Asian American Studies 197B
Spring Quarter 2002

Reflection Journal 1
Paul Chung, "The Need to Humanize the Experiences of Immigrant Workers"

I’m not sure I grasp the concept well enough to understand the amount of influence I would be deemed to have had on me, but being a UCLA student has affected my thinking in more ways that one. Quite honestly, I don’t feel that I’ve been shielded at all from the institutionalized forms of arrogance, because I’ve never had the issue articulated to me until this class. I realize that I am privileged but I’ve never thought of myself as a leader in the world.

However, if there is a mold for the average UCLA student, I don’t think I fit the stereotype of being the middle upper class, straight out of high school student. Since my background is from a lower middle class one, as well as being a transfer student, I don’t think that I could have the specific arrogance that others could display because of the fact that I wouldn’t have much to brag about. However, I know that being here is a privilege that only a small portion in the world are allowed, which is where perhaps my arrogance would begin.

My belief going into this program and joining these community organizations is first and foremost, not to pretend to know the struggles that these workers face on a day to day basis. By starting off with a blank canvas in my head, perhaps I can gain a purer understanding into the plight of these workers. My ultimate goal would not be to sympathize or pity the immigrant workers, but to humanize their experience beyond what I read in the papers and hear on the news.

I think being a UCLA student involves being part of a community that the immigrant workers cannot understand, anymore than I can understand their community as of right now. This does not necessarily make me part of a better community, just a different one whose goals are different. With my access to this community, I think I can use my relationships with people foreign to the groups that I would be joining to create greater awareness.

I think that I would need to first see and understand the activism that I would be getting involved in before I can set a realistic goal in how I can use my talents. I’m not really a vocal person, but I believe I can be most effective in behind the scenes issues.

Perhaps this essay is the greatest proof of my student-centric arrogance, but my wish is to gain an understanding of a specific group of people first-hand and hopefully to provide some support in their cause. I think that by making these causes real and by me sharing to my friends and family their issues, then some awareness can be raised, no matter how miniscule.