Multicultural associations help to unite student body
Alexis De Tocqueville, who observed U.S. democracy in the 1830s, defined an association as one that unites the energies of divergent minds.
BYU‑Idaho currently has 25 cultural associations that seek to unite students of many different cultures.
Several of the cultural associations included at BYU‑I are the Polynesian, Albanian, Canadian, French, Mexican and Irish Associations.
These associations exist to develop meaningful relationships and strengthen bonds of friendship among students with similar cultural… interests,
according to the Association Handbook.
It provides an avenue to mingle with our Brazilian friends who love Brazil as we do,
said Chris Carson, supervisor of Career & Academic Advising, who has attended the Brazilian Association with his wife, a native Brazilian.
Yukie Asakura, whose husband attends BYU‑I, taught Japanese at the Japanese Association and was able to help a student who later served as a missionary in the Japan South Mission.
Many returned missionaries attend cultural associations to reconnect with their mission experience.
I got to meet people I knew from the MTC and other missionaries,
said Kristen Gatson, a senior from Homewood, Ill., who began attending the Brazilian Language Association after serving a mission in Brazil.
Attending cultural associations is also a way many students keep their foreign-language skills fresh.
Because there are so few of us that speak [Russian] on campus, it is nice to get together to hear and practice the language,
said Jessica Moore, a junior from Fulton, Wyo., and a member of the Russian Cultural Association.
Another major purpose of associations is to help students feel more included.
I got to meet other African Americans. There weren’t many of us. It helped me feel like I had a place,
said Gatson, who has attended the African Heritage Cultural Association.
However, participants do not have to be a part of that race or culture in order to attend an association. According to the Native American Association’s mission statement, every member of the student body is welcome to experience this opportunity by being a part and contributing.
There are advantages to attending a different cultural association than a student’s own culture.
I like people from different cultures. I am able to broaden my understanding and gain different ideas,
Gatson said.
Leading a cultural association can be difficult. Moore, who served on the committee for the Russian Cultural Association, said the hardest part was to get the name out and make sure everyone was informed associations were out there.
Besides mingling with the culture through people, students also familiarize themselves by celebrating special events of that culture. This can include anything from making Russian Easter eggs and eating at a Brazilian churrasco,
to performing a Polynesian cultural dance. 
