You walk into a student meeting after a long day of classes and somewhat productive studying. Suddenly, you find yourself sorted into a “family,” with Chinese slang immediately thrown at you even if it might not make sense — but somehow in that moment it feels like home.
UTD CSA, also known as the Chinese Student Association, is a cultural organization that builds its community through different shared experiences, from weekend trips to the Allen ice skating rink to Ni-Howdy, an annual weekend retreat where CSA chapters from UTD, UT Austin and Texas A&M come together to participate in friendly competition and musical performances. These events showcase Chinese culture through music and current events. Members are sorted into “families” within the organization based on their interests, creating tight-knit groups under the umbrella organization. After being sorted, members can participate in events planned by the family heads. Once paired, family heads organize events that encourage bonding within the group and in CSA as a whole. Members who attend events regularly gain fam points, and the family that gains the most points is recognized and rewarded at the end of the year.
In a university where everyone finds themselves in their own world, it’s this kind of bonding that matters. The organization is open to students of all backgrounds. Some have joined to connect with their culture, while others just wanted a place to meet people, compete against other families through a series of games and events like Family Feud and a sense of comradery. Either way the goal remains unchanged: making UTD a more close-knit space.
Biology junior and cultural chair Yoyo Liu said CSA fosters bonds from the moment someone enters the group, creating friendships that last until graduation or beyond.
“I joined CSA back in freshman year because I wanted to meet other Chinese students who were also passionate about Chinese culture.” Liu said. “And then, I really found myself looking forward to all of the events that we were having like ice skating and when we get food, it was just a really nice community that allowed for friendship and bonds to occur.”
The organization hosts a variety of events for its members, ranging from competing in pickleball tournaments to celebrating the Lunar Festival in collaboration with the Crow Museum and UTD Intercultural Programs. The Lunar Festival, a celebration highlighting the beginning of a new year in the lunar calendar, is one of the most celebrated holidays in Chinese culture. Traditionally, the new year is the time for family reunions, honoring ancestors and welcoming good fortune for the upcoming year, symbolized through food, lion dance and other performances as well as red envelopes containing money. At UTD, CSA was able to continue these traditions with food, musical performances and a lion dance, among other activities within the Crow Museum. Such cultural events not only promote a sense of community within the organization, but also allow students, faculty and random passersby to get a taste of the culture and community within campus.
Business analytics senior and CSA president Jason Liao said the club is slowly expanding its bubble by hosting larger-scale events with inter-program collaboration.
“The Lunar Festival is probably essentially the first of its kind,” Liao said. “[CSA] really offered a lot of different activities … as a big event to all. All the students on campus, all the faculty. And seeing a bunch of people enjoy the hard work [CSA] put into having a festival celebrating the new year was my favorite [event] that’s happened so far.”
One of the biggest challenges that CSA has faced in the past few semesters is low attendance during fam events, especially for commuters who typically experience lengthy and tiresome round trips. CSA began to address this challenge by adding more events that take place earlier in the day or during weekends, when students have more flexibility around staying on campus.
Chemistry senior and family head Kristen Heng adds that being a part of any club on campus is a commitment. By attending fam or general events, students can look forward to the commitment instead of viewing it as another item to check off on their to-do list.
“I was in CSA since my freshman year when I was back at A&M for my first years of undergrad, and I really liked the social aspect of going to meet people and go around town to do different things together,” Heng said. “So when I came [to UTD], I wanted to try and do the same thing here with the CSA. It’s a good environment to meet new people [because] there’s different academic orgs, so you’re all in the same major, but here you can meet people from different backgrounds and hang out with people in a non-academic setting. I want to encourage more participation in CSA events because I want there to be an outlet where people [can] have social interactions.”
For members who can’t attend the bimonthly Tuesday late night meetings, CSA’s organizes PowerPoints and other information within the club Discord or Linktree. The FOMO becomes nonexistent, then, essentially erasing the pressure that students often face when joining a new organization. The versatility of being allowed to show up once in a blue moon or attend every single meeting and become the club mascot allows CSA to create a space where students can familiarize themselves at their own pace.
“When I first joined CSA about four years ago, it was because I had no friends coming to UTD,” Liao said. “So, I wanted to see if I could meet people, and CSA being the Chinese Student Association and myself being a descendant of Chinese immigrants, there was a connection and I found myself having a good bunch of fun. And then when there are officer applications, I really wanted to give the same experiences for the new kids coming in. Maybe not specifically Chinese or connected through specifically Chinese, but people who would just want to join just to see what’s up. And I want to also give them a really good experience as well.”
Those interested in joining can follow the club’s Instagram and find more information using the club’s Linktree. Students are encouraged to periodically check the club’s social media accounts for plans for the upcoming semester.
“For the next school semester, I have lots and lots of plans in mind,” Liu said. “I definitely want to start doing more CSA-wide events, and expand on like events that involve the idea of Chinese culture. I want to add more calligraphy nights and expand to volunteering in Chinese churches or temples. I would like to reconnect it back to its Chinese roots and teach other people more about Chinese history, culture or traditions.”
