December 9, 2016 - 21:56
I was so impressed with all the groups that presented their six week projects this past week. I really enjoyed putting together my six week project and talking to people that I otherwise might not have gotten to meet. My project was very validating because for a long time, I thought that I was the only person who experienced and felt certain ways. However, hearing other Asian American students describing their struggle for identity and acknowledgment made me realize that I am not alone. While I don’t identify completely with the label Asian American, I do have some connection and it was nice to connect with that part of my identity that I felt I couldn’t share for so long. I have never felt comfortable with that part of myself and hearing that other people have the same problems- I felt more comfortable embracing that part of myself. At the same time, I didn’t feel as if I personally learned anything. I just heard other Asian American students echoing my feelings. There is not enough Asian American representation in music, film, and other media. And we want to be acknowledged.
I would show this short project to anyone who would want to watch it. I think the firsthand experiences are a very powerful tool and are hard to ignore. In particular, when one student mentioned that she never felt beautiful, she always felt ugly because nobody in the media looked like her- that was a powerful moment when I wondered when media would become more diverse and inclusive.
I enjoyed many of the presentations. I thought that the topics were well thought out and addressed many of the things we had been discussing in class as well as other diverse topics. I especially liked the projects on the Bryn Mawr Bubble, the culture of politeness at Bryn Mawr, the project on dining services at Bryn Mawr, and the project on intersectionality. I believe that all of these projects should be shared with the entire Bryn Mawr Community including students, staff, administration, parents, and alums. Many of these projects have so much research and important information, anyone could be interested by any number of these topics. And by seeing these interviews and data, it could give Bryn Mawr a sense of what students feel could be improved or changed. I was just very impressed by the interviews conducted, the time spent on this project, and the conclusions reached. I thought it was a success and all of the projects were very interesting to hear about.