Vietnamese Culture Club

My experience as a member of the Vietnamese Culture Club helped me to realize that I don’t have to hide where I am from in America to be welcomed. I had never truly displayed what it meant to be from Vietnam. After selling Vietnamese coffee at lunch, my perspective began to change.
Each time we would pour a cup of coffee, we would explain to the customer what makes this type of coffee unique. In doing this, I began to see how much of our culture had been infused into this drink. When people tried coffee for the first time and asked questions about what was different about it, they didn’t just like the taste, but they felt as though they were connecting with a part of my Vietnamese heritage, rather than simply having a beverage.
Throughout my childhood, I was raised with the idea that being from a different country could be seen as “bad” or that I needed to hide my culture. However, by being able to serve coffee at school, I was representing Vietnamese culture visibly and positively. By doing so, I realized that being Vietnamese is an integral part of my identity, and that I have a reason to celebrate it.
At the end of the day, even though we were tired, we left the school with big smiles on our faces. Selling Vietnamese coffee was a perfect example of how sharing one’s culture is important. Embracing one’s identity can turn an otherwise mundane school experience into a very rewarding one.