References:
Featured Image Source:
Google Images, Creative Common license
Script:
Preface:
The Mixed Asian Heritage Club is a student-run organization where mixed Asian and/or Pacific Islander heritage and identity can be explored. It attempts to create a strong community for its members through discussions, workshops, and social activities. I was fascinated by this UNC subculture because I wanted to know how students of Asian heritage would adjust to colleges and how joining an organization would benefit them. My research question is: what are the unique challenges for students of Asian heritage when attempting to acclimate to a university in the United States?
Background Information:
Researchers from a study published in the Review of Higher Education addressed the need for additional research on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) because it shows how stereotypes against AAPIs have contributed to disparities such as racial and ethnic inequality and lower rates of educational achievement. So, additional research will be helpful for AAPIs to feel included in higher education, have a stronger support system, succeed, and be treated equally to other racial groups (Museus & Vue, 2013).
In another article to support this idea in Higher Education, the researcher discusses that international students experience friendship-making difficulties and find it more challenging to socialize with students of other nationalities compared to other students and need to have a support system that will be there for them in difficult times and ultimately help them adjust to their surroundings, so there needs to be more integration when it comes to having them at universities (Spencer-Oatey, H., Dauber, D., Jing, J., & Lifei, W., 2016).
Observation Data and Analysis:
My first interview was with a member. We talked about a lot, but the reason she joined the group stood out to me. She stated that, despite having an Asian background, she had never really felt a sense of belonging and that joining the organization had helped her connect with others who could relate to her. As a result, she felt more accepted and was able to connect with people from the organization.
My second interview was with a team officer. We had a lengthy discussion. We talked about how she discovered the group in the beginning. She explained that she had seen their booth at Fall Fest and had been interested in the group because it was unique from other clubs because it promoted towards mixed-race Asians. She thought it was wonderful that she could find a group of peers who shared her experience of being mixed-race and feeling included in the Asian community.
Conclusions:
After the interviews, it became clear that the organization gave its members a sense of belonging within UNC. They were able to interact with other mixed-Asian individuals who shared their childhood experiences, which helped them feel less isolated and helped them develop a feeling of community. Even though the heritage clubs at UNC are not fully represented in this study, some of my findings might be useful to other heritage groups. Also, by highlighting the advantages of joining a heritage club, they can become more well-liked as organizations and help other students from similar backgrounds establish a support system on big campuses in the United States that will help them feel welcomed and less alone.
Explication of Research:
The Mixed Asian Heritage Club is a student-run organization where mixed Asian and/or Pacific Islander heritage and identity can be explored. It attempts to create a strong community for its members through discussions, workshops, and social activities. Every Thursday, they gather once a week. I was fascinated by this UNC subculture because I wanted to know how students of Asian heritage would adjust to colleges and how joining an organization would benefit them. My research question is: what are the unique challenges for students of Asian heritage when attempting to acclimate to a university in the United States?
In my preliminary research, I found four articles that explain the difficulties that Asian students have when coming to universities. In one article published in the Journal of College Student Development, it discusses how researchers say that when Asian Pacific Americans transition to college, they have a difficult time because minorities band together and create this type of division between students. Also, it says that by joining clubs and organizations can influence their level of racial and ethnic awareness and understanding (Inkelas, K. K., 2004). In another article published by the Journal of College Student Development, researchers proposed the question, “How do Asian American students navigate through the physical and social spaces of higher education?” (Samura, 2016, p. 137), which overall discussed how Asian American college students perceive campus life and whether or not they fit in (Samura M., 2016).
Researchers from a study published in the Review of Higher Education addressed the need for additional research on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) because it shows how stereotypes against AAPIs have contributed to disparities such as racial and ethnic inequality and lower rates of educational achievement. So, additional research will be helpful for AAPIs to feel included in higher education, have a stronger support system, succeed, and be treated equally to other racial groups (Museus & Vue, 2013). In another article to support this idea in Higher Education, the researcher discusses that international students experience friendship-making difficulties and find it more challenging to socialize with students of other nationalities compared to other students and need to have a support system that will be there for them in difficult times and ultimately help them adjust to their surroundings, so there needs to be more integration when it comes to having them at universities (Spencer-Oatey, H., Dauber, D., Jing, J., & Lifei, W., 2016).
