Youngchildrenneverseemembarrassedaboutwhotheyare.

WhenIwaslittle,my
uninfluencedmindwasnotashamedofmybackgroundandmyfamilysheritage.Thoughmy
parentsgrewupinChina,IwasborninNewYork.Howeverastimewenton,surroundedby
Americaninfluencesandcultures,IslowlylostmyappealtowardmyAsianheritage.Ifully
consideredmyselfanAmerican,andwhilemyparentsspoketomeinChinese,Ialways
answeredinEnglish.
Middleschoolwasespeciallydifficult;withthepressuretofitinwiththeotherkidsin
mygrade,itwasterrifyingtobedifferent.Duringtheschoolsmulticulturalevents,Iwouldshy
awayinmyQipao,mysilk,floralChinese-styledress;standingoutwasnotanoption.Itwas
aroundthistimethatmyparentsfirsttoldmethestoryofhowtheyarrivedinAmerica.My
dadshowedupwithjust$100inhispocket,knowingnothowtospeaktheEnglishlanguage,
butonlyhowtorecitethealphabet.Mymomcameafewyearslater,justasscaredand
home-sick.Bothhadmissedtheiropportunitiestoreceivearealeducation.Aschildrenduring
theCulturalRevolution,theirschoolshadbeenclosed,theirtextbooksburned,andtheir
educationdominatedbysocialistreform.Theonlychancetheyhadforabetterlifeinvolved
leavingtheirfamiliesbehindandcomingtotheUnitedStatesascollegestudents.
Ididntunderstandrightaway,butthroughouthighschool,alltheopportunitiesIhad
inthiscountrybecameincreasinglycleartome.Mycontinuededucationinmusic,myfencing
lessons,mylonglistofcommittedextracurricularsinschoolthesewereallthingsthatmy
parentsneverwouldhavebeenabletoexperiencegrowingupinChina.Iwouldneveragain
takeforgrantedanythingmyparentshadsacrificed.Itisincrediblethat,asahighschool
student,Ihadthechancetovolunteerinhospitalseachsummer,totakecollegecourses
online,toattendprogramsonrealcollegecampusesandgetthebestofmyeducation.
Everysooften,ItakeadeepbreathandrealizehowincrediblyluckyIam.Iam
eternallygratefultomyparentsforthebraveryanddeterminationthattheyhavepassed
downtome.IamforeverindebtedtothemforteachingmetohaveprideinwhoIamand
pavingmearoadofsuccessinthiscountry.IthasbeenawhilesinceIhaveshunnedtheAsian
halfofmyculture.Icanembracemyheritage,celebratetheMoonFestival,anddecoratethe
houseinredforChineseNewYear.TheAmericanmeltingpotofcultureshelpsmecherishmy
diversityinthefaceofsomanyothers;myfriendsmaycomefromalldifferentbackgrounds,
butIhaveeverlastingbondswitheachandeveryoneofthem.Inowknowthatstandingoutis
wonderful.IamproudtobeanChinese-American.