How do your own cultural experiences and ethnic backgrounds influence your interest in community engagement, the types of projects you take on, and so on? Compare your experiences to those discussed in the article. You can also write a different response, but you should compare your own personal experiences with those in the article. By Thursday at 1:30 PM.
Oct 13
42 comments
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Patricia Chiu
October 13, 2010 at 3:23 pm (UTC -8) Link to this comment
All my life I have lived and been in a place where I am not the minority. I know that in the scope of the world, I am among the minority. Growing up in San Francisco, I have always been around Asian people like myself. In addition, I attended a preschool, private middle school, public high school, and public university where the demographic was mostly Asian. As a result, I have not known the true feeling of being a minority. I guess this has led me to live a somewhat sheltered life.
However, growing up in San Francisco has also given me the chance to interact with people from all walks of life and from different backgrounds. In addition, having uncles and cousins in Southern California and Colorado, that are Caucasian and African American, has also exposed me to different cultures on a first hand basis. As a result, I have been blessed to have been around such diversity. My exposure to people of different backgrounds has made me see how everyone has a role to play in this world and it does not matter what race you are.
Furthermore, race does not play a role in whether I volunteer; I do so because I want to, and it does not matter to me to what demographic I reach out to. My mom, who is a nurse, has always told me that compassion and the drive to help are the most important characteristics to have. So my upbringing has also had an impact me in why I love to help my community. Because my mom is a health professional and my older sister will be graduating with an O.D. this spring, I am, initially, more drawn to the organizations that are more health-based. However, I have partaken in non-health organizations too, and I have found that I just enjoy the feeling of being helpful.
Patricia Chiu
October 13, 2010 at 8:21 pm (UTC -8) Link to this comment
In addition, I agree with the author of the reading, in that it is important for me to get my degree first. With a degree, I will have more credibility and people will trust me to help them out. The greater the trust among a community, the faster change can be brought about.
Rachel Berman
October 13, 2010 at 10:21 pm (UTC -8) Link to this comment
It is interesting when we grow up in situations that are not quite typical, yet we cannot fully articulate the experience until we are much older and have a broader understanding of the world. I grew up as a caucasian in Hawaii where there is still an attitude towards white people because of the disputed addition of Hawaii into the United States. This is very apparent in schools where caucasian students are often bullied by “locals” (made up of mostly hawaiians as well as asians who are the descendants of the groups brought over to work in the sugarcane fields). While being a part of this discrimination is not a pleasant situation, I have developed a fascination and appreciation for all the cultures that have come together to create the unique and diverse culture of Hawaii. I perhaps escaped ingraining certain stereotypes that degrade minorities in the United States and never felt the sense of entitlement that some caucasians can come into simply because of the patterns in history. Much like your experience, this has given me a more open view of race and how it relates to playing our part in the community.
Karina Venegas
October 14, 2010 at 1:07 am (UTC -8) Link to this comment
I agree with you about how important a degree can be. Like the author said a degree doesn’t mean you’re better than the people who don’t have one but it will bring you credibility and respect. I think that although having a degree of some sort is not necessary to help others it is still important. It is because of classes like this one that we do a broader sense of what volunteering/ working with the community really is as opposed to just thinking it is charity work We get to see different perspectives not just ours as the volunteers and I think that’s important in order to fully engage yourself in what your doing whether it involves a minority group or not.
David Moghissi
October 14, 2010 at 1:10 pm (UTC -8) Link to this comment
I agree with you all. It’s also interesting to think about how a degree can give someone specialized knowledge in philanthropic objectives and processes. An education like this can offer not only respect, but valuable skills as well.
Jessica Yen
October 13, 2010 at 5:07 pm (UTC -8) Link to this comment
Growing up in San Francisco, a predominantly Asian neighborhood, I have always observed that our community was close knit and very interested in voicing opinions through strikes or large persuasive posters. The majority of the city was liberal and so lending a helping hand to those in need was a crucial idea that many people practiced. There were always ways to get involved in an organization and many volunteer events were advertised through flashy t-shirts, group theme songs or mini competitions in work. Since there were ample opportunities to join and my community emphasized helping the city, I always viewed volunteering as part of our culture and customs. Ever since middle school, I have participated in projects such as beach cleanup, working at food banks, zoo sweeps, library mentoring and setting up booths in street festivals.
As for my ethnic background, my parents have always raised me to be compassionate and helpful to those who are less fortunate. As a family, we have all participated in community projects together through a Taiwanese organization called Tzu Chi, where others like my parents come together to better the Chinese community. Here, I met a couple of good friends who were brought into community service by their parents as well. The objective of this organization was to help the Asian Community by partaking in festivals and street cleaning with Buddha principles in mind, such as showing loyalty, empathy, and comradeship to our friends and neighbors.
Patricia Chiu
October 13, 2010 at 8:30 pm (UTC -8) Link to this comment
That’s great that you have found a way to help out the Asian community. Are there several branches of Tzu Chi? Are you in the one here at UCI? Though I have not specifically helped out an Asian demographic before, I have been volunteering in my community since middle school too, and I find such a thrill in doing so. As a result, with every new school that I attend, I try to get involved with an organization that helps out the community.
krystin uyema
October 14, 2010 at 1:20 am (UTC -8) Link to this comment
I too have grown up in an all-Asian neighborhood and noticed that Jessica and I share many similarities. Ever since I was little I was found helping out at various churches festivals, nursing homes, and runs. It was not until I grew older that I realized how strong and involved my community is. I grew up and became close with many people in my community because of always seeing them at various volunteer events. I think people want to become more involved in my community because they not only see how much people enjoy it, but they see how close everyone becomes with each other.
