Dealing with multiple Identities

What’s really difficult about identity is finding it. For me, the American part of Asian American never dawned on me until I visited China. I was so different from everyone and felt very distant. I wondered if I was losing my culture. Once again, I look at “Fresh off the Boat” to see what they do. Jessica, a character, also felt like she and her family were losing their Chinese identity, so she immediately began forcing upon everyone Chinese traditions and disengages them with American culture. Ironically, it is Jessica who is the one to break when she wants to watch an episode of “Melrose Place”. However, she learns that it’s okay to like American things because being Chinese is inherent. We also see with her children that it’s okay not being strongly Chinese as long as they understand who they are. It’s okay to embrace multiple cultures. Social identity, then, is a blend of all cultures taken in. 

It’s even okay to note the not-so-good parts of a culture. “Fresh off the Boat” nods at David Sedaris’ article “Chicken Toenails, anyone?” when Jessica cooks chicken feet for her kids. However, they run away because chicken feet aren’t that great. Sedaris’ article deals with the aspects of China he really doesn’t like, mainly the weird food. I was never too crazy about the odd parts of animals that Chinese people eat either. Same goes for how I feel about certain parts of American culture. Nothing’s perfect.

As someone who was born and raised in America, I feel a strong connection with American culture. When I hear someone making fun of America, I feel like I was insulted as well. Likewise, when someone derides China, I’m also offended.  It’s all a part of me.

Embracing Identity

For me, one show that illustrates identity is “Fresh off the Boat”. In the beginning, the show starts out by looking at by showing what identity should mean to people. The main character Eddie gets into a fight with a boy at school who calls him a “chink”. Ironically, his parents defend his actions because he was standing up for himself and his culture. Calling an Asian a chink is basically stereotyping. Eddie’s parents must’ve been offended too because the kid brought in racist insults that affected all Asians. Don’t call Asians chinks unless they act like them. It’s rude on a personal level. Look at Chinky from American Born Chinese (ABC) to see what being called a chink means.

Actually, in ABC, Chinky also represents another aspect of identity. It’s inescapability. Chinky keeps re-appearing before the turned-into-white character Danny, previously Chinese person Jin. Chinky, actually the monkey king, brings Jin back to reality that being Chinese is something that’s just there and won’t disappear. Jin later begins to embrace Chinese culture by going to a Chinese restaurant every day. In “Fresh off the Boat”, Eddie defends China when another kid, Trevor, makes fun of it. Race and identity aren’t things people should feel ashamed or embarrassed about. Instead they’re things to be accepted.

For some people, identity is closely linked with discrimination. They’re judged by the way they were born and raised. That’s not cool. It’s hard enough feeling different from everybody else. But to be bullied because of it too is hard to handle. Race, Culture, and religion are all a part of identity and are very personal.

Finding Identity

Blog #1

Who am I? Up until recently, I've always thought of myself as an Asian American. But that was just an abstract concept that I hadn't really thought in depth. I wonder how Asian I truly am. On one side, if someone asks me if I'm Chinese I answer, "yes", but on the other hand I feel isolated and distant from others in China because I don't speak mandarin. Sometimes I do feel that culture and image of being Chinese influence my actions, though. I often think of myself as more American and that Asian is a part of me I never really developed. Who am I?

When I looked up identity, I found a research paper from Stanford University splitting identity into two categories. There was personal identity which was identity based on traits or aspects that define you and hold up your self-respect. This was what I had thought identity was and what I had sought to figure out. The other identity was a concept I hadn't been aware of until recently, social identity. Social identity defines what community of people you associate and that communities supposed characteristics.

I realized that I shouldn't have separated Asian American into two separate categories, but rather being Asian American is a category all on its own. I came to this conclusion after reading Amy Tan’s, “Search for My Tongue”. She describes how she speaks English with Chinese grammar to form her own language with her family. She found an identity that fit her as an Asian American and she realized that her identity was reflected by her language. My goal is to explore how language reflects identity.