Are We Losing Our Culture in College? | Slander, Stories, & Sisterhood

In this episode of The Brief Dive, I sit down with Nuhamin and Mariamawit, two George Mason University students who serve on the Executive Board of the Ethiopian & Eritrean Student Association (EESA). We get real about what it feels like to lose your culture in college, how to stay grounded in your identity, and what keeps us connected to our roots when everything around us is pulling us in a different direction.But of course… we also got very sidetracked — in the best way possible.We talked about Habesha men slander, why some Habeshas try to “act Black,” crazy travel stories, friendship dynamics, and the hilarious realities of being East African in the U.S. Both guests are also TikTok creators, so we dive into what it really takes to go viral, why they post the type of content they do, and how they balance school, clubs, culture, and the pressure of social media.If you're Habesha, a first-gen student, a creator, or someone who feels like you’re trying to keep your identity alive in a world of distractions — this episode is for you.SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST: https://www.youtube.com/@thebriefdivepodcast/videos?sub_confirmation=1LISTEN ON:SPOTIFY: https://open.spotify.com/show/2cPd9uVZqjmEmM9VF0zuGg?si=ef2246bd89c34b4APPLE PODCASTS: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-brief-dive/id1551664039FOLLOW ON:INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/thebriefdive?igsh=cm5iaWEyazRvMnpySNAPCHAT: https://snapchat.com/t/zzap27fGTIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@thebriefdive?_t=8qIJLtOvM0l&_r=1INTRO MUSIC: INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/valmaddoxaero?igsh=MWJraWRoYmE4aXN6Mg==TIKTOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@val_maddox_music?_t=ZT-8yRqOSfTGFj&_r=1Both Socials:https://www.tiktok.com/@marynuha?_r=1&_t=ZT-9279pSbdVJWNuhamin's Socials:https://www.tiktok.com/@nuhamin_k?_r=1&_t=ZT-9278yUNZBDZMariamawit's Socials:https://www.tiktok.com/@06maryy06?_r=1&_t=ZT-9278vR8keJDTimestamps:00:00 Preview0:24 Intro3:52 "Who's Most Likely To...?"7:20 Why They Joined EESA at GMU?8:01 How These Two First Met11:18 Is Your Content A Job To You?13:56 Their Favorite TikTok They've Ever Made17:11 Balancing School, Content, & EESA?20:04 Keeping Eachother Accountable24:06 Choosing Their Career Paths?29:38 Friendships Outside The Habesha Community37:40 Why Some Habeshas Try To "Act Black"?46:30 Roller Coasters47:56 How Their Friendship Affected Them49:38 Crazy Travel Stories53:00 Have They Lost Their Culture?56:40 Habesha Community And Their Content?1:06:43 Is This Generation Too Sensitive?1:11:44 Where Did Habesha Men Slander Come From?!1:16:55 Marry Men Back Home vs. Marrying Here?1:20:03 What Helps Them Preserve Their Culture?1:22:40 Showing Affection In Habesha Friendships/Families1:24:57 Last Piece Of Advice1:28:10 Dive & Deliver1:34:39 Outro