My family has always incorporated my ethnic background with helping out the community whenever we are free. Much like the author of the article, I grew up volunteering at the Japanese American National Museum since I was young. I not only learned more about my culture, but I felt a feeling of involvement with a community. When I read about how sustaining long term relationships are critical to effect real change, I thought about my friends and I who have volunteered every summer for years at a local church comprised of mostly Asians, helping them out with various projects. It is so rewarding to come back every summer and observe the improvements we have helped make over time.
Alejandro Barraza
October 13, 2010 at 8:25 pm (UTC -8) Link to this comment
In “Challenging the Borders of Civic Engagement: Ethnic Studies and Meaning of Community Democracy,” George J. Sanchez explains that the twentieth century minority scholars close connections to their communities laid the ground work for the scholars’ retribution. Sanchez explains that through out most of the twentieth century these minority scholars were excluded from white institutions, and as a result they created tight bonds with their communities. An example of this phenomenon is W.E.B. Du Bois, Du Bois’s “Souls of Black Folk” and the “Philadelphia Negro” are literature that illustrate his commitment toward scholarships that would benefit specific black communities. Similar to Du Bois, I feel a strong connection with my community and I feel that it is my responsibility to try to give back to my community.
Through out my childhood nobody talked about college, and nobody besides my parents pushed me to do well in school. Reflecting on my childhood and my community, I realize the importance of having somebody encourage you to do well in school and avoid all the hazardous roads. This realization has always pushed me to volunteer in projects that involved children and teens. I coached soccer for children, I volunteered at a preschool, and I am currently volunteering at the YMCA tutoring K-12. I understand how much of a difference I can make in these kids lives, because I understand how much of difference it would of meant to me to have somebody outside of the home encourage me to do well in school instead of somebody encouraging me to commit reckless behavior. My childhood and pre-teen years have taught me that those are the years where children need the most reassurance. Yet, as we all know children and pre-teens usually don’t listen to their parents. This is why I volunteer; I try to create friendships that are based on a foundation of education, athletics, and encouragement in whatever he/she wants to do. If I see children with instruments I encourage to keep playing. If I know one of the kids plays sports on the weekend I always ask them the following Monday how they did. If a child feels like they aren’t smart, I motivate and help them so I can prove them wrong. Children and pre-teens have their fair share of being told what to do, but what they need is more encouragement and congratulations on what they do right.
Brenda Ramirez
October 13, 2010 at 9:06 pm (UTC -8) Link to this comment
I am a Mexican immigrant from a poor urban dwelling father and a mother who comes from poor farmers. My ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and gender definitely play a major role in what I do as a civic engagement participant. I agree entirely with what Dr. Chavez described throughout his essay about racism and how one’s ethnic background affects their community engagement.
I was raised to look down upon the uneducated, people on welfare, and certain people of other colors. However, as I grew I noticed that what my parents taught me were stereotypes and usually inaccurate. In other words, to me, my parents were teaching me to think and act like the oppressor and not the oppressed.
Now that I am older, have traveled around the world, and have some academic preparation, I dedicate my time and efforts to organizations that work towards creating social equality to indigenous people, immigrants, minorities, and women. I work towards not becoming like the oppressor. I work with many organizations because I believe that all of these causes are somehow related and learning and helping each organization will help create a stronger and larger community.
For those that are interested in learning more about social problems I recommend listening to KPFK 90.7 FM. It is an independent station so it does not have commercials and always touches on social and controversial problems worldwide. It’s an easy way to hear and learn about social problems while you are stuck in traffic or are between classes.
-Brenda
Anthony La
October 13, 2010 at 11:30 pm (UTC -8) Link to this comment
My parents mean the world to me. They’ve given everything and sacrificed very much for me to be in the position i am now. But they too, were rather traditional in many of their beliefs. i think the reason some parents teach their kids unconsciously to act like the oppressor rather than the oppressed is due to their own backgrounds. I know my parents had to fight through and endure a lot years ago so they just want my sisters and i to be as successful as we can be. A cliche this sounds like i know.
i remember when i was younger i witnessed my parents being taken advantaged of many times because they couldn’t speak English well enough. This made me want to pursue a career in law and defend the weak against any oppressors. Just like Bruce Wayne. And my community engagement revolves around just that, helping the weak and underprivileged.
Natasha Zubair
October 13, 2010 at 9:33 pm (UTC -8) Link to this comment
Generally speaking, the idea of living in Orange County is associated with affluent families living in nice, big houses. Despite its reputation of being a luxury spot, the OC also consists of certain neighborhoods that need special care and attention. I would agree with Sanchez in saying that one of these areas that needs critical civic engagement is the city of Santa Ana.
When I started UCI last year, I knew I wanted to begin volunteering as soon as possible. I also wanted to focus on serving kids of under privileged areas like Santa Ana where 10,000 residents live in a 2.5 mile radius. From there, I became a Big Sister for the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Orange County. I was a mentor and a tutor at an Elementary school in Santa Ana and worked to give those students a more positive outlook towards reaching higher education. As a part of my fieldwork for this class, I wanted to do similar work which is why I chose to volunteer at KidWorks also located in Santa Ana.
