Bakersfield College students from around the globe told their stories sharing “A Cup of Culture” with around 50 BC students on April 21 in the Student Services building.
“A Cup of Culture, Story Telling by International Students” had students dressed in everything from T-shirts and denim to flowing dresses and burqas from the BC international student program sharing their stories about coming to the United States to gain an education and their experiences so far.
A common theme among the speakers was the vast amount of cultures and races present in the United States compared to their country of origin.
Students discussed the language barriers they encountered, the differences in food, the feelings of being surrounded by strangers and how their view of the United States has changed.
Nay May, from Burma, shared his experiences with coming from a war-torn country to the United States, detailing his experiences in refugee camps. “I never even dreamed of thinking of going overseas,” said May, who arrived in the United States two years ago.
Other presenters, such as Chi Dinh, 18, of Vietnam, had been interested in studying in another country since childhood. “I wanted to do it for myself and my country,” said Dinh. This sentiment was echoed by several of the storytellers.
Not all presenters came from lands as far away as Burma. Presenter Asma Ali, 19, born in Bakersfield of Yeminite descent, shared her experiences about being the first female in her family, to the best of her knowledge, to attend college along with the cultural and linguistic differences present in her home.
All foreign presenters believed that coming to the United States was a great experience regardless of whether they intended on staying after finishing college.
“It was fun hearing other students speak,” said business major Tangela Boler, 19.
Students in attendance said they gained a lot from the experience and understand the hardships international students face more than they did before. “You see other people here from those cultures, but you don’t really take the time to talk to them,” said Desi Ruiz, 20.
Victor Mota, 19, engineering major, inspired by the presentation, said, “Learning about their backgrounds and seeing how they have to struggle makes me thankful for what I have, makes me want to work hard.”
“We organized it so students can learn from other cultures. They can become more familiar with differences and similarities among themselves. Students may speak different languages but they may be very similar in other aspects,” said Shohreh Rahhman, international student counselor at BC.