Malu F

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Major: Marketing

Hometown: Albuquerque, New Mexico

Age: 19
Mother Home Country: Belgium

Father Home Country: United States

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"Being a second generation American is important to me because I believe that I have a unique view on the issues and conversations that happen around me each and every day. I feel that I was raised a bit differently than some of my peers because my mom instilled some values that could be seen as more “European” from a young age. The most significant, to me, would be her open-mindedness. She always tell me the story of when her dad hung a poster that read “Black is Beautiful” in their hallway in the 1960’s, when there was still extreme racial tension and discrimination all around the United States. Further, my parents were always very open when talking about things like sexuality and sex in general. I often knew about things before my peers and I saw that as a sign of trust and openness, and it made me feel more equipped and respected as I got older. In many ways, I also feel grateful to be a second generation American because we are provided with many opportunities that I might not have had otherwise. For example, I am a business major and I believe my geographic location works in my favor because there are many headquarters based in the U.S..

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I have been to Belgium 12 times. People my age there are graduating school and going to their first couple of years of school. No matter your interests, most young people are expected to continue their education, which is a similar to my own life."