Because I grew up in a similar neighborhood where the Hispanic/Latino population was 75% and the socioeconomically disadvantaged population was 88%, I guess I feel the need to help students who are growing up like I did in a high-crime, low-income neighborhood.
Jennifer-Christine Madamba
October 13, 2010 at 9:39 pm (UTC -8) Link to this comment
Growing up, I feel like I have been both in the predominant and the minority. I went to a private school where it was predominantly white. I remember that there were barely any Filipino students. In middle school, I was one of 2 filipinos in my graduating class. However, although my church is found world wide, it is predominantly Filipino. This is the only community where I was part of the predominant race. I grew up in an education community where community service was highly encouraged. My church also had community service for the congregation to participate in. I have volunteered in areas where it was predominantly Hispanic and I have a lot of friends that are comprised of different ethnicities. I am fortunate to have been exposed to a huge diversity of people.
When I volunteered at a hospital that was predominantly Hispanic, I felt like I could really connect with them. I was taking a Spanish class in high school and also, as a Filipino, Spanish is a very similar language so I was able to communicate with the community very easily.
It’s important for different cultures to work together and see “eye to eye”. By doing so, we show compassion for our friends, our neighbors and our community. It is important that communities are heterogeneous and not homogeneous. Diversity is needed to understand culture and change in a community.
George Goodman
October 13, 2010 at 11:14 pm (UTC -8) Link to this comment
This is going to sound strange, but when I came to UCI I was shocked by all the white people. I grew up in the LAUSD public school system where I was one of a few white kids at school. My friends were Mexican, Vietnamese, and Sri Lankan but definitely not white. This experience influenced my interest in community engagement because I think helping people in the community exposes you to the real world which is full of the diversity that I grew up with. America is about the immigrant dream, but some immigrants and ethnicities need some help reaching that dream, so that is where helping someone feed their family for a week to get them on the route to a good life in America fits in (Share Our Selves OC). I think George Sanchez’s experiences with diverse civic groups like the Japanese American National Museum is just what America needs. I think it becomes a problem when ethnic studies professors are only doing activities in the community surrounding their ethnicity; this creates a division in communities instead of bringing America together. I require that my volunteer experiences like refereeing youth soccer make an impact on a diverse community not just a certain ethnicity. Hopefully, in the future we will see more examples of Guatemalan businessman and Jewish residents fighting together against a new public initiative.
Kellie St. Pierre
October 14, 2010 at 1:38 am (UTC -8) Link to this comment
I actually had a similar but opposite experience. I had heard all the stereotypes of UCI about being heavily populated with the Asian race, but was still initially quite shocked to see so much diversity on campus. I was raised in a farm/agriculture town in central California, and my high school was dominated by white people. Yes there was diversity here and there, but specifically the majority of students at my high school were from middle-upper class white families. I myself am a mixed mut…quarter each of Japanese, French, German, and Irish. For some reason, it was always a struggle for me to identify with being Japanese, I don’t know if it was because my mom followed so many traditions, I romanticized my connection to beautiful “Paris,” the fear of not being accepted, or the fact that my mom was slowly turning our home into a Pagoda, but identifying with that part of me was always a bit kept. However, all that has changed now after my years and experience here at UCI. I never so much wanted to identify with my Asian identity. I felt so accepted and understood and met so many people that I wanted to share that part of me with. I believe being comfortable with all areas of my life really changed my outlook on different cultures and the importance for diversity. I took a multicultural education class and was sent to an underprivileged school to help with after-school programs in which I was able to share my knowledge and passion for dance. These kids had never experienced any art really, and it inspired me to get involved with arts outreach.
Symone Magsombol
October 13, 2010 at 11:58 pm (UTC -8) Link to this comment
After reading Sanchez’s article called “Challenging the Borders of Civic Engagement” I have a better understanding and awareness of diversity and culture in community engagement. Growing up, I can say that I definitely felt like the minority with my town in Northern California. Being Filipino-American, the schools I attended from elementary to high schools were dominantly white. In my graduating class in high school, there were only 3 other Filipinos including me. However, even though I felt like I was a part of the minority, I felt I was able to appreciate and value my diversity more because of it. I feel like I developed more cultural awareness growing up, and I really can value different cultures and learn more about them. Thus, whenever I volunteer or do any other sort of work of community engagement, I do not really think about the differences of culture that can sometimes create divisions amongst others.
When I came to UCI, I admit I was definitely not used to seeing so many Asians, let alone more Filipinos than myself. Furthermore, since I was given more of an opportunity to become more involved with my culture than I was given back in high school and my hometown, I decided to join some Filipino organizations on campus. Currently, my involvement in these organizations have led me to become a board member / executive officer for PUSO (Pilipino Pre-Health Undergraduate Student Organization). I love being able to incorporate my ethnic background to my interest in healthcare at the same time.
Overall, I believe that it is important in civic and community engagement services and people associated with them to be more open-minded and culturally aware of different ethnic backgrounds, as well as take pride and confidence in their own as well.
Natalie Chau
October 14, 2010 at 12:27 am (UTC -8) Link to this comment
I agree a lot with George Sanchez, especially the point that our civic engagement depends a lot on our background (cultural and ethnic). I grew up in a pretty poor neighborhood in the city of Sun Valley and went to elementary school that was just around the corner. However, for middle school and high school my siblings and I commuted to go to school in a much better neighborhood. My middle school and high school were magnet schools so the student body was very diverse. The curriculum in my high school was very diverse; we learned about different cultural and ethnic backgrounds as well as different communities/groups of people. I think high school helped me to be more respectable of others and to be more accepting of other groups of people that are different from me.
