Be Yourself

This week in class we read a piece by Amy Tan titled “Fish Cheeks”. I really related to this piece, not only because I am Asian, but also because I have gone through some of the same experiences she has. It is almost frightening how similar some of my life is to hers. As I have expressed in a previous post, I am kind of a white-washed Asian, but I don’t know whether to like that or not. I have been told a few times by my friends that they forgot I was Asian or that I was basically white, and whenever that happens I literally have no idea how to respond. Usually I just laugh or change the subject. I don’t know whether to take it as a compliment or be slightly offended. I know they probably think they are complimenting me because they think I want to be white, but on the other hand, it is a signal that I am separating from my heritage. After reading Amy Tan’s piece and Maya Angelou’s, and Sherman Alexie’s, I realize that I want to get to know my heritage better, rather than suppressing it. Usually I get very uncomfortable when my parents start to speak Chinese to me in public, but I have decided that should embrace my language and speak it back to my parents. I can never be completely white or completely Asian (in a cultural way); I just need to be myself and find a happy medium J.