When worlds collide
Multiracial students say they are finding balance while feeling stuck between differing cultures
BY MICHAEL KRAFT Living in multicultural communities forced Vincent Augustin and Dalvin Keil to find a balance between the cultures surrounding them. Augustin and Keil are both sophomores majoring in information technology and are from Malaysia and Samoa respectively. Being in between two cultures is an issue Augustin said he has experienced his whole life. Augustin is Indian but has lived his entire life in Malaysia. “I wanted to please both groups I was in. With the Indians, I wanted to be more Indian, and with the Malaysians, I tried to be more Malay.” Augustin grew up in a predominantly Malay neighborhood, and he said he tried to fit in with them. At the same time, at home, he was expected to be Indian. He noted he was forced to find a balance between the two. “I would just really try to be how they are. I really exposed myself to movies of all cultures. That’s actually how I learned English too.” He said embracing the Malay culture was easy for him because he was surrounded by it. The Indian culture was harder for him, he said, because his parents were “more Americanized.” When he spent time with his cousins, Augustin shared he felt not Indian enough, so he had to be more deliberate about his Indian culture. While he was in high school, he said he did not fully embrace his Indian culture. “I wanted to choose to be not Indian, and that was tough because I am Indian. I really
“I wanted to please both groups I was in. With the Indians, I wanted to be more Indian, and with the Malaysians, I tried to be more Malay.” Being in a culture different from their ethnicity is both challenging and enlightening, say two students from Malaysia and Samoa. Graphic by Michael Kraft 34
KE ALAK A ’I
- Vincent Augustin
