Building Student Global Vision through Cultural Awareness
By: Sujing Chen, Ruzanna Gaboyan
Club Advisor: Haowen Ge
Organization: Equalisitc Dream for Hope Student-Led Club at International
Student Services Association
America is known as a cultural melting pot, but many of its citizens lack cultural awareness. This
lack of cultural awareness is a common cause for immigrants to lose their own identity and
culture. Many immigrants are unaware of their family culture and history, which results in a loss
of confidence in their identity and a disconnection from their heritage.
The lack of knowledge about different cultures can also be detrimental to immigrants when
Americans make comments about stereotypes, cultural differences, and ideas presented by those
who are different from them. The lack of cultural sensitivity among students leads to racial
bullying and can result in negative mental and physical health.
Punam Subba, a Nepalese immigrant, said that she heard a group of freshmen laughing about
stereotypical comments like, “Cuz she’s Chinese, she must eat cats, rats, and dogs.” Hearing this
comment made her uncomfortable, so she emailed the principal. Although she was promised that
the person making the comments would be pulled from the class, when she arrived later, that
same person was still there. This, understandably, made Punam feel uncomfortable. From that
moment forward, she started skipping class to avoid them, and this caused her to fall back on her
assignments. She needed a lot of time to regain the confidence to go back to that class.
Nateaya, an American high school student, recalled a story in which someone in her class made
fun of her friends because of African food. They called it “stinky” and “nasty.” These comments
made Nateaya angry. Food is an extremely important part of people’s cultures, but the limited
understanding of other cultures in America results in rude actions that cause damage to others’
mental well-being and sense of belonging.
Sujing Chen, a Chinese high school student, heard her Asian immigrant classmate in English as a
Second Language complain about how offended they feel when people assume they are Chinese.
These generalizations are harmful considering the thousands of different cultures that exist
together in Asia. When classifying all Asian people as Chinese, people eradicate so many
cultural nuances that exist across Asia.
When situations like these occur, minority students feel pressure to lose their most significant
assets: their identity, diverse ideas, and abilities to express themselves against the tide of cultural
discrimination, and we all miss out on the ideas that come with a diverse group of people. To
prevent this from happening, we have three recommendations below.
Having more Leadership Classes
America has always been a country that emphasizes the strength of its people’s power and
democracy. “Immigrants and children of immigrants make up at least 14% of the 117th
Congress” (Atske). Despite the fact that immigrants make up a big part of representations of
cultural diversity and the population of the United States, only 14% 117th Congress members
were immigrants or children of immigrants. The huge difference in the U.S. immigrant
population in Congress shows the lack of cultural minority leaders that can represent the needs of
minorities. To reduce the lack of cultural minority representation at its core, we need more
minorities to be leaders in their fields. This will help raise voices for what minorities need, the
opportunities lost, and the problems that minorities are facing.
Several reasons can be the cause of the lack of leadership programs in the USA, such as the lack
of funds for new programs, the shortage in staff, and the teacher evaluation based on the test
score. According to a 2021 database, only 2% of 3,181 leadership programs are available to
students who are getting their high school diplomas. (“Leadership Development Program
Demographics and Statistics [2023]: Number of Leadership Development Programs in the US”)
The leadership program is not only important in raising diverse perspectives from minority
leaders’ it is also an important skill that most jobs want in their employees. To solve this
problem, schools should have more classes that can develop leadership, public speaking skills,
communication, teamwork, etc. This way, there can be a more diverse workforce that drives
improvements in legislation and the curriculum, so we can all live in a community that feels like
home.
Culture Awareness Class
According to Pew Research Center, “About six-in-ten Americans (58%) say race relations in the
U.S. are bad, and of those, few see them improving.” (Horowitz et al.) People will continue
expressing racist or racially insensitive views due to a lack of cultural awareness. Racism will
noticeably decrease if people feel more comfortable and know more about how unique and
interesting other cultures can be. People, like those in the stories above, express racist or racially
insensitive views due to a lack of cultural awareness.
People are not born with discriminatory ideas. Bigotry and racism are taught and learned. Every
child is a clean slate, free of any discriminatory ideas; to increase cultural sensitivity, we need to
start with educating children. Having Cultural Awareness classes for young children can educate
others to be more aware of topics like religions, cultures, and unique habits. Through education,
we can promote the understanding of different cultures and harmony among communities and
help others understand and appreciate different cultural practices and beliefs. Learning these
values early in life can create a generation that respects others, regardless of their cultural
identity or race.
More Community and Club Involvement
Many people think our society is more homogenous than it actually is and that they are unbiased
regarding the culture of others. However, this idea actually churns more cultural ignorance, as
many do not understand how their actions are biased. According to the American Journal of
Public Health Research, “20% of people of Asian ethnicity had experienced Covid-related bias,
the new report found that 30% of that group had experienced such discrimination, while 44% had
seen people act fearful around them.” (Strassle et al.).
Having communities or clubs with a welcoming environment helps people understand the
different experiences of immigrants through discussions, documentaries, and debates. This can
help Americans see the world through the lens of cultural minorities. Having these discussions
can help Americans validate the experiences and feelings of minorities, which can help them
recognize their hurtful comments and actions. Through these communities and clubs, we can
work towards creating a more inclusive and empathetic society.
Our organization makes significant strides toward a better future for all minorities in America,
and your support will go a long way. Through more cultural awareness classes, we help students
build a global vision that can help them know more about the differences in culture. This, in turn,
will create a healthier and safer environment for so many immigrants in America. Even if you
believe you can’t do anything, support us by learning more updated information on our
organization by following us on Instagram @equalisticdreamforhope2022.
Works Cited
Horowitz, Juliana, et al. “Views on Race in America 2019.” Pew Research Center’s Social &
Demographic Trends Project, Pew Research Center, 9 Apr. 2019,
www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2019/04/09/race-in-america-2019/. Accessed 27 June
2023.
Mpofu, Jonetta J., et al. “Perceived Racism and Demographic, Mental Health, and Behavioral
Characteristics among High School Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic —
Adolescent Behaviors and Experiences Survey, United States, January–June 2021.”
MMWR Supplements, vol. 71, no. 3, 1 Apr. 2022, pp. 22–27,
https://doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.su7103a4.
Atske, Sara. “Immigrants and Children of Immigrants Make up at Least 14% of the 117th
Congress.” Pew Research Center, 21 Feb. 2021,
www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2021/02/12/immigrants-and-children-of-immigrants-m
ake-up-at-least-14-of-the-117th-congress/.
Strassle, Paula D., et al. “COVID-19-Related Discrimination among Racial/Ethnic Minorities
and Other Marginalized Communities in the United States.” American Journal of Public
Health, vol. 112, no. 3, 1 Mar. 2022, pp. 453–466, pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35196054/,
https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2021.306594. Accessed 27 June 2023.
“Leadership Development Program Demographics and Statistics [2023]: Number of Leadership
Development Programs in the US.” Www.zippia.com, 29 Jan. 2021,
www.zippia.com/leadership-development-program-jobs/demographics/#race-statistics.
Accessed 5 July 2023.
