Telling My Story - Essay Example

When my parents told me that I was going to study in America, I was ecstatic; not that I did not like mycountry or its schools, I knew American institutions were some of the best in the world, and I have always wanted to study and work in America for quite a very long time. Despite being in China, I had come to make many connections and associations with America; this is because of the cultural diversity and media freedom offered. Most of the movies I watched as I was growing up in my homeland China were made in America or by Americans, like American kids, many of us in China enjoyed terminator, star wars and many other movies and TV programs of retrospective and recent times. As such, I felt attracted to the culture, the seemingly unlimited freedom afforded to Americans, and I always wanted to experience this first hand. Furthermore, I knew that some of my ancestors on my mother’s side had immigrated to China in the 1900’s and their descendants still live there. Although I had not made contact with them personally, my mother had kept in touch with these relatives, and I suspect they made it possible for me to travel here. In my own way, I had my version of the American dream to many immigrants; America personified the opportunity to experience the freedom they lacked in their countries, and exploit available opportunities in work and education. Although, in modern day, many countries have become more liberal than there were in the past, I carried such sentiments because, in China, it is well known that the media and freedom of expression is far from the world class. Despite my original enthusiasm, when the day came, I had mixed feelings about leaving my homeland to go to a place I did not know and where I knew almost no one. I said a few tearful goodbyes, and as I walked into the airports interior, I did not look back to wave to my few waving relatives because I did not want them to see my tears. My journey to America in many ways was more than just a physical journey; it was a spiritual one too. I had begun to question myself and decide where I belonged, did I belong to China and should I study, and they return to my home or did I belong to America like my unknown relatives? On the plane, I kept turning these thoughts around in my mind until I fell asleep, I when I woke up, I was in America. Settling down was not very hard, and it was arranged that I should stay with my relatives at first before I could move out on my own. I did not move around much in the first few days, and when I did venture out on my own I walked into a cafe for a snack, the first thing I noticed was that almost everything was fried. The food was not bad, but I knew it would take time to get used to, some combinations were, however, strange to me, and I did not even attempt them such as cheese and apple. Contrary to what many people in my homeland China imagine, life in America is not an easy one, yes, the jobs pay more, but one has to work longer hours and at times work more than two jobs at a time. When asked my uncle what I could do for work since I needed to make money for my upkeep, he said for the time being I could work in his grocery store in my free time. However, he encouraged me to look around and see what else I could do since he knew selling greens was probably not going to be very interesting to me. One of the fears I had about coming to America was racial discrimination, which I had heard so much about, however, in all the time I have been here, no one has ever shown me any hostility on account of my racial and cultural heritage. In America, there were many Chinese, Americans, hence a Chinese person was not a strange sight, and I did not attract any special interest. This is because the population of Chinese, American people is quite big with over 3 million according to the 2007 censors (“Current Population”). However, when my classmates heard I was a Chinese form China, they asked me very many questions about my homeland. The most frequent was if it was true that the Chinese government monitored and at times shut off internet activity in China. Truth be told I found the Americans have more freedom of expression than we in mainland China, people here could criticize the government openly and get away with it, besides they seemed constantly suspicious of the government. I was puzzles since in my country I was not used d to this open and sharp criticism of public office. I tried to do some research about it, and the best explanation I could come up with was that the historically, Americans have been involved in wars from the civil to the Vietnam wars which ah a direct effect on civilians especially those forced to conscript in the army. As such, they treated to government with suspicion while in China despite an almost equally violent history the people were often sheltered from the direct effects making them more trustworthy of the state. My new Chinese, American friend laughed that off when discussed it with him and told me that in China w simply did not have enough democracy and the people avoided criticism the government because of fear not trust. While I could not fully agree, I knew that much of what he was saying was true, but I also believe my findings had also been true to some extent since not everyone in China considered themselves oppressed. Nevertheless, I have to admit that from an American perspective China did look a bit authoritarian since the Chinese government did show an autocratic efficacy for dealing with "threats" (“Democracy v China”) During my first few months, I experienced quite a bit of cultural shock in other aspects of life besides the food. Americans were very straightforward and frank in their social interaction. In Chinese culture for instance, when one was offered something especially food in another’s house, they were expected to decline and not accept unless the host pressed them were they to expect, that is how I had been brought up as a child. Here, on the other hand, people were different when someone offered you something, and you refuse, they would put it away and forget all about it without taking offence. After a few awkward experiences, I figured this out, and whenever some offered me a glass of something, and I wanted it, I would gracefully say, “Yes please”. In a way, I found this to be much better than how we do it in China, this is because sometimes you might not want anything, but the host might press you so much you feel you will be offended if you continue to decline. It could be a better system, or I am just becoming Americanized faster than I expected. In China, it is considered rude to enter someone’s house with your shoes still on; this was a practical and cultural since the streets in China are not always clean or paved. In America, the streets are so clean that people will wear the same shoes they wear in on the streets in the houses. During my first days, I would leave my shoes at the doorstep and find that everyone still had theirs on which was quite awkward, but I later came to understand. These days, I confidently walk into people houses without removing my shoes although sometimes when I look down and see my shoes, on the carpet or rug, I feel a bit awkward until of course I remember I am in America. As I had mentioned my identity did not attract much attention because many Chinese, Americans looked just like me, my accent, on the other hand, was a different story altogether. Despite the fact that I had studied and used English throughout much of my time in China, I spoke with a distinct Chinese accent and sometimes I had to strain to make myself understood. This made almost everyone I talked to know I was new in the states and it made me quite uncomfortable, and I attempted to lose it drastically; moreover, I suspect I only ended up sounding like a Chinese person trying to speak without a Chinese accent. Fortunately, with time, I sound more like the Chinese, Americans, but I am no longer uncomfortable about sounding like a Chinese anymore because, I am Chinese after all and there is nothing wrong with that. In conclusion, I must admit being a Chinese living in America is not very easy because of the culture differences in the food, social interaction and other aspects of American culture. There were also challenges like having to explain to my friend why I did not think China was dictatorship, and there was no democracy especially because I was not even sure I disagreed with them wholly having assumed an American perspective of the issue. The language was also an issue since, in the first few months I was very self-conscious, and would avoid speaking much to people because I was ashamed of not sounding American enough. However, I overcame most of these with time, and I am comfortable in America, but still I have not decided if I want to spend the rest of my life here. Ultimately, the most important thing is I got my chance and took it, and I intend to use it to develop myself; academically, socially and culturally by taking advantage of the opportunities offered by America, but holding on to my identity as a Chinese. Works Cited “Current population” Stanford school of medicine.edu.n.d. Web 15 November 2012. “Democracy v China; What China challenges” The Economist. 2011. Web 15 November 2012. Read More