Asian Culture Club Finds Success With First Official Year

Members+of+Asian+Culture+Club+stand+in+front+of+Asian+demons%2C+after+discussing+them+at+length+during+their+meeting.+

Stefani Zeiger

Members of Asian Culture Club stand in front of Asian demons, after discussing them at length during their meeting.

Stefani Zeiger, Online Editor-in-Chief

Asian Culture Club began its trial period last year and generated enough success to continue on as an official club this year.

The idea originated with seniors Laura Kim and Jasmine Cuasay.

“We noticed that in MHS there was a lack of representation for Asians,” said Kim. “There’s a fair number of Asians [here]. It’d be nice to have some sort of gathering.”

Since its introduction, the club has become a place for fun and learning for those apart of the culture and also those just wanting to find out more.

“We have a lot of regular members, and everyone enthusiastically participates. I think a lot of students are learning things about new cultures even some about their own heritages,” said Sara Sinclair, co-adviser and instructional assistant.

Because of high regular attendance, the club has been able to partake in various culturally-related activities. Asian Culture Club has brought in cultural games from Korea called Gonggi and Ghost Stop; cultural dresses from the Philippines, Korea and Japan; and food, such as kimbap, kimchi and silkworms.

By introducing these components of culture, members of the club are able to share aspects of their own culture along with learning about others.

“We’ve talked a lot about how Eastern culture is often misrepresented; we want to bring light on that subject,” said Cuasay.

Through the incorporation of cultural dress, the exploration of languages and the engagement in trivia, members can learn to break stereotypes and improve their knowledge of Asian countries.

Students in the club enjoy sharing different aspects of their own culture that most members haven’t encountered, such as food, as sophomore Justin So cited as a reason for his own involvement.

“I like the idea of sharing the culture with the student body, teaching them our cultures and seeing how they react [and] if it appeals to them,” said So.

Both advisers of the club are of Caucasian decent; however, they both have experiences with Asian countries.

“I like the enthusiasm and how many different countries we have represented; I like learning things from the students,” said Sinclair.
Not only does Sinclair learn from the students, but she gives an interesting perspective from her own life.

Sinclair said, “I lived in Japan for five years, and I speak fluent Japanese; Dan Warren, [co-sponsor and instructional assistant], lived in Taiwan for five years.”

The unique backgrounds of the advisers have helped them learn about aspects of Asian culture and given them opportunities to broaden their knowledge. Because of this, they’re able to share stories and inform members about the cultures of the countries in which they lived.

Asian Culture Club has proven itself popular among the student body with roughly 30 members. Because it’s the first Asian Club Mundelein has had, students are eager to contribute and learn about new cultures.