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Volume 13, Issue #1. Published on November 3, 2004
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Amerasia Cultivates Growth
Organization is more than just weekly meetings
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Brandon Hamilton
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When I started my second year of college last year I had very few friends.
I had my roommates I knew from the dorms and a few other friends, but I was not in the dorms anymore and I did not see them all that much around campus.
School was boring between classes and other than schoolwork I had nothing much to do, so I considered joining a club.
One of my friends belonged to the Amerasia organization.
She suggested I come to a meeting with her and see what they were about.
It sounded iffy, but I ignored my reluctance and went; it was the best decision I ever made.
The Amerasia organization was founded thirty years ago to give Asian students an outlet to educate the community about their culture and the issues that affect the Asian community.
This is mainly done during Amerasia Week in the Spring semester, when for a whole week different clubs and organizations put on free performances and shows for the public.
They range from lion dances and martial arts demonstrations, to stand up comedy and performances by local bands.
In order to put all this on the organization does a lot of fundraising through dances, car washes and donations from local businesses.
Amerasia also performs community services for a variety of interests, ranging from Catholic Charities’ Hmong refugee programs to volunteering for the Academy for New Americans, helping immigrants integrate into US culture.
The best part of Amerasia isn’t the dances, the carwashes, or the weekly meetings; it’s the members.
Everyone is a friend with every other member.
Sometimes the meetings can get a little loud and rowdy, but that’s only because everyone is having such a great time.
Arguments or debates both during the meeting and after are always civil.
Everyone’s opinions are heard and people are not ostracized for having differing views.
People show each other a great amount of respect.
The connections don’t stop when the meetings end. During school, between classes, on the weekend and after the meetings everyone sticks together.
They enjoy each other's company so much that sometimes, hours after the meeting has ended, everyone is more or less still hanging together.
Before I joined the club I had few friends-now I have dozens, and more acquaintances than I can count.
We always have things to do, whether they are fundraisers, community events, or celebrating the birthdays of our fellow members.
If my friend had not gotten me to join, I would still just be some lonely college kid with nothing to do but study.
Instead, I work in the community helping out with lots of friends.
Amerasia is about helping and educating the community through cultural diversity, and nurturing and cultivating the community that has sprung up inside it.
www.csufresno.edu/StudentOrgs/Amerasia
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