As the most diverse public university in California, the University of California, Riverside (UCR) is home to students of all kinds of backgrounds. For many, stepping foot on this campus was a breath of fresh air. There is a wide variety of cultural organizations catered to helping students connect with peers of similar upbringing, an important facet of campus cultures, as shared values, practices and interests can provide a sanctuary for those struggling to reconnect and celebrate their roots. The Thai Student Union (TSU) is one of these, standing out with its positive atmosphere, friendliness and burgeoning inclusivity here at UCR.
Jasper Tangsriwong, a third year pre-med mathematics major and president of the club, explained that the organization began in 2012 in an effort to create a space for students of Thai descent on campus, “We definitely wanted to provide a sense of unity for our Thai students, and we wanted to foster much culture around our students and for other individuals who want to learn about Thai culture and Thai community.”
Tangsriwong himself joined his first year, as he knew the president at the time. He described wanting to join the club’s board, and follow in her footsteps to continue building a community for Thai students on campus.
The average club meeting operates something like a social, “It looks like a social event. We love to come together and just spend time together, catch up on just the day-to-day … and just, embrace who we are, our identity.” These meetings are meant to foster a sense of social support, giving members a relaxed space to congregate. Like the Hotpot social that the club recently hosted, the TSU often hosts events to provide this space. Past events include a Thai New Year event, game nights, Thai culture workshops and more. Tangsriwong explained that they often ask their members what they would like to see at the club and plan their meetings from there.
The club also has a year long Big-Little program, where club members pick someone from the board to be their mentor. “We help them in any sense that we can, such as study tips, life tips, anything that they need from us… we’re here to provide for them,” he explains.
Members talk about both their culture and childhood through sharing stories of their upbringing, “We talk about how we grew up and where we come from. A lot of our members are from Thailand. So growing up as a Thai American, I always ask my fellow members that are from Thailand how the experience back home for them is, how different it is from America, what we can do to support them, to make it feel more like home for them.”
He continued saying that their dual identity shapes their experience in America, “They love it in Thailand, they love it in America. There’s pros and cons. There’s much opportunity here compared to back home, but either way, the main message is that they still love home, because that’s where they’re from. And you know, if I was born there, I would also love home too, because it’s a beautiful place to be, and honestly, they bring such much needed… authenticity.”
Tangsriwong emphasized the love for both what came before and what comes next as he aims to bring more people into the club, “[Our] goals for this year is to bring more individuals from other cultures in, do more fundraisers, outreach, as much as we can … Our goal is always to cater to our members and celebrate them, because without our members, this club is quite literally not a club… We depend on our members because we love them, we care about them, and ultimately, we want them here, so that we [can] create just this big, great community together.”
The Thai Student Union brings people together with their positivity, openness and consideration for their members. So if you are looking to find a place to call your own in this diverse school, as Tangsriwong himself put it, “if you want to learn about Thai culture, Thai community, Thai tradition, you’re more than welcome to come, and we’ll welcome you with open arms.”
