Be Your Self, Hold True To Your Own Identity!
American culture has become the boiling point of an innumerable amount of different ethnicities. As such a diverse nation, one could expect that the gap between various cultures would not be as great as it was before the immigration of people from so many different backgrounds. Unfortunately, many feel that this is still not yet the case. Racism and traditional culture stand as two conflicting viewpoints that Jin Wang takes on as an American born Chinese. He has fallen victim to the ridicules of racism by his white classmates and wishes he could fit in. However, it is important for him to remember that one should not be ashamed of their identity. It is only due to the cultural ignorance of his classmates that he is in this state of feeling “left out”. Only if he feels comfortable enough to take on new traditions could he try to adopt some of the American ways of living. This does not mean that he has to give up his Chinese cultures, morals, and values, but learning to mix the two would help him attain the best of both worlds and better help him integrate into this new society.
The term “fitting in” holds a lot of value in today’s society. “Are you Socially fit?” That question is really a matter of opinion; most people base it off of how they live so there is no definite answer to the question. However, in America if you are not a socially fit person, the opportunities that are available to every one becomes untouchable. In American Born Chinese, the character of Jin Wang is portrayed as some one who is born in America but raised by his Chinese values. This kind of traditional thinking is basically the opposite of how the American teenagers interact with each other. Though some times Jin might feel secluded by his white friends just because of the way he acts and talks, I strongly feel that he should still hold true to his traditional Chinese values. Jin Wang should learn the cultural differences and try to make them as narrow as possible without loosing his identity.
I can personally relate to Jin Wang from American Born Chinese. Much like him, in my childhood years I felt left out of my group of friends and acquaintances. I appeared as a “fob” because I didn’t dress or act like American teenagers. After trying my hardest to become like the Americans I wasn’t successful because I couldn’t let go of who I was. Pressured to have lots of responsibilities on my shoulders, I found myself surrounded by friends who were more interested in activities that I could no longer relate to. While I focused on studying and expanding my music business, my peers made socializing their first priority. This made me not cool enough to be in any
