culture as much as I used to. I believe it does have to do with how little diversity there is here in Eau Claire. I knew how little diversity there was coming to UW-Eau Claire, but I decided to attend because of all the benefits for my education and the oportunity to do gymnastics. Everyone has been welcoming to me since I first came to the city, but I have noticed that people do get uncomfortable when I start talking about my own culture and where I came from. It’s important to freely talk about your experience and express who you are and your own culture. I must be comfortable being uncomfortable talking about my culture because it allows people who didn’t grow up in a diverse environment to know and understand what we go through. If I had stayed in California for college, I wouldn’t have experienced what I have today. I wouldn’t have met the people I met and know today. I would have stayed comfortable being in the same environment, instead of branching out and being able to share who I am today.
Comentários