What about my heritage?

Every time Club Day rolls around, it’s hard not to be impressed by the variety of clubs we have on campus that work to preserve various cultures. From Indian Club to Asian Club, the quad is filled with tables celebrating the unique heritages present in Saratoga. It seems that everyone has a place where they can share unique traditions and customs of their culture.

Which raises the question: What about me?
I’ve lived pretty much my entire life as what one might consider the typical “white” stereotype. I burn easily in the sun and probably am more concerned with my grades than my parents are. As a third-generation American, I wouldn’t say that I’m connected to my Irish, Polish, and Norwegian heritage. To me, I’m just American, and that’s pretty much it.
In Saratoga, it’s hard to go anywhere without seeing people talking to their parents in Mandarin, celebrating holidays unique to their culture or listening to Korean pop music. I went to Bombay in the Bay last year and was impressed by how hard students work to preserve their heritage and culture.
It seems that almost everyone is connected to some sort of culture and lifestyle through their parents—except me. Sometimes I wish that I could be more connected to my ancestry, whether it is speaking a different language at home or partaking in various cultural events.
Of course, it’s not like I don’t have a heritage at all. I remember making Rosettes, a type of Scandinavian cookie, for my class’ heritage day in fourth grade. But besides from filling my stomach, I didn’t really gain much from the whole experience.
Unlike people of Asian or Indian descent, I feel as if I’m a mixture of so many ethnicities that I really don’t have any sort of cultural identity that I associate with. And while this mix of cultures is a good thing, it’s often difficult to connect to a particular culture and traditions.
We have an Indian Club and an Asian Cultural Awareness club at our school; why not “European club”? Students of European descent should get a chance to share and be proud of their cultures as well. We seem to be put into the same category with no real distinction from the different countries we come from.
On standardized tests, instead of indicating what individual countries I’m from, there’s only one box to fill out: “white.” It’s sad that European culture isn’t considered important enough to be differentiated between the different countries.
To be honest, I get a little jealous whenever I see someone talking to their parents on the phone in a different language or travel to other countries to see relatives over the summer. While I’ve tried to become familiar with some aspects of my peers’ cultures (I can say “where is my meat?” in Mandarin, by the way), it’s just not the same as learning about my own heritage.
Everything is so mixed in the United States today, it seems that some people of European descent have completely forgotten where they come from. We’re losing sight of the individual cultures and traditions that came together to form this country. While having a mix of cultures is a good thing, it’s just as important to recognize the past and celebrate our heritage.