Four Years Later

Learning a New Side of Me The people and community that I have connected with have been, since coming to LA, surprisingly different.

Although I come from Laguna, which is just an hour away from LA, the people around me have been very different by comparison.

Laguna Beach

Community Goods

The Getty As part of a predominantly white neighborhood and school, I spent most of my time acclimating to a culture outside of my own. I have known that I was always different, from small things like the holidays I celebrate and the straight black hair vs the curly blond hair of my friends, to the bigger things like the life lessons and religions I was raised on by my immigrant parents.

Although I've always enjoyed their presence and friendship, it wasn’t until I came to UCLA that I was able to connect with others based on shared cultures, and it's allowed me to explore more of my identity as an asian American.

From asian culture clubs to my asian friends around me,

UCLA Squirrel

I feel like I'm learning to grow and accept my Asian side more than ever had the chance to back home.

Closer Than Ever Before Reflecting on my journey from New Zealand to Los Angeles, I’ve gained a deeper understanding of what it means to celebrate the Asian aspect of my identity within a community.

Auckland Growing up in Auckland, my world was predominantly shaped by a mixture of European and Pacific Island cultures, with Asian communities (especial y those with my Chinese heritage) being relatively smaller and less visible.

Hobbiton

Cuba Street

Although I had always been curious about the experience of Asian diaspora, especially those in the US, I never really grasped the depth of these communities until coming to Los Angeles. LA’s vibrant Asian American culture feels alive and multifaceted, and I can feel and see its influence in the cities, food art, and every day life.

TranzAlpine This has been an enlightening revelation that has helped me reconnect with my own roots and identity and helped me think about how my experiences have shaped who I am. This is a perspective I would have never fully understood from back home and it’s something I now feel deeply connected to.

The Happiest Goodbye It’s been four years since you have moved to LA. In that time you have been extremely blessed From the close friendships you have made, the memories that your cherish, the yummiest food ever, to the vibrant culture that heals heal in ways you didn’t know you needed to be healed – LA has been one of the best decisions of your life.

Seaside

Words cannot describe how much you needed this when you didn’t even know it was missing.

San Diego

Bye UCLA! As I prepare to graduate, I keep getting misty eyed as I realize just how much I’ll be leaving behind as I move back home to New York.

Coachella

I’ll have nothing but happy memories to look back upon and give me strength through my future. I guess this is a love letter to LA and UCLA specifically for all the wonderful experiences I’ve had while going here and helping me become me.

Thank you.

UCLA Botanical Gardens

FINDING ME Growing up in suburban Minnesota as a Vietnamese American, I was often the only or one of the only Asians in my circle. The Asian community was so small that we all knew or knew of one another.

Exploring Although I spoke Vietnamese and ate Vietnamese food at home, those cultural practices did not extend beyond the home, and I could count the number of Vietnamese friends I had on my fingers.

Oberg Mountain There were few Asian restaurants and events in the area, and my town did not have a boba shop until my senior year of High School, for example. I often felt like I had to suppress my culture or conform to fit in.

However, when I moved to LA for school, I felt like I could finally be my fullest and most authentic self because of the diversity that is evident everywhere you go. I never knew life could’ve felt like that, and my worldview was entirely shifted. Since coming to UCLA, I have been exposed to so many different cultures and identities that I would never have gotten if I had stayed in Minnesota.

VCN @ UCLA

FINDING ME I have tasted many cuisines and attended celebrations that have added new perspectives to my life. I now never feel like I’m isolated as the only Asian in the room (because I’m usually not) and feel seen, heard, and understood).

Lake Nokomis

@reallygreatsite

Spoonbridge and Cherry

In general, I’ve felt that most people here are more open-minded and welcoming due to their upbringings in such a diverse environment, which allows for conversations about culture, values, representation, etc that I rarely had back home. I feel fully integrated into the community here and that I never have to worrry about not fitting in.

Downtown LA Coming to UCLA has brought me closer to my culture and helped me fully embrace being Asian. I’m grateful for all the clubs and organizations that have allowed me to do so and the larger LA community for its integration of so many cultures.