During our most recent class meeting, we had the opportunity to meet with representatives from Casa de Mañana in order to ask them questions or have them ask questions to us in a form of intergenerational exchange. In my group, the conversation naturally led to and primarily focused on the intergenerational rift within immigrant families, as most of the LCS members were of Asian or Pacific Islander descent and the seniors from Casa de Mañana were interested when the topic was brought up. When a question discussing the challenges that we have connecting with seniors was brought up, I responded by talking about how I have difficulty speaking in Vietnamese while my grandparents have difficulty understanding English. In addition, while I try my best to communicate otherwise, it makes any beyond-surface level questions difficult. In my group, other students responded similarly to the question, but the topic of culture was also brought up, with how in our cultures, people are typically expected to live with or look after their parents for longer than in the United States. To me, this creates a sort of internal cultural conflict, as I’ve grown up hearing from media and learning for myself the importance of independence, which is traditionally signified by one’s own home and other factors. However, upon growing up and learning about the senior experience in the US, especially for those with less money, I’ve realized the help that I could provide to my parents could make a large difference in the future. As I continue my education, I hope to resolve this in a way that would best allow me to help my parents. I’m grateful for the engaging conversation I had with those at Casa de Mañana, and I look forward to more interactions with seniors, especially with my mentor for the Oral History Project.
|
Martin NguyenMartin is a Biochemistry/Cell Biology major from Garden Grove, CA. A fun fact about Martin is that he played tennis in high school. Archives
April 2021
Categories |