Coming to UCLA is, for many, a rite of passage when young adults
take a step toward independence, moving from the familiar home
setting to the vast reaches of a university.
Much can be gained from the college experience: new friends,
unique memories, a more sophisticated world view and, of course, a
degree.
But some students are struggling with what could be lost during
this period ““ their cultural identity.
Bryan Hasegawa, a fifth-year history student, said the diversity
and size of UCLA wears down the sense of culture many students
fostered while growing up.
“It is inevitable,” he said.
For students who base much of their identity on their cultural
background, the struggle between assimilating into the
“melting pot” and retaining distinct traditions is one
of the defining challenges of their college experience.
This fight to maintain cultural identity can take many different
forms. But as the struggles of UCLA students Hasegawa, Steve
Vicijian and Tammer Kheir illustrate, the central concern remains
the same ““ retaining one’s past while growing into
one’s future.
An irreversible transformation
It has been more than four years since Hasegawa left his
Japanese American home and came to UCLA.
Looking back on his time at the university, he lamented the
chasm that lies between him and his Japanese heritage ““ a
separation he attributes to the college environment and the
assimilation of culture it fosters, or imposes, on students.
“I feel detached,” he said.
The son of Japanese immigrants, Hasegawa’s childhood was
characterized by the Japanese traditions: speaking the language,
eating the food, and celebrating the holidays.
All of these practices abruptly ended with his enrollment at
UCLA.
“When I came here, … I lost that sense of Japanese
culture,” he said.
Though UCLA has a large population of Japanese students,
Hasegawa said most of his peers lack the desire to retain their
cultural roots, instead focusing their attention on academics or
other endeavors.
Hasegawa believes the struggle to maintain a distinct cultural
identity in an environment like UCLA ““ with its limited
dining hall menus, large population and lack of family presence
““ is invariably a losing battle.
In his opinion, the best one can do is connect with the cultural
remnants that are available, such as Japanese restaurants, book
stores and video rental shops. But beyond sushi and Anime, Hasegawa
said there are few ways to link with his roots.
Consequently, he strives to emphasize the practical benefits of
college life rather than the aesthetic losses he experienced.
“I am neglecting my culture, but there is a reason for
that,” he said. “Say language ““ knowing Japanese
is fine and dandy, but I need to know the English language to
survive.”
While Hasegawa asserts that culture cannot survive the UCLA
experience completely intact, other students continue the fight to
keep their traditions alive.
A tradition of survival
The sounds coming from third-year history student Steve
Vicijian’s stereo, an exotic mix of drum, guitar and
Serbian-Croatian language, is incomprehensible to the typical
American listener.
For Vicijian, however, the music speaks volumes.
“This song is about retaining the culture,”
Vicijian, a Serbian American, said. “Music has kept our
culture strong through a long history.”
Vicijian said he strives to apply the words of the song to his
own life. Yet the UCLA community poses a significant challenge to
his goal ““ articulated in the song and reiterated by Vicijian
““ of preserving the Serbian identity.
Unlike Hasegawa, Vicijian belongs to a cultural group that is a
small minority in Westwood. As a result, he said many elements of
Serbian culture are almost wholly absent from UCLA.
The food is certainly lacking: The dining commons do not offer
Serbian dishes, Westwood has no Serbian restaurants, and local
supermarkets do not carry many of the ingredients essential for an
authentic Serbian meal.
Dishes that were once staple items in Vicijian’s diet are
now consumed only on the rare visit back home, an adjustment that
has proved arduous.
Serbian religious traditions have also been inconspicuous during
Vicijian’s UCLA experience.
The closest Serbian Orthodox church is far beyond the reaches of
a car-less college student; the distance has prevented Vicijian
from attending any church services during his time at UCLA.
Torn from the food and faith that were pillars of his world
view, Vicijian says it has been difficult to maintain his cultural
identity in the university environment.
But he remains unconcerned about the prospect of losing his
roots, viewing college life as simply another challenge the Serbian
culture will endure.
“The Serbian culture has dealt with a lot of
oppression,” Vicijian said. “We’ve always tried
to keep our identity.”
For Vicijian, the Serbian heritage lies at his very essence. He
considers culture to be something internal, unchanged by outside
developments.
“I feel like I am keeping my culture strong,” he
said. “I am keeping who I am ““ the Serbian culture is
important to me.”
After stating his cultural struggle is a battle primarily waged
within, he acknowledged one cultural desire centered in the
external world.
“It would be nice to have a Serbian girl down here,”
he said jokingly.
Closer than ever
In sharp contrast to the views of Hasegawa and Vicijian ““
who both felt the UCLA experience threatened to deflate their sense
of cultural identity ““ third-year biology student Tammer
Kheir sees the university as an environment where cultural roots
are not hampered, but discovered and strengthened.
“My cultural identity is stronger than ever,” he
said.
Kheir, who has Palestinian, Egyptian and Jordanian roots, said
the diversity of UCLA’s campus engenders the desire to
connect with one’s own heritage.
“The more you are separated from your own culture, the
more you appreciate it,” he said.
Egyptian artwork and Jordanian sand decorate Kheir’s
apartment; he said the cultural artifacts help him to retain his
traditions while living in a culturally heterogeneous setting.
“The decorations symbolize who I am,” he said.
“They celebrate the rich traditions of kingship and power.
It’s about pride.”
Outside his room, Kheir said he keeps his cultural identity
through friendships with other students of a similar
background.
While Hasegawa and Vicijian expressed frustration with their
inability to find other Japanese and Serbian students who shared
their interest in their heritages, Kheir said he draws strength
from his relations with other Middle Eastern students.
“You gravitate toward people of the same group,”
Kheir said.
Something lost, something gained
Though in disagreement over the feasibility of cultural
retention at UCLA and the best means of achieving this goal, all
three students identified something that can be gained during the
struggle with assimilation: a more sophisticated understanding of
culture and its importance.
Vicijian said he has learned to appreciate the mix of change and
continuity that characterizes a person’s identity.
“That is culture: bringing the good and incorporating new
elements,” he said. “It enhances the richness of the
culture.”
Kheir identified the educational benefits that can result from a
conscious effort to connect with one’s culture.
“The more you know about yourself, the more you know about
others,” he said. “The more confidence you have in
yourself, the more open you can be with other people ““ you
can learn from one another.”