Our identities are constantly changing. As we absorb, adopt and reject aspects of our environments, we choose how to interact with the world through our different customs, values, traditions and celebrations.

Throughout college, many students try to piece together their identity, and cultural heritage plays a large role in this process. While college can be a foreign and intimidating environment, one constant that students will always have is their cultural roots. Our heritage and generational legacy strengthen over the years.

For this forum, we’ve asked the UT community to discuss how their cultural identity intertwined with their experiences on campus, how they embraced their unique heritage and how their experiences strengthened their own identity.

In this forum project:

Mohit Mehta, assistant director of the Center for Asian American Studies, encourages individuals to view their cultures and ancestry as dynamic, fluid and in non-binaries.

Marlon Rubio Smith, a radio-television-film junior, describes how film allowed him to explore cultural activism for Latino/a representation and helped him adjust after moving to the U.S.

Daniel Acosta, Jr., a UT alumnus and former professor, describes his experiences as a student of color in the 1960s. 

Alumni Abby Gail Triño explains her self-discovery as a Filipino American through embracing her experiences and heritage at UT.

While you look through the perspectives of our contributors, we ask you to consider the following questions: 

How do you navigate balancing your cultural and familial values with the cultural norms of college life?

How do you connect with students from other cultures and backgrounds who may not share your traditions?

How do you think universities can better support students from diverse cultural backgrounds and their unique family traditions?

How have you seen changes in your cultural and familial traditions during your time at UT?

The forum team consists of forum editors Alexa Leon, Tommy Wan, and editor-in-chief Megan Tran. As always, if you have any thoughts on this topic or any other, please feel free to reach out to us at [email protected].