JCLC, a one-of-a-kind Club

This new school year has been an exciting yet busy start, with no exception to the many first general body meetings we had this month. Many APIDA organizations here at the University of Delaware such as APSA, VSA, FSA, JCLC, SASE, and AAPC held meetings with creative themes and various activities, each with their own unique styles for all kinds of students to enjoy. That is one of the many reasons why I always loved attending and engaging with meetings held by these clubs; they strive to be inclusive and connect all members together, while rooting for their club on Asian culture. Among the many clubs, one that stands out to me is one that pulls a unique crowd of new members each and every year.

JCLC, short for the Japanese Culture and Language Club, is an organization that focuses on the celebration of Japanese culture and traditions. They hold weekly meetings that consist of fun and engaging activities for members to participate in, and even offer Japanese homework help during these sessions. They thrive to educate people on the Japanese culture and language, and is a club that experienced immense success and popularity since last year. Although that popularity is attributed to the E-Board’s hard work and dedication, another major factor to its success is credited to the English Language Institute program here at UD. ELI is an intensive English program that is offered at many Universities, including UD. The school welcomes people from different countries and backgrounds to American schools to educate students with the English language. Although the students who are in the program are from multiple countries, an increase in Japanese students coming to UD has been seen over the past two years.

I have been a member of JCLC since my Freshman year of college in 2021, and have seen noticeable growth regarding the number of students in the club. Last year, most noticeably, had a great number of Japanese exchange students who were active all year long. Everytime I went to the meetings, I was greeted with friendly students who were excited not only to meet new people and have fun with their friends, but to connect with a culture that was familiar to them back home in Japan. Seeing the ELI students, who were most likely homesick while staying in DE away from family and friends for months, feeling comfortable being surrounded by other Japanese exchange students was heart-warming. JCLC thrived to bring a community together, and they succeeded in doing so.

I love JCLC for the students that attended these meetings. Although I face difficulty conversing with the students at times, I have no problem making true friendships with them. They were so understanding of the language barrier and cultural differences, and made big efforts to get accustomed to their new environment. They also never left anyone behind, and formed friendships among every single one of them. It was as if all members of the club were friends with each other. By the end of the school year, I felt strong passions and love for the club, and am forever grateful to have met some of my closest friends today.

I was able to see the reason why I joined the club in the first place during the first JCLC GBM of this semester. Seeing the new, excited, Japanese ELI students enter the first JCLC meeting brought me back to when I first joined JCLC. Although other APIDA organizations feature many members from different backgrounds, JCLC’s unique appeal to bringing actual Japanese students into the club definitely stands out. As we continue our school year, I have great hopes for the future of JCLC and am excited to bring yet another community together.