With a name like mine, it’s not hard to guess that I’m Irish.
It’s not for lack of trying. I’ve taken a Celtic folklore class, written a research paper or two on my Irish ancestors and have even attempted to learn the Gaelic pronunciation of my name. But I still haven’t had the opportunity to share my culture with other Irish people in a social setting.
So as spring quarter progresses and the season for culture nights ““ events in which ethnic groups get to share their culture with the general public in elaborate theatrical productions ““ I can’t help but feel that my own culture should be represented in the mix.
Cultural student groups provide a great opportunity to connect with new people who already have something in common and, at the same time, learn about and experience one’s own ethnic identity.
This sounds like a great opportunity, but unfortunately UCLA doesn’t have an Irish cultural club. This has got to change.
So what exactly are all us Irish folk missing out on?
First of all, we aren’t learning about and discussing our cultural history. Many of the cultural clubs on campus make discussing issues of ethnic interest a part of each meeting, said Jimmy Yoon Gul Hahn, a third-year psychobiology student and a member of Hanoolim, a student group geared toward exploring and discussing Korean culture.
“In the club, we have an open forum where they introduce a topic and invite us to talk about it in groups,” Hahn said. “Anything from stereotypes and Korean American identity to Korean pop culture and history are up for discussion.”
Talking about an ethnic topic with your peers seems a lot more interesting than listening to a lecture in a classroom. Only a student group can provide such an outlet.
Along with missing out on cultural history, Irish students are also missing out on displaying our pride in our unique Irish heritage. This is what cultural events are all about. These performances, which demand massive amounts of time and effort, allow groups to put their culture on display and share it with their fellow students. Justine de Peralta, a third-year sociology student, said it was one of these cultural events that inspired her to take an interest in her heritage.
“I watched the Pilipino Culture Night last year, and as I was sitting there, I realized that this is what I’m missing out on; this is my culture. Why am I not partaking in this? Why am I not involved?” de Peralta said. This year, she decided to take part in the event.
We’re also missing out on the social interaction and cooperation that accompany culture nights. Hahn, who participated in Wednesday’s Korean Culture Night, said that the show isn’t just about entertaining people.
“It’s really rewarding and fun and inspiring to work with all these very different people and appreciate each other’s skills and abilities as we work together toward a single goal,” Hahn said. “There are so many skills we need to pull off a culture night, and it’s really nice to see all the shades of that.”
So if cultural groups have so much to offer, why haven’t the Irish jumped on board?
Maybe we’re just too distanced from our roots in Ireland and too many generations have passed for us to care much about our own cultural history. But I certainly hope not, because there’s a lot more to identifying with Irish culture than drinking green beer on St. Patrick’s Day.
We have a cultural story to tell. Our dramatic history of struggle, subjugation and immigration would provide endless topics for discussion in a club, and a rich tradition of music and dance could provide the basis for a cultural event of our own.
On this massive campus with such a huge population, it’s easy to just let our cultural heritage pass us by and blend into the melting pot that is UCLA.
But what these existing cultural organizations can show us is that each ethnic heritage is unique, and exploring these differences makes UCLA a more interesting and exciting place to spend our college years.
I know that my own Irish culture is not the only one that lacks a strong presence on campus. So let’s take a cue from the cultural events that take place throughout spring quarter and work on exploring what makes our own cultures unique.
If Irish students unite, we can identify with our own cultural heritage and have a darn good time in the process.
If eating a bowl of Lucky Charms is the only way you relate to Irish culture, then e-mail Fitzpatrick at cfitzpatrick@media.ucla.edu. Send general comments to viewpoint@media.ucla.edu.