My parents raised my brothers and I to be grateful and happy with what we have, even though it may not be a lot compared to others and that we may have it better than other families. Thus, I always felt that giving back to the community and helping out was something I could do to help those more unfortunate than me. I would join various community service clubs and volunteer at the hospital.
Wendy Salazar
October 14, 2010 at 1:09 am (UTC -8) Link to this comment
I have pretty much lived in Los Angeles all my life. Although, this city is often associated with poverty, low performing schools, gang violence,etc. , I feel fortunate to have grown up here. Living in such a diverse area has exposed me to different cultures, ideologies, and values. Nothing was ever sugarcoated or kept a secret. It was all part of the “real world” I would one day grow into. Quite honestly, I could never picture anything different…until I visited UCI. I was astonished at how clean the streets were, the lack of Hispanics and African-Americans on campus, and the invisible homeless people. There was no possible way Irvine could still be in California and less than an hour away from home!
Having graduated from a high school that was predominantly Black with the remaining 40% Hispanic, my first reaction was to try to find others that looked like me. However, after a while, I felt more comfortable and was actually glad to meet new people from different cultures. Within time I learned that we shared many similarities, but also differences. Many of the things I had experienced, others could not even imagine.
Because I know what some of the struggles are for a first generation, inner city student, that is usually the population I tend to work with. Overall, I just want to help underserved communities especially low-performing schools. I do not choose by race, but rather seek places where I can help, learn, and most importantly share my personal experience as a means of motivation. Yes, I can see the importance of having minorities helping out their communities, but it should not be limited to only that or solely based on skin color. It would benefit people to learn about other cultures especially when they are not exposed to them in everyday life. However, the fact remains that people do feel more comfortable with those that look like them and would probably accept the help better.
Elim Loi
October 14, 2010 at 1:23 am (UTC -8) Link to this comment
The diversity and culture in my community growing up definitely made me aware of differences and has influenced my interest in community engagement. My house is in a good neighborhood on a hill, but at the bottom of the hill, there are completely different areas to the right and left. One side continues to have nice neighborhoods, but the other side is an area of low-income houses, with many people or multiple families in each house, many illegal immigrants, and unemployed people waiting by stores to have people ask them to work for them. Being aware and knowing that there are so many people even that close to me that are so much less privileged than me makes me feel lucky, but also that it is unfair for them, which compels me to do what i can about it, not just for them, but many others like that that would appreciate different kinds of help.
Also, the culture of my neighbors that i grew up with was a great example for me to be more giving and care to help others. For example, i would also go Christmas shopping with them and they had an entire list of things to get for children from an orphanage. it encouraged me to be sacrificial and realize how much i can do for others.
Omeid Heidari
October 14, 2010 at 2:20 am (UTC -8) Link to this comment
For me, I have not found that my ethnic or cultural background has influenced my involvement in community service or the projects I have taken on. I have worked my ethnic community, volunteering to organize and put on culture shows, but I was never pressured to volunteer for those projects. Further more, those projects always invited everyone in the community to come and learn more about the Iranian community.
I feel that i’ve had more scrutiny in my civic engagement when it comes to religion. As a Muslim living in the atmosphere of post 9/11, there are various stigmas associated with me because I practice the religion I do. With last years debacle between the Muslim students clashing ideals with the Jewish community, a lot of the tension surrounding the Israeli -Palestine conflict surfaced. During that time, being conflicted by sympathizing with the Palestinian cause but not feeling comfortable with the Muslim student’s approach to protest, I reflected on the best method to engage both these two populations. I agree with the fourth author on his fourth concluding point. “To take on difficult issues, be willing to teach and learn. Most of our communities’ most difficult issues have no easy solutions. Tackling… tensions requires listening to various legitimate grievances, identifying conditions that bring people together and drive them spart, and searching for appropriate responses.” I feel the proper form of engagement to resolve the tension between these two groups on campus would have been to follow what the author outlined. I attempted to do that with the president of the MSU, but soon found that it was a very daunting task. In the end I learned that the groups are most reluctant to listen to each other and it would be tough, in any situation, to find middle ground for a solution. However, the author’s method is the best method of engaging conflicting ideals in order to properly mediate a solution and open the conversation between the two groups
Diana Garcia
October 14, 2010 at 3:53 am (UTC -8) Link to this comment
I have to admit that my cultural experiences are the reason why I am at UCI. I had my future planned out, I was ready to attend the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising when I was sixteen and become a fashion designer. However, I applied to other colleges once senior year came because my high school required I apply to at least five college even though I had already been admitted to FIDM. April was a difficult month because it was when acceptance letters were sent out. My high school was in south-central Los Angeles just a few blocks from USC, it was 70% Latino. Many of my classmates felt cheated by the law, I had friends that were born outside of the US but had lived in California practically all of their lives. I was heart broken when I saw all the students that had so much drive and desire to make something out of themselves couldn’t because they were immigrants in the eyes of the government even though this was the only home they knew. I then said to myself that I was going to do something about it, I came to UCI to get a degree that will allow me to go into public policy. I completely agree with Sanchez when he says that we must continue to have a connection to our community because it keep us grounded, at least in my case it gives me the strength to continue.
