My-Cultural-Story

ChloeChenMyCulturalStory“Shanghainese”and“Chinese”Chinese,Chinese,Chinese.Mybackgroundseemsverysimple.IwasborninapureChinesefamily.Peoplecaneasilytellmyidentificationbymyfamilyname,Chen,whichisoneofthemostcommonsurnamesofChinese.IneverheardanystoriesaboutanygreatachievementsofmyethnicHanancestors.MygreatgrandmawastheoldestfamilymemberIhaveevermetinmylife.Theonlyinformationshelefttomeisherkindlybuthoaryandoldface.Myfamilywasanupper-middleclasswhenIwasborn.ButtheyembraceanoldChinesesaying,“Girlsshouldberaisedlikeprincesseswhileboysshouldbebredlikepoormen.”Therefore,IwasluckilysenttothegoodschoolsandalwaysgotwhateverIwant.Otherthanthesatisfactionsofmaterialneeds,differently,myparentsarekindofstrictonmyeducation.Theyputlotsofstressoneducation.Intheiropinion,traditionaleducationisnecessarybecauseawiderrangeofknowledgecanbroadenmymind.Buttheyareopen-mindedatthesametime:They’vealwaysbeentryingtofindoutmytalentsbymeetingallmyhobbydemands.Iwasinterestedindifferentkindsofthingsatdifferentperiod.Someofthesehobbiesarelong-termandsomeareshort-term.Butthemostimportantthingis,theywerenot“assigned”bymyparents.Althoughtheyagreedthatschoolisnottheonlywaytoachievesuccess,theybelievedthathard-workingisanecessity.Somyeducationislikeatraditionalandopencombination.“NomatterwhatIlike,Ihavetobeconcentratedonit.Onlyexpertslaughlast.”That’swhatmyparentstoldme.What’smore,myparentstoldmetoremembertheimportanceofbeingthankfuleventhoughIneverworryaboutmylife.Ican’ttakeeverythingforgranted;Ican’tforgettothankmyfamilyandthesocietyandlearntobeahardworker.OnlyifIlearntoloveothers,lovemycountry,Icangetthelovefromothers.Inordertoshowourappreciationofourgoodluck,Mymomgoestotemplesregularly,AlthoughsomeoftheChinesepeoplehaveverystrongreligionbeliefs,mostofusconsiderourselvesirreligious.SodoI.Iwenttotempleswithmymomatleastthreetimesayear;weevenwenttoafamoustemplebya7-hourtrainforburningincensetothewell-knowngodsthere.Honestly,IneverthoughtaboutthereasonIdidallthesewithmymom.Maybeit’sallbecauseshedidso.Icouldn’trememberthefirsttimeIwenttotemplewithher.IrespectBuddhasandIbelieveinthem.ButIstillthinkthatIcan’tclaimI’maBuddhistsinceIneverdidanystudyaboutBuddhism.Idon’tknowitwell.IneverreadanybooksaboutBuddhism.WhatIdoknowiswhatmymomtellsme:nomatterwhatreligionIbelievein,Ialwayshavetoremembertobekindandnicetoothers.Shesaysshebelievesthat’sthebasicdoctrineofallreligions.RegardlessofthefactthatIwenttotemplealotandlearnlotsofprinciplesfrommymom,Istillconsidermyselfanirreligiousperson.Myfamilyisveryunitedandharmonious.Wehaveweeklymovieplanandfamilyweekendout.Beinglovely,friendlyandkindiswhatmyparentstriedtoinfluencemebygivingmeagoodfamilyenvironment.“Non-Shanghainese”and“Chink”Shanghaiismyhometown,wherethefinancialcapitalofMainlandChinais.Asaninternationalmetropolisinthedevelopingcountry,peoplefromthiscitywerebornwithaninherentpride.Icangoeverycornersofmycitybytheelevenmetrolineswhichisthelongestnetworkintheworld;Icanfindupper-scalestoreseverywhereindifferentbusinessareas.Withalltheadvancedsurroundingsupplies,Shanghaiiswellknownasmostdiscriminatoryagainstforeigners.Thismightbewhat’shappeningismostofthebigcitiesintheworld.Peoplecomefromdifferentpartsoftheworldforamoreconvenientandmodernlifeandahighersalary.Ihadahardtimegettingalongwithpeoplefromothercities.That’sthegroupofpeoplemakesmehavethegreatestchallengeinhavingapositiveperception.Aftermakingfriendswithcoupleofnon-Shanghainesefriends,Irealizedthattherewerealotofwell-educatednon-Shanghainesestoo.Theyarewell-behavedandgood-mannered.Irespectthemandreallyappreciatethem.Wehavetoadmitthatouramazingcitymaynotexistwithoutforeignworkers.Butthefactis,IstillpreferhangingoutwithShanghainesebecausewehavemorethingsincommonandspeakthesamelanguage(Shanghaiese).It’sallaboutculturaldifference.IstartedtofeelitmorestronglyafterIcametoAmerica.Ibecameoneofthealiensinotherseyes.EventhoughIthinkthelifeinmycityiskindofmoreadvancedthanthelifehere,I’mstillaChinese.MostpartsofpeoplefromAmericaneverhavebeentoShanghai.Theydon’tcareaboutfinancialcapitalorwhatever.Intheireyes,Chinaisjustahugeundevelopedcountry.NowIcanfeelthewaynon-ShanghainesefeelinShanghai;IrealizethattheprideIthoughtIwasbornwithisjusttransitory.IbecametheonebeingstereotypedbecauseofsomeotherChinese’sbehaviors.Iaskedmyself,didIevertrytoknowmoreaboutthosepeoplewerestereotypedbyme?NomatterhowmuchforeignershaveimproperbehaviorsinShanghai,theyarestillnoteveryone.Ican’timaginehowmanypeoplewerestereotypedbymeonlyfortheirlanguageordressingstylebeforeIeventalkedtothem.Afterempathy,Ihavetoadmitthatbeingstereotypedbytheethnicisterrible.Thegoodthingis,I’mreallyoptimistic.I’mnotafraidtoconfrontwithandacceptnewthings.Since,Ineverworryaboutthingsinmychildhood,IalwaystrytodosomethingdifferentwhenIgrewup.IfoundthefirstjobasaserverinAmerica.Whatwillhappentoagirlneverdidanyhouseworkbefore?Imademistakes;Ihurtmyself;Icriedintherestroomofmywork.Ican’teventellmyparentsaboutthejobsincetheythinkaneducatedandculturedgirlshouldn’tdophysicalwork.Itseemedlikeaspoiledkidwouldlosehisabilityofde