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Students explore Chinese, American heritage

By Jonathan Reiter, For The Miami Student

The Chinese American Culture Association (CACA) was created to get both American and Chinese-born students together in order to explore the many avenues of each other's cultures. Recently, CACA revamped their program, leading the way for diversification on the Miami campus.

Every year, thousands of Chinese students come to universities in America to further their education, and programs such as CACA give these students at Miami the chance to learn about American culture. Conversely, CACA gives American students the chance to learn more about the experiences of Chinese culture as well.

CACA has diversified Miami University by challenging the language barrier between Chinese and American students. The club works with programs set up for Chinese students and American students to teach each other their languages. The club has activities that range from tossing Frisbee on central quad to holiday parties that celebrate Halloween or the Chinese New Year.

Hanyue Xing, president of CACA, knows the club has not reached its full potential the past couple of years, but she said CACA is ready to come back in full force to Miami University. Xing joined the club two years ago as their treasurer in hopes of learning more about American culture.

"We can do better," Xing said. "I want to make it alive again, and I can finally do the things that I have wanted to do for so long."

She will be trying to get more people involved with the club by having members go to Miami sporting events together along with picnics and trips to Hueston Woods.

Xing is a spirited president who is passionate about running a club that will benefit the university and its students. She is currently looking for more American members in order to further help students diversify their experiences at Miami. So far, 30 people have signed up this semester to become members of CACA.

Xing believes the only difference between Americans and Chinese is the languages they speak. CACA is a club that proves that language is the only barrier between the two cultures through the clubs activities which incorporate aspects of both the Chinese and American cultures.

Senior Sarah Kuczmarski, who is an American from Cleveland, has been a member since last semester, and she joined when one of her professors pointed out the club to her. CACA will be putting on events such as dinners and dances, and Kuczmarski is looking forward to the Thanksgiving dinner that the organization will be having. This is not your average cornbread and turkey meal either. Both Chinese and American students will create different food dishes from one another's culture and they will create a feast from the different foods they make.

"CACA is a lot different from other clubs at Miami, and you get to meet a lot of new people," Kuczmarksi said.

This is the year that Xing wants to get CACA back on the map, and she'll be doing that through events such as Moonlight Night which is a semester welcoming prom. The dance will be held at 8 p.m. on Sept. 12 at the Armstrong Student Center Pavilion.

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If you are interested in joining CACA, you can find the Chinese American Culture Association on The Hub using your MyMiami account. The club will also be having an information night at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 11 in McGuffey Hall Room 221.