Hyun Joo Lee
October 14, 2010 at 5:27 am (UTC -8) Link to this comment
Not always, but I do notice my cultural experiences definitely playing an important role in influencing my interest in the type of community engagement I become involved in. I moved a lot in my high school years, and this resulted in attending four different high schools, which were also sporadically spread out throughout the United States: Hawaii, Virginia, and California. Before moving in the middle of my high school sophomore year from Hawaii to Virginia, I had always lived in Hawaii and had not had the chance to travel outside of the island. And, it may be hard to believe because Hawaii is known as the island of paradise and all, but the education standard and educational opportunities are very low compared to that of the mainland. Furthermore, my parents are first generation immigrants in the U.S, so I was pretty much on my own to figure out and research on the school system, application process, etc. Prior to my move to Virginia, I actually had not realized how different the rest of the world really was, how many opportunities there really was out there, and how competitive it was outside of the island. I didn’t even realize how diverse the U.S really was until moving to Virginia and later to California because it never really fully hit me until much later that there were many ethnic groups such as, Caucasians, Latinos, African-Americans, and Middle Eastern in the U.S. This might sound weird, but it was because in Hawaii, the majority population was comprised of Asians, Hawaiians, and those who were a mix of Asian and Hawaiian. My mom describes this by saying, “I was like a frog in a pond.”
Although I did very well and was almost always at the top of my classes in Hawaii, when I moved to Virginia, I struggled a lot at first–especially since I moved twice in the middle of my sophomore year. And I was shocked at how behind I was and how many opportunities that existed in the world that I never even heard about. I know there are still so many students out there like myself, and I want to let them know about everything that I didn’t find out until later and motivate them by becoming their mentor and tutor. This is one of the reasons that motivates my passion towards education, and it influences my interest in the community engagement and projects I take on, which are related to the education sector. Like Sanchez explains, many of the communities’ most difficult issues have no easy solutions, and education is a very broad topic that has problems but no easy solutions to. However, it is important to understand that it can be worked on when all our communities and organizations join hands to promote change for the better and that sustaining this long-term partnership is crucial in order to see real change in our communities.
Noelia
October 14, 2010 at 10:50 am (UTC -8) Link to this comment
I’m definitely of the opinion that our experiences and ethnicity play a role in the types of civic engagement opportunities we seek out. Looking at the comments of my fellow classmates, some stories of immigrant status and so on, are surprisingly similar to my own. I don’t know why that surprises me because, I would argue, to a certain point it is part of American culture. I chose my site because, in a way, I am those kids I seek to help. I am that little girl or boy that maybe doesn’t think they have an opportunity for a bright future. I am that teenager that has been told that having a job is what’s important. I look around my neighborhood and see myself, I see what could have been and what still has a chance.
Kevin J. Son
October 14, 2010 at 11:22 am (UTC -8) Link to this comment
The reading on “Challenging the Borders of Civic Engagement” by George Sanchez opened my mind on ethnic groups and helped me understand that diversity and culture is a great impact in community engagement. After reading this article I felt very fortunate to live in a diverse country. I grew up in Torrance where the community was very diverse, but I never really noticed until I was in high school. In high school I had friends from all ethnic groups with different cultural backgrounds. Having the opportunity to grow up with diverse group of friends I feel helped me understand different groups of people and honestly sparked an interest within me to do more community engagements. I believe community engagement should be something that everyone does once because it usually engages people to interact with a diverse group of people. Growing up in Torrance I was never surrounded by just one certain group of people, but when I came to UCI it felt totally different because majority of the people were Asians. With that in mind I explored my opportunities and joined the Green Campus club, MCLI, and became a conversation partner. These activities allowed me to be engaged with a diverse community and made a positive impact in my college experience. Now I am volunteering at an organization, Share Our Shelves, where I am engaged with a diverse group of race every day and I love the fact of knowing that I am doing a great thing for the community. This should be an experience that everyone gets one time in their lives.
Justyne Catacuatan
October 14, 2010 at 11:31 am (UTC -8) Link to this comment
I do feel that UCI does have a lot to offer through its community and ethnic programs. But the I do agree that the diversity here is lacking. I grew in a pretty diverse area in Northern California. I am not sure if I completely agree that ethnic and cultural experiences really relate to the community engagement you are in. I think it really depends. Although I am not as involved in providing service for the community during my college years. I would say that I was a lot more involved in high school.
I am Filippino-American. I can see a relation of why I did chose to volunteer in some places in my past. A majority of Filippino Americans are religious. Through this, I had an active participation in serving my local parish where I went to school in grade school. I know I did it because it kind of brought my family and I a lot closer because we went to church together nad my parents enjoyed the fact that my faith was strong. In that sense, I can see that I did grow up around of a lot of Filippinos. But as time, and college came, I feel that I have separated in the sense that I am not as involved. I feel that when I went to college, I have been wanting to get involved in the community and try new things. But I guess that I have introduced to different priorities. My relationship with my community and family have become rather distance since I am not living in my home area. That makes me feel that my service has been lacking due to a new environment and culture.
