Since my elementary school is in Chinatown, I was immersed in Chinese culture as well as a sheltered environment. This lack of exposure to diversity was further emphasized through my culture shock in middle and high school where Asians weren't the majority. And it was this culture shock that made me ashamed of my Asian culture. As I gradually "americanized" I unfortunately allowed my heritage to drift away. Because Asians are so underrepresented in my high school and in the media, people tended to stereotype me. This is why I was willing to "ditch" my culture. I didn't want to be known as the nerdy and quiet Chinese girl. I took pride when people said I was a "disgrace to my culture" or I wasn't a "true Asian." I remember stepping out the room to talk to my mom in Chinese so my friends wouldn’t hear me. I would never befriend other Asians because I didn’t want to be associated with them.
However this all changed when I started attending college in Buffalo. I started hanging out with people who shared the same cultural background as me. And I realized that one can be assimilated to American culture and still be in touch with their own. I listened to an Asian comedian (Elliot Chang) who lectured about how Asians, specifically teenagers, need to embrace their heritage instead of bury it. He discussed how some Filipinos think they’re Spanish and Korean girls think their white. His over exaggeration of Asian stereotypes in his comedy revealed how meaningless they were. And it helped prove his point in that Asians should be proud and thus learn their culture so it won’t be lost in future generations. In my steps towards embracing my culture I joined the “Chinese Student Association” and I’m now part of the International fiesta where different ethnic minority groups in Buffalo University compete in a final performance. I ultimately learned to bridge the gap between American and Chinese culture.
