Throughout this semester, I became more interested in connecting with my Chinese heritage, so attending the Chinese Lantern Festival felt like a natural and exciting step. While at the event, I had the pleasure of running into my past and future Chinese professors, as well as enjoying a delicious Chinese meal.

When I first arrived at OU, I felt a sense of isolation due to the lack of visible Chinese diversity and cultural representation on campus. This is not to say that the Asian community does not exist here, but rather that finding specific Chinese cultural representation was more difficult than I anticipated. Because of this, I became interested in the Chinese Student Association immediately after it was formed. I first learned about the festival from my teacher, Gao Lao Shi, who encouraged our entire class to attend campus events throughout the year to become more engaged.

When I arrived at the event, the room was packed with numerous faces I had yet to meet. As the evening went on, I felt a growing sense of being at home, surrounded by the sound of fluent Mandarin speakers and the vibrant energy of the room. The traditional meal, down to the last bite, reminded me of the culture I had longed to experience and be a part of again. As I continue to learn Mandarin and dream of studying abroad in China, the Chinese Lantern Festival reignited a passion for the heritage I thought had passed my life by.

As I transition into my sophomore year, I look forward with joy and ambition to attending the Chinese Lantern Festival once again.

Much love,

Pira Tsui