IRVINE : UCI Majors in Asian for a Week

Christina Lee craned her head over to the microphone to explain her actions while tying a traditional Cambodian engagement outfit around Janet Khiev, a fellow member of UC Irvine’s Cambodian Student Organization.

She and club members demonstrated traditional Cambodian wedding clothing to an audience outside the student center Friday afternoon, the final day of Asian Heritage Week on campus. The events allowed all of the university’s Asian student organizations to demonstrate aspects of their culture to the campus.

About 36% of UCI students are Asian, including slightly more than half of the freshman class.

“It’s important for all of us to show the rest of the campus our diverse cultures,” said Matthew Masuda, president of the Japanese students’ Tomo No Kai club, which Masuda said helps preserve traditional culture through yearly activities like Asian Heritage Week.

“These events help unite all the Asian clubs on campus and allows other students to get an overall view of the Asian cultures,” said Michael Hsieh, 21, a chemistry major and president of the Republic of China Student Assn.

Lee, president of the Cambodian Student Organization, agreed that the cultural presentations serve both to educate the campus population as well as fellow Cambodian students to their unique cultural traditions.

“To be a whole person, you have to be aware of your culture as well as learn to fit into the current American culture,” said Lee, 24, a senior biology major. “It makes you a unique person--you’re a Cambodian-American.”