Three minority students: Eli ethnic ties

Sharing and enjoying my Asian-American culture while at Yale

When asked to define my freshman experience at Yale in terms of my identity as an Asian-American, I had a difficult time; it never occurred to me to evaluate my first year here solely in that light. At home most of my friends were Vietnamese, but I never considered our common heritage to be what held our friendships together. When I got to Yale, I was just another face in the crowd: some were Asian, most weren't. This became even clearer when I got to know my floormates and realized that we were all extremely different. We came from diverse backgrounds, races, and religions, yet we faced many of the same issues. Ultimately, this made for a very powerful experience.

The most valuable thing I took away from it was the opportunity to view myself from a different perspective. Growing up, I had always been surrounded by people similar to me. Upon arriving at Yale, I was, for the first time, faced with the task of representing myself--and my ethnicity--to people who had no understanding of it. At the same time, I wanted to establish a connection with the Yale Vietnamese community--this was a balance I had never needed to consider before.

Throughout the year, as I became closer with my floormates, it became easier to merge my two worlds. While I got the chance to meet many international students and attend events of other ethnic groups, I also introduced my non-Vietnamese friends to ViSA, the Vietnamese Student Association. They attended many of the events we hosted, and while I sometimes had to force them to eat "odd" Vietnamese dishes, the experiences we shared brought us closer together in the end. I was able to give them a better understanding of my heritage without limiting my freshman experience to just one facet of my personality.

As an Asian-Americans at Yale, you have an expansive support system at your disposal, and you can get involved as much or as little as you like. Although I am a part of ViSA and treasure the friendships I have made there, I have also explored several other avenues. Nonetheless, ViSA has and will continue to enrich the friendships I make during my time at Yale.

—By Trang La

Branching out: exploring the diverse Latino community at Yale

Yale does not have a huge minority population, and being of Latino origin is like being a minority within a minority. Despite our small numbers, however, Yale Latinos form extremely strong bonds that are strengthened by the activities sponsored by campus organizations. The Latino community here is tight and extremely supportive of its members.

There are several organizations on campus for the students of Latino heritage. You can join social groups like the Latin American Students Organization (LASO) or the Lambda Epsilon Lambda fraternity. If you are more interested in political activism, organizations like the Movimiento Estudiantíl Chicano de Aztlán (MEChA) or the United Farm Workers (UFW) might better suit your interests.

You can also get involved with the New Haven Latino community through organizations such as Libros En Español (LEE). LEE compiles children's books written in Spanish by Yale students and distributes them to local hospitals and community organizations, while other organizations help Yalies become Spanish language tutors for New Haven elementary school students. Other groups, like the Ethnic Community Relations Council, promote cross-cultural learning by exposing Latinos to minorities outside their particular community.

Of course, you should never feel compelled to participate in any cultural or ethnic organizations during your four years, and being a minority at Yale does not automatically require you to have exclusively minority friends. Regardless of whatever background you come from, you can expect to find a diverse group of people here with whom you are sure to feel comfortable.

—By Danny Sanchez

Finding my place within Yale's African American community

With all the excitement built up, I wasn't exactly sure what to make of this "wonderful opportunity" or of my impending "Yale experience." Naturally, I was honored and proud to have been accepted by Yale. After having graduated from a predominantly white, Catholic high school, I was excited to join the African American community and to immerse myself in my culture at Yale. But at the same time, I felt weighed down by the high hopes and expectations of my parents, my peers, and myself.

As one of only a few Yale students from New Haven, I found support from my nearby family and the familiar surroundings. However, this familiarity did not prevent me from suffering the same pressures that many other African American students feel during their first year of college. Soon, my excitement turned to anxiety. I felt obliged to make an appearance at the many events affiliated with the Afro-American Cultural Center, a.k.a. "the House," and to participate in the Black Student Alliance at Yale (BSAY) as well as other minority organizations on campus.

About one month into the semester, I realized that in order to succeed academically and personally, I would have to decide what was important to me. While I sought out the black community on campus, I also wanted to become acquainted with other people coming from many different walks of life.

Although I found it difficult to adjust at first, I was able to meet an interesting group of people with a diverse set of cultures and ideas. The most important advice I can give to any freshman is this: decide for yourself what is best for you. For some of you, that will mean surrounding yourself with those students who are most like you. For others, it will mean getting to know people from different backgrounds. Either way, you must do what makes you happy.

—By Kim Jones

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