Interested in learning more about East Asian cultures? Look no further – here are two clubs that you might want to join during the 2021-2022 school year.

   The Taiwanese Chinese American Association is a club dedicated to appreciating and spreading Taiwanese/Chinese culture. The leaders work hard to teach interesting facts and bits of knowledge to members, getting them involved while still having fun.

   During a regular meeting, everyone will first get together and briefly socialize. Then, the club leaders will share a presentation about a certain aspect of Taiwanese or Chinese culture – including but not limited to fashion, food, city life, online trends, and more. After that, a game related to the lesson is held if there’s time, and regional snacks are handed out as a fun bonus. 

   One of TCAA’s special traditions is the lion dance performance and fashion show held during Multicultural Day at West. Club members are welcome to participate in any event they would like. It’s a great opportunity to be a part of the culture and experience it better. 

   Anyone is welcome to join TCAA — including those without Taiwanese or Chinese heritage. As club Vice-President Jennifer Wang (11) put it, “you don’t need to be Taiwanese or Chinese to appreciate the culture — [there’s] a lot of cool aspects of our culture that people will appreciate.”

   Another Asian culture club at West is the Vietnamese Student Association. VSA is a club part of the larger organization UVSA with their goals set on introducing Vietnamese culture to those who are interested. Though they only meet once per month, tons of planning is behind each gathering and a lot of effort is put into keeping the club running smoothly.

   Behind the scenes, VSA is incredibly organized in what they do. Board meetings are held regularly detailing what they need to do and should be planning for the future. Along with that, because they are part of a larger organization they have regulations that help them stay on track.

   Current president Kathy Nguyen (12) created the club “because some people just don’t know where Vietnam is or what it’s like to be Vietnamese,” she explains. “I wanted to bring out our food, and our culture, and who we are.” After doing some research online, she found the larger organization UVSA and decided to join it. 

   To anyone interested in becoming a member of VSA, Nguyen said that “I’m thinking maybe at the end of the year, I get us all free egg rolls or something like that… if you join look forward to that, I’ll be giving you guys free food!”

   Want to join? TCAA meets every other Tuesday in Room 4221, and they are @whstcaa on Instagram. VSA meets every 2nd Wednesday of the month in the portable classroom (OP1); find them at @westhighvsa on Instagram.