Abroad and Upward
Here at UCSC, this concept of social justice and overall “health” of communities is constantly promoted. The community here at UCSC is all about helping others who don’t have the resources to help themselves. Before entering UCSC, I had some experience in learning about the fight about civil rights and the various social injustices that have occurred and still occur in our country. I knew that I had some role as a student, especially as a millennial because I have more tools and technology than previous generations. I was jealous about the teenagers I read about in the 70′ and the 80′. They were fighting for society. They didn’t merely retweet or hashtag an issue that was going on. They stood up and protested. They camped outside government buildings. They boycotted companies. I began to understand why people described my generation to be lazy or naive. Some people argued that there is no war or amendment to fight about. This is actually false. Our country has been, and still is, involved in the longest war of our history; we just don’t talk about it. We rather argue that Afghanistan is no longer a threat and but we’re not willing to really talk about why there are still troops there. But people don’t realize that even if we are tricked into thinking that our country is finally at peace, on a public scale, there is always something to fight for. There is always someone to fight for. Whether it’ creating a safe haven for Syrian refugees or eliminating unequal pay between men and women. Just because it’ not taking half of the country’ attention, doesn’t mean it’ not worth fighting for. I feel that by exploring other societies, I can understand the various backgrounds that people come from, what issues that they deal with, how can I help them, and what can the rest of the world do about it.
I aspire to travel the world and volunteer in various countries. I want to specifically volunteer in a medical team in which I can bring basic medical access, such as vaccinations and antibiotics, to villages that have been cut off from urbanized cities. I want to teach English and Math to impoverished communities that have no money for education or to little girls who have been taught that they should stay in the homes and cook. This dream of mine encompasses the best of both worlds: getting to explore new places and help people along the way. Though I do have a hidden motives behind wanting to eat authentic Korean food. In all seriousness, I want to widen my perspective and utilize my education. I had been taught by an Environmental Justice professor here at UC Santa Cruz that I should be putting my education to use. What he meant specifically was that I should be helping other people with the knowledge I’m receiving because to go to a university is a privilege many other people don’t get to enjoy.
I have been very lucky to grow up in California, one of the most diverse states in the country. Here, I have been able to meet people from different socio-economic backgrounds, ethnicities, and religions. Seeing the different social and political issues and hate crimes that have been occurring today, I realize how most of them could be lessened if those people had a wider perspective. Many people fail to appreciate the importance of living in a diverse community and meeting different kinds of people. When I discover how people had different experiences than me, to the same issues, such as access to money or parent’ expectations, and learn about someone else’ experience with the same issue, it’ always eye-opening to realize that not everyone has the same experiences. For example, from the very beginning of my education, my parents had taught me that they would pay for my college education as along as I didn’t expect my own car or elaborate vacations all the time. The terms of the agreement seemed simple enough and so I was able to grow up knowing that I didn’t have to worry about paying for college.To be completely honest, I was shocked when I discovered that that other students have to figure out their tuition money all on their own. I know friends that have been working as soon as they could start in order to start saving money for college. To me, I never had to question the idea of whether or not I should go to college because money was never an issue. I didn’t realize that other people had to deal with this struggle. I thought of how it’ easy for people to assume why many don’t go to college. When one comes from a position of prestige and money, one doesn’t realize how someone doesn’t go to college not because he or she is unintelligent or “lazy”, as commonly used. No, it’ because they don’t have access to the resources or money that would allow them to go to a four year college.
It’ a simple concept but when one has been exposed to one particular type of people, such as upperclass, wealthy business families, one becomes used to certain opinions, ideas, and experiences. This results in a person becoming closed minded. I’ve seen the terrible results of this mindset. Someone generalizing a whole ethnicity based on a few individuals. People not realizing that not having access to food on a daily basis is a problem that many Americans face. When one is not educated about the various backgrounds and experiences that exist, it’ easy to start making dangerous assumptions.
By traveling around the world, I will be able to gain firsthand access to different cultures and religions. I will be able to understand how other countries operate and problems they experience compared to America. As I’ve grown up, I’ve become very grateful for the community I was raised in in Walnut Creek, Northern California. I’ve also realized how others have not been able to gain access to the education, healthcare, and independence that I have. By going abroad, maybe to Afghanistan, I can further someone’ health, English literacy, and motivation to fight for civil rights. Maybe I’ll even interview the soldiers there on their perspectives on war. No matter what, I want to widen the world’ perspective and help the world understand the diverse population it holds. I want to put my resources to further better the world else everything I have done up to this point in my life would be for selfish reasons only.