Let me first off explain that it is now my THIRD year here at UC Berkeley. I absolutely love the people I have met and become good friends with, and am quite grateful that my lack of social skills hasn't left me completely friend-less (cuz I do have some of theee most awesome friends up here!).
Anyway. Back to my story. I've been at Berkeley for three years and have not once decided to get involved in the Filipino community. I don't know why. I guess cuz in high school I wasn't really all that into it. It's ironic cuz ALL (or well, MOST) of my friends in SD are Filipino.. Huh. Anyway, yesterday I went to a meeting with my roommate. Surprisingly, it was for a Filipino organization (note: my roommate isn't Filipino!). So I went. And it was good. And I met a lot of friendly people (which might explain why I never became really good friends with them.. I suck at being really friendly sometimes). Anyway. At the end of the meeting everyone was just talking/socializing/eating. And a guy comes up to me and my roommate. And the following conversation (or well, something similar) ensues:
Boy: Oh hey I've never seen you guys here before!
Me/Roommate: Yeah it's our first time.
Boy: Oh are you guys first years?!
Me/Roommate: Um, no.. We're third years.
Boy: Oh, you guys are junior transfers?!
Me: Um, no.. I've been here since my freshman year.
Boy: .. Oh.
So after this conversation, I felt a little bit upset. I guess I really just didn't appreciate how he went to assume that I, being a Filipino, was either a freshman or a junior TRANSFER simply because I hadn't been at any Filipino organization/meeting/event since coming to Berkeley.
I wasn't aware of the expectation that all Filipinos had to be in a Filipino organization to be accepted.
It never crossed my mind that I should join a Filipino group. None of the Filipinos really "reached out" to me to join their little groups. Plus, I already felt ostracized after my first year since I had already noticed that they had formed a clique. I hate cliques (middle school experiences that will haunt me for life).
What really gets me is that what he doesn't realize is that life for Filipinos IS possible even if you're not involved in one of their organizations. Don't get me wrong, I highly respect their groups and the purposes of those groups. But come on now, let's not jump to conclusions that any Filipino not in a Filipino group is new to Berkeley. That's a bit ignorant if you ask my opinion.
So to end my story, I just want to say that I've been at UC Berkeley since Fall 2006. I've known that I've wanted to go to Berkeley since fourth grade. I'm a political science and legal studies double major. I sing in an a cappella group on campus. And I'm Filipino.
If that's not good enough for you,
then you're really not worth my time.
THAT IS ALL!
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