Ai-Thuan Nguyen
October 14, 2010 at 11:46 am (UTC -8) Link to this comment
My cultural experience has inspired me to do so much for my community. I was raised in Stockton, where poverty is around every corner. My family never had much but we always got by, one way or another. From dealing with this experience first hand, I knew how it felt to not have an easy life. My mom always told me helping others is like helping yourself because one day, they might help you in your time of need. This inspired me to help my community in any way that I could. My aspiration is to help my community through health-based methods. Hopefully, I will be able to get in medical school and graduate. After that, I plan to work in under-served communities and provide healthcare for those that are who can not afford it.
David Moghissi
October 14, 2010 at 11:55 am (UTC -8) Link to this comment
I come from a very diverse area of northern California. Throughout my years in high school I mixed with all different races, cultures, and perspectives. My community was rather fortunate because, from what I consistently observed, this diverse body was able to maintain communication and work together on a variety of projects. In a way, this background helped push me towards getting involved in community engagement because I want to help promote the same type of social-harmony I grew up with.
On the whole, there are plenty of areas that could benefit from George Sanchez’s perspective. One key point he raises in his writing is the importance of credibility and education. These two factors are connected and central to community engagement because in order for a potential leader to be followed, he or she must have credibility. Education – especially that earned on the university level – can provide a background that people respect. Sanchez’s points are critical for anyone seeking to make a difference in their community.
Nirav Bhardwaj
October 14, 2010 at 12:01 pm (UTC -8) Link to this comment
George Sanchez’s article discusses how ethnic backgrounds have to do with one’s civic and community engagement. I definitely agree with this as it ties into my personal background and the reason why I chose to engage in community engagement. I grew up in a town where 95% of the students around me were white. Although this was the case I still happened to end up having a close group of friends with the “remaining” non-white individuals at school. I believe this background allowed me to understand and be accepting of people from different cultures and backgrounds. This is partly why I have decided to work in Santa Ana which students who are all Hispanic from low-income families. I feel that it is just another way for me to be exposed to a different culture and help out individuals who are truly in need. Civic engagement shouldn’t be restricted to one’s ethnic background, but it should be done for the benefit for all of those who are in need.
Nicole Fulbright
October 14, 2010 at 12:17 pm (UTC -8) Link to this comment
My ethnic background that is never questioned. Everyone who I have ever met assumes that I am white. It’s really frustrating and the older I get, the more annoying I find it. Yes, I am white, but only half. My father is white, but my mother is from Mexico. She came to the United States about 25 years ago and become a U.S. citizen my senior year of high school. When I was a baby, my parents and I moved back to Mexico City to be closer to my family, but we eventually moved back to Southern California. I consider myself a fluent Spanish speaker, as Spanish is the dominant language spoken in my home. I love being able to understand and speak Spanish because living in Southern California, it allows me to communicate with so many people of Latino backgrounds. I agree with Sanchez in that having this cultural tie with people makes me feel connected to them. Coming from a privileged home, I feel that it is my responsibility to give back to my people. This certainly drives me to choose particular projects where I can do just that. A couple of years ago, I went on a mission trip to Northern Mexico and I just felt as though I belonged there, like I had a right to be there almost. Every time I am in Mexico city I feel at home again and like I belong. There, people assume I am one of them, rather than white. This is part of the reason that in the future I hope to work in Latin, Hispanic speaking countries, because I know that it is my responsibility to do so, but also because it is where I ultimately belong.
Jennifer Madamba
October 14, 2010 at 1:26 pm (UTC -8) Link to this comment
I definitely agree that a more diverse society brings culture. I believe that culture is a combination of ideas and ethnicity. Also coming from a privileged home, I grew up knowing that I shouldn’t take anything for granted and I should give back to those who need it most.
Leslie Mendoza
October 14, 2010 at 12:20 pm (UTC -8) Link to this comment
It seems like my background is pretty similar to Brenda’s in that our parents looked down upon the uneducated and were involved in the social welfare system. However, coming from their own experiences that they immigrated and faced many hardships to get us (their children) a better lives, I can definitely understand why they would be angry towards those individuals who are of legal status and are “wasting” their life by not contributing but leeching of the “system” of life. Especially since in the areas that I lived in (a poor, minority urban community), people worked hard to support their families without getting social welfare as a matter of their own “pride” of being independent.
I really admire those people- in love with anyone who works hard to achieve their goals.
Unfortunately, sometimes there are restrictions as to how those goals could be achieved. And sometimes after so much struggling, sometimes people give up sadly. In high school, I didn’t really do volunteer work, but I was section leader of the flute section and helped not only in band related areas, but also in other school stuff. I don’t think that there’s such thing as being “stupid” and never getting it; it just takes practice and will. That’s the philosophy that my school band taught.
What caught me about the wheelchair organization was their presentation in the UCI flag poles. There’s no such thing as a physical disability, it exists in the mind. Sometimes you think it might be an ethnic stereotypes (which is true), but overall there’s different stereotypes that we must overcome.
Going on a tangent, what frustrated me about the article (but I have to admit, seems very plausible) is that you can be passionate about something in activism, but if you don’t have the credentials, very little people from the community will listen. But as Sanchez also mentions, one shouldn’t forget about the community as one strives to obtain their credentials. One should be balanced. D:
Amy Sage
October 14, 2010 at 12:26 pm (UTC -8) Link to this comment
I grew up in Northern Arizona on an American Indian Reservation. My daily environment consisted of individuals that were predominantly Navajo or Hopi. It is a completely different lifestyle, and when people ask what it’s like being from a reservation, I usually respond by saying that it’s like growing up in a different country (kind of third world), but some how still being considered an American.
