VIETNAMESE STUDENT ASSOCIATION
President: Vanessa Nguyen
1. What is your organization's main goal and how do you think that you guys are affecting the Asian American community?
2. How do you personally feel about how Asian Americans are represented within media?
1. What is your organization's main goal and how do you think that you guys are affecting the Asian American community?
- The Vietnamese Student Association strives to spread the Vietnamese culture to the UMBC community. As a college organization we hope to bring people together through a common interest of the Vietnamese culture and help students reconnect with their culture. A lot of second generation Asian Americans have assimilated to the American culture and are often not in touch with the culture in which their parents came from. We feel that it is important to educate and bring awareness to show what Vietnamese culture has to offer. VSA brings opportunities to our members by showcasing Vietnam's rich culture through culture shows, various community events, and connecting with other VSAs from the DMV area through our umbrella organization, the Mid-Atlantic Union of Vietnamese Student Assocations (MAUVSA).
- A major role that MAUVSA has played is that they bring young Asian Americans together to inspire and teach us how to be leaders and encourage us to be active and make a difference in our community. Thanks to these opportunities our members have been able to connect to their culture by participating in fashion shows showcasing our traditional Vietnamese clothing, performing traditional fan dances, and expanding our organization by reaching out to the Vietnamese community outside of school.
2. How do you personally feel about how Asian Americans are represented within media?
- I feel like Asian Americans are beginning to gain some attention within media, but as an Asian American myself I don't think we are being represented enough. There is so much we can offer yet our voice isn't being heard. That isn't to say we aren't progressing as a community though. I can see awareness towards Asian Americans is starting to be noticed (there are many popular Asian American YouTubers and actors) but I feel like it is only within a select audience. Once our community expands past that select audience and into mainstream media, I will feel like we have gained recognition.