ME: A CULTURAL BIOGRAPHY

Born in Qidong City, Hunan Province in China, I come from an Asian background. I was adopted and brought to the United States in 2001 by a Chinese family. My grandparents immigrated from China to San Francisco where my mother was born. I am ethnically Chinese and my nationality is American. My family celebrates Chinese traditions such as Chinese New Year which encompasses values such as respect towards elders and family, which is also symbolized by the red and gold, and red envelope. We also celebrate American holidays such as  Independence Day, Thanksgiving, and New Year’s. We value democracy, equality, diversity, the right to vote, and independence. While there are distinct separations in some aspects of each culture, my Chinese values and traditions are intertwined with American values and traditions.

For instance, my value and respect towards elders and family is a mixture of both Chinese and American cultures. In Chinese culture, many families demonstrate filial piety for elders through how the younger generation addresses elders. It is a practice that originates from a Confucian tradition; valuing elders’ wisdom. Similarly, this respect extends to close family friends often referred to as “aunt” or “uncle”.  However, the treatment of elders in Western culture differs because children are seen as “the future” compared to the older generation. Thus, children typically address elders by their first name. I have been taught that it is disrespectful to call parents, elders, and ancestors by their first name. Traditionally, I call them Mr. (last name) or M(r)s. (last name). Due to Western cultural influences, there are times when I do call elders by their first name because that is what they prefer. Even so, I modify it when they are Chinese or family friends to still remain respectful. While aspects of both cultures are intertwined, there are times when American traditions engulf Chinese traditions and cause me to feel lost within my own culture. 

Every year, my family and a group of close friends get together to celebrate Chinese New Year, the welcoming of good fortune for the new year as well as bringing the family together. We celebrate with the giving and receiving of red envelopes–red symbolizing good fortune and happiness–and enjoying traditional foods. Each part of the celebration carries symbolic weight of Chinese culture; however, due to a Western influence, its symbolic meaning can be diminished to only the money received in the red envelopes rather than wishing good fortune. Although I know more about Chinese culture, I feel like most of my memories are of Western traditions and holidays. Due to this, I feel alienated by my Chinese half.  I begin to question “who I am,” but then I remember, I am more than just my cultural practices and values. I am also the values instilled by my mother, the values I found in my hobbies, and values I might not even know yet.

Ever since I was a child, my mother would say “Loving Kindness”: 

“May my life be filled with loving kindness, 

May I be well

May I be safe

May I be at peace  and at ease,

and may I be happy.” 

“Loving Kindness” was said every night and repeated as a daily evening ritual. It is a meditative mantra that values peace, love, kindness, and happiness. It values and wishes good for yourself and others. A similar value to the loving kindness mantra is found in my martial arts creed. The creed not only applied to my practice of martial arts but also my daily life. The creed went like this: 

“Each day I strive to be the best I can be by:

 Respecting myself and others

Finding peaceful ways to resolve conflicts

 Respecting nature and the environment

Accepting responsibility for my actions

I practice my art daily, 

As it guides me in my quest, to be the best that I can be.”
–  Cutting Edge Martial Arts

This martial arts creed values peace and kindness, in addition to, respect, practice, responsibility, discipline, and pushing oneself to “be the best that [one] can be.” For eight years, the creed created an impact on my values as a person and as a student and continues to do so. Once I stopped practicing martial arts, due to injury, aspects of karate still resonated in me, allowing me to continue reflecting on myself and connect to other Asian cultures. Although the origin of the five traditions of Martial Arts that I practiced came from Japan (Shotokan/ Jiu-Jitsu/Judo/ Aikido) and Korea (Taekwondo), it is the values and meanings within learning them that share similar characteristics to Chinese martial arts. Aikido, for example, means “the way of flowing harmony/energy,” which focuses on chi and the flowing energy within your body.

Another hobby is art. Since I was a child, art has been a staple throughout my life. Learning about the color wheel, perspective, details, line as well as thinking about critiques and the meaning of them in class has begun to influence my perspective on other things. The process of research within my hobby allows me to continuously connect, learn, and be inspired within both my American and Chinese cultures. These values from art also apply to my life experiences; my values will continue to grow and change. Through learning, I will continue forming a sense of identity as a Chinese-American within my own culture and as a person within society.

Word Count: 901