Our communities are very close, much like Mr. Sanchez mentions in the reading, so I do wish to give back. I volunteered for several programs when I used to live back home, such as diabetes prevention, wellness programs, and child mentoring/encouragement. At the moment it is hard because of the distance. I try to fulfill my need to help by working for other organizations here in California that mimic some of the problems my people face so I have “training” and am better prepared to handle these situations in the future when I return home.
Where I am from there are not many organizations to help the community, so I look at our future service learning site as a step into the world of non-profit organizations. Hopefully I’ll learn enough about how the programs are run so I can start non-profit organizations back home. However, I do like being away from the reservation because I am more exposed to diversity, even though I have always kind of been a minority. I am half white and half Navajo, but grew up on the reservation so initially nobody liked me because I was either white or Indian. Eventually I was accepted, but even now I’m always the minority wherever I go, but it doesn’t bother me one bit. I’ve gotten used to being ethnically different, but I appreciate meeting people from different customs and cultures because each of them offer different valuable lessons in life.
Gaurav Nihalani
October 14, 2010 at 12:36 pm (UTC -8) Link to this comment
I was born in Mumbai, India and lived there until I was 6 years old. At that point I had moved to St. Thomas, an island in the United States Virgin Islands. Around 11 I moved to San Jose, California and have been living here ever since. To narrow down my culture to one specific area or place is quite difficult for me because I grew up in such varied atmospheres. I do feel a strong connection to the Indian community but still I relate to the Caribbean a whole lot as well. I feel that both places hold a special place in my heart and I have worked with organizations to better both communities. My parents have always kept me involved with Indian service programs but I have also stayed in touch with friends from the Caribbean who got me involved in the “Stop the Bloodshed in the Virgin Islands” movement. I believe it is very important to give back to your community or any community you have a strong tie with as in the article. If the people never gave back then the community itself would never grow.
Dillon Gamboa
October 14, 2010 at 12:56 pm (UTC -8) Link to this comment
I came up from a background of Filipino Immigrants. I am the first generation Filipino-American and being a first generation person, I didn’t really struggle with being filipino in a majority white dominated city. However, whenever I met another filipino person that was in the same situation such as mine we always identified with each other. I found it more of a self comfort that there was someone else out there just like me.
When I got to high school and started to see more Filipinos in my community, well lets just say there were only 10 in my graduating class, I tried to talk to them more. But at the same time when I met underclassmen that were Filipino I had the tendency to look out for them more and make sure they are ok within a community that we are seen as a minority. Just that alone pushes me towards the fact that I want to get more involved in people’s lives to help make either transitions easier or just being there for them.
I haven’t seen too many causes that I seem too passionate about within the Filipino-American community, but reading in this article showed me that I should get involved regardless. There is a chance that it may spark my interest or lead me towards another civic engagement and get more involved in the Colored community.
Stephen Mendez
October 14, 2010 at 1:12 pm (UTC -8) Link to this comment
This reading shed some light on the organization I am working for: Kidworks. The article mentioned Santa Ana and the importance of UCI’s involvement in civic and community engagement in those neighborhoods and the impact it will have on the greater Orange County area. I have visited Kidworks and can already tell that many of these kids are from backgrounds similar to or exactly as Sanchez described. I am highly motivated to help these children to succeed and thrive because that I can relate to them in my background. It is up to us as the future leaders of this country to make sure that we make an effort to use the education and generous opportunities we have received to try and generate a positive impact on those less fortunate than us.
Jennifer Lazaro
October 14, 2010 at 1:23 pm (UTC -8) Link to this comment
I agree with Gorge Sanchez. It is really hard to grow up in a community without any outreach programs. Growing up in LAUSD, a success story was to head someone graduated and without having a kid. It was really hard for me to make education my main focus, since I had to also worry about blending in with the clicks and trying to survive one day at a time. Sanchez talks about programs that are run by USC and NYU, I was lucky to be part of one of them. I honestly feel that, if it was not for this outreach program hosted by USC, living in my community would have for sure been my downfall.
Both my parents came as immigrants 30-something years ago. My mom was a licensed secretary and my dad didn’t even finish elementary. For them, it was a struggle to survive in U.S. after they got married. My mom became a housewife and my father worked 2 jobs. Growing up we were told to do good in school and not let the family down, this was great motivation, until I hit middle school and we started talking about college and universities. My parents didn’t have a clue on how to help us in this path. If it wasn’t because my parents went out and looked into it then I don’t know where I would be. Ignorance is the main problem with the majority of minority communities. They don’t realize what opportunities they have. This really saddens me and frustrates me because if they don’t know, and no one bothers to help them out, of course they will remain at the bottom. This is my motivation to be part of organizations. I believe that it’s my turn to give back, since someone was there to help me out. My main focus is education, how to educate both students and parents on their rights and opportunities. I want to break the stereotype, minorities are not lazy!