My first interview was with a member of the organization. We meet on October third at the Craige Residential Hall. We talked about the reason she joined the group. She stated that she did so because she wanted to fit in, especially since she is mixed Asian. She also talked about how niche the group was and how she wanted to join so she could find people who actually related to her and make her feel more connected to the Asian aspects of her culture, especially at a large university like UNC. Also, another question that I asked her was how the organization had helped her feel more a part of the university. She claimed that it helped her meet more people and that she now feels more a part of the institution as a result of having a group of friends who can relate to her and comprehend her sense of not belonging as well as what they have already gone through. Because of this, she felt more accepted and was able to talk to other people in the organization.
I smiled at this comment because I can relate to it because I joined Mi Pueblo. The fact that other students at the university have had similar experiences to mine as a Hispanic community child makes me feel more a part of the university.
On October 8, we met at Epilogue Books & Chocolate Brews for my second interview, which was with a team officer. We had a lengthy discussion. We discussed her initial encounter with the organization. She said that she had seen their booth at Fall Fest and had been intrigued by the organization since it stood out from other clubs by focusing on Asians of mixed racial backgrounds. The fact that she could connect with a group of peers who understood how it felt to be mixed-race and felt accepted by the Asian community made her feel amazing. How the group has made her feel more a part of the institution was a different question I asked. With a serious look on her face, she said that while she felt like the group had helped her find community within the university, she also felt like it had made it easier for her to meet many people who had similar backgrounds to those that the university offered. When I asked her how growing up in an Asian community had changed her lifestyle and educational experience, she responded, after giving it some more thought, that she didn’t really feel like she belonged to a community that she related to but felt more like part of her identity. She continued by stating that her racial identity has an impact on how she views herself and how she matures as a person in relation to other people.
After the interviews, it became clear that the organization gave its members a sense of belonging within UNC. They were able to interact with other mixed-Asian individuals who shared their childhood experiences, which helped them feel less isolated and helped them develop a feeling of community. Even though the heritage clubs at UNC are not fully represented in this study, some of my findings might be useful to other heritage groups. This encounter gave me new insight into how many students, especially those from minority populations, feel like they don’t belong at large colleges. Also, by talking about the benefits of joining a heritage club, they can become more popular as groups and help other students from similar backgrounds set up a support system on big campuses in the U.S. that will make them feel welcome and less alone.
References:
Inkelas, K. K. (2004, July 26). Does participation in ethnic cocurricular activities facilitate a sense of ethnic awareness and understanding? A study of Asian Pacific American undergraduates. Journal of College Student Development, 45(3), 285-302. https://muse.jhu.edu/article/171138
Samura, M. (2016, March 29). Remaking selves, repositioning selves, or remaking space: An examination of Asian American college students’ processes of “Belonging”. Journal of College Student Development, 57(2), 135-150. https://muse.jhu.edu/article/613244
Museus, S. D., & Vue, R. (2013). Socioeconomic status and Asian American and Pacific Islander students’ transition to college: A structural equation modeling analysis. Review of Higher Education, 37(1), 45-76. http://libproxy.lib.unc.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/socioeconomic-status-asian-american-pacific/docview/1465331341/se-2
Spencer-Oatey, H., Dauber, D., Jing, J., & Lifei, W. (2016, November 22). Chinese students’ social integration into the University Community: Hearing the students’ voices. Higher education, 74: 739-756. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10734-016-0074-0
UNC MASH. (2021). [Digital Image of UNC MASH]. UNC MASH Facebook. Retrieved October 24, 2022 from https://www.facebook.com/uncmash/photos/1872692316246585.