Dulshani BalasuriyaArachchi
October 14, 2010 at 1:27 pm (UTC -8) Link to this comment
I agree with the author’s claim that the neighborhood and culture you come from plays a role in how you perceive and choose your community service projects. Personally, for me race did not play any role in my interest or choice of community service. However, cultural experiences did have a major influence. I spent my childhood in Sri Lanka and poverty level was high in that country. I got to know the difficult faced by the poor because some of them worked as housekeepers at my home and they would talk about the difficulties they have to face to feed the children and run the family. So, ever since I was about 5 years old I was always encouraged by the school and parents to involve in community service. I believe it was part of the culture in the country. Most people who are well off donate and engaged in community services because sometimes that was the only way the people who are affected by poverty could survive as the government itself could not support everyone. When I choose community service projects I tend to choose projects that are focused on helping the poor in someway or donating food, clothes, money to the people who are affected by poverty more than events like beach clean ups or fund raisers for other issues. This may be because while I was in Sri Lanka had seen and talked to people who are affected by poverty and these are their main issues. I do participate in other types of community service projects as well because after living here I have realized that other issues are as important as well. So culture and surrounding environment do play role when making choices about community service.
Nimrah Salim
October 14, 2010 at 1:27 pm (UTC -8) Link to this comment
Until I had read the article I never actually thought about how my own background has had impact on where I do my service learning. Although the service learning I do right now, doesn’t not relate to my personal ethnicity, it did when I was just starting out. Most of my volunteer experience in the first few years of high schools comes from various religious organizations. I volunteered for things like Islamic relief, which is a nonprofit relief fund, or Humanitarian Day, both of which are Muslim run organizations. However there are not a lot of organizations that are based on my ethnicity, mainly because it’s a pretty recent generation of immigrants into America. So while there are quite a few located in various places, there are not many local ones that I can volunteer at. However, even in high school I did not mind going out and volunteering at places that didn’t really relate my religion and background. So while I agree with the fact that your personal background plays a role in where you volunteer, I believe that it also had a lot to do with your own willingness to help others. Where I picked to do my service learning (SOS) also didn’t have to do with my personal background.
andre Navarro
October 14, 2010 at 1:28 pm (UTC -8) Link to this comment
My mother is half German half polish and my father is Mexican, I grew up in predominantly Hispanic communities. Thus my culture experiences are more Hispanic than anything else. Furthermore the communities I grew up in were not upper class, as to say they were “blue collar.” I think I most relate to George J. Sanchez when he says, “the goal
I sought was to be a scholar with credentials as impeccable as I could
Achieve. At the same time I was determined to be as active as I could in
The fight to eradicate the stain of racism that clouded American intellectual and academic life even as it poisoned other aspects of American society.”
Going to public schools and being biracial it’s almost like I got to see both sides of the ‘racial story.’ Even though teachers always said you can be anything you want when you grow up, it’s almost like it’s just understood that, that statement isn’t altogether true; just something that teachers say. This understanding was different for my white friends they had dreams of going to college and literally doing anything they wanted. Of course their parents had gone to college and did what they wanted, and this mentality was passed onto their children.
I feel this (along with a number of other issues) is why there is such a difference in the amount of Hispanic students going to college as there is to whites. My personal experiences are totally influencing me to take this community engagement class. I want to be able to tell people that they can do it and they don’t have to settle for anything.
Alexis Utanes
October 14, 2010 at 1:30 pm (UTC -8) Link to this comment
How do your own cultural experiences and ethnic backgrounds influence your interest in community engagement, the types of projects you take on, and so on? Compare your experiences to those discussed in the article.
I have always held my Filipino culture close to my heart. From a young age up to present time, I am constantly surrounded by my culture due to a close family unit and active participation in a Youth Filipino-Catholic organization. This influences my interest in community engagement because I see directly how important the my community feels about certain issues. Many of our activities—such as protesting for Filipino Veteran pensions from the US–are only possible through our cooperation and determination, working as one through a common goal. This relates to the article because the Campus Compact works to bring communities and their students together. We too are encouraging young people in our Filipino community to participate in something that could cause Change in the world.
Cindy Arias
October 14, 2010 at 1:59 pm (UTC -8) Link to this comment
I grew up in an area that was all hispanic , yet as I went through high school I tried to not be a part of thaqt culturbe too much. There was so much stigma associated with being from that culture: from the police, from teachers, from everyone! However,oncei came to Irvine, i realized how much i missed my own culture, how important it is to be involved. It becomes a part of you that you can indentify with at all turns and lacking some that really affected my individuality for the first couple years. I think the reading is right about becoming involved in on’s culture not just because I was involved but because of the lack of association i had with it. It shows how importnat it is to bring the community together especially with students.
Christine Thrasher
October 14, 2010 at 2:03 pm (UTC -8) Link to this comment
How do your own cultural experiences and ethnic backgrounds influence your interest in community engagement, the types of projects you take on, and so on? Compare your experiences to those discussed in the article. You can also write a different response, but you should compare your own personal experiences with those in the article. By Thursday at 1:30 PM.
As a person of mixed race, my ethnic and cultural background affects the way I see the world and interact with other people on a daily basis. I am living proof that race is no obstacle to relationships between people. My mother came to America from the Philippines to get her doctorate from UCI, and she met my father, who was born in California, and they have been together ever since then. Living as a child of two very different cultures has endowed me with a lot of tolerance towards others and a curiousity to learn about different cultures. As the reading mentions, sometimes cultural wars develop in which people fear and express hostility towards each other, due to superficial cultural differences. I truly believe that these kinds of conflicts are unnecessary and can be greatly alleviated through education and public service. People in the academic community can greatly improve their local surroundings by sharing their knowledge freely, instead of simply limiting it to academic settings. Public venues such as museums, support of non-profit organizations, and on-campus events open to the public are all great ways of sharing campus life with the community.