by Yang Hai
As an American-born Chinese, Devonne Hwang grew up in San Gabriel Valley area and acted as an interpreter for her parents who can barely speak English. Due to the language barrier, her parents are constrained within the Chinese community. Hwang never went out because her parents don’t, and she never heard of “the mall” until she was in eighth grade when her friends invited her.
Chinese Americans make up the largest proportion of the Asian American population, 23%, and constituted 1.2% of the total United States’ population, according to the 2010 United States Census Bureau. As a group that emphasizes the maintenance of traditions, 44% of US-born Chinese said they could carry on a conversation efficiently in either Mandarin or Cantonese.
“We are in America. Speak English.”
The Loosing Interest in Learning Chinese
Hwang said that she suspects even fewer young Chinese Americans will learn the language in the future. “I have many friends refuse to speak Chinese even though they could.” she said. “ They are saying why do I have to speak? We are in America. Speak English.”
Jennifer Kam, an UCSB communication professor, suggested one of the factors that lead to the decreased interest for some of the Chinese Americans to learning the language. “Chinese Americans adolescents might not feel motivated to learn the language because they don’t want to be perceived as different.” She said. “They may be discriminated against at school or elsewhere because they speak another language, which could discourage them from learning it.”
Hwang used to live in a predominantly white neighborhood where there were only two Asian families. She felt uncomfortable when her parents talked to her in Cantonese in public. “ You don’t want to be looked down from others because you parents cannot speak English.” Hwang said. “You want to be cool like all the other kids.”
The Impacts of Parental Teaching Styles
Family plays a huge role in shaping Chinese Americans’ cultural identities. Kam suggested that children learn about their ethnic identities through verbal and nonverbal communication with family members and from other social networks members such as teachers and peers.
The gap between two generations exists among many Chinese Americans’ families, particularly for parents who have limited exposure to the US mainstream society. Children who went to US schools constantly digest new information and assimilate into the new environment while their parents were fall behind the times.
Kam suggested an association between ethnic discrimination and low self-esteem, in which such treatment can take a toll on one’s identity. Some of the Chinese immigrants who came during the 70s and 80s have concurred unequal treatments, and tend to place themselves as a lower grade in the society. Thus, their own experiences affected how they teach their children.
Contradicted from the US value of emphasizing equality and encouraging people to speak out for their rights, their parents taught their kids to forbear when face humiliation. Shocked by this huge discrepancy in the way of thinking between their parents and the mainstream society, Chinese American kids felt hard to understand their parents.
“My parents are stupid. This is what some of my friends think. But I don’t” said Hwang.
Hwang’s parents came from poor families, started bare-handed and are now able to make a living and buy a house. “ I was so proud of them. They are smart for making this far, given the fact that they don’t know any English.” She said, “ I feel grateful for the life that they provide for me.”
Professor John S.W. Park from UCSB’s Asian American studies suggested the diversity of Chinese Americans. “There is a range of adaptations growing over time for this group. Some of them may behave in this way, others may choose to adapt in other ways” Park said.
Thus, not every Chinese American chooses to stay in their comfort zones and have limited interaction with the outside world. A more open-minded attitude toward the US mainstream values of individualism and equality is rising in many Chinese immigrants families, particularly people who came to the US at the age of globalization.
Joby Zhang, a fourth-year global studies and Chinese double major student revealed his surprise when his parents showed their support for his decision to give up studying chemistry. “They always wanted me to go to medical school” Zhang said.
Zhang was under parents’ Chinese style of teaching that strives for hard working and the best grades before. But now he has gained much more freedom from his parents that encouraged him to choose his own path.
He suggested that his mother immersed herself into the new environment because of her occupation need, and that’s probably affected her to change to more American way of teaching.
Ways of Adaptation
Zhang moved from Yunnan, China to San Francisco when he was 8. He has been through a tough time of adapting the new environment. Due to his limited English skills, Zhang endured difficulties of making friends.
While in junior high school, Zhang was one of the only two Chinese students out of the 600 people. He experienced racist comments from classmates, humiliating him using the ethnic slur like “Chink”.
A study showed that young Chinese Americans’ experiences of bullying and discrimination from non-Chinese peers are likely to be a significant stress to them, and could linked to their poor psychological adjustment during adolescence.
“Most of the kids are white people who may not have seen Asians before.” Zhang said. “I felt like an outsider as the only Asian in a room among white skins with blonde hair.”
Fortunately, things got better when Zhang entered a multi-ethnic high school with more diversity. With more fluent English ability and a friendly environment, Zhang felt a sense of belonging and become more comfortable building friendships.
Kathleen Wong, in contrast, was more open-minded and adaptive when she moved to the US in 2000. She was born in Hong Kong, and gained the education in both Mainland China and Hong Kong. Nurtured in multi-cultures, Wong believe her rich backgrounds enabled her to easier and faster integrating into the new environment.
The Impacts of Stereotype
Hwang thought UCSB has a friendly environment. She sometimes would rather not go back home because of all the judgments from her own ethnic group, “ I feel like in Asian communities, everybody expects you to be smart. And if not, you are considered as a failure.”
The image of Chinese Americans as the model minority is a significant issue that posts huge pressure on the young people. They are stereotyped as extremely hard-working and math geniuses.
Zhang suggested that the society should perceive them not as units, but different individuals. “I hope people would see every individual in this group as equal and unique. Not every Asian will become a doctor. We can be other types.” He said.
Zhang believe he can defend himself against the prejudice. But he feared that this deeply ingrained perception toward Chinese Americans would become more serious in the future. “ I don’t want my children to be judged and affected by the stereotypes.” He said.
“I feel like in Asian communities, everybody expects you to be smart. And if not, you are considered as a failure.” said Hwang.
Kam suggested that everyone has implicit biases toward their own ethnic group, as well as toward other ethnic groups. “Hopefully, we can make efforts to recognize our biases and work on them, but this is an ongoing process of self-discovery — a lifetime journey of combatting our implicit biases.” She said.
The Future of Chinese Americans
Looking to the future, Zhang considered the most essential part of preserving the Chinese culture is to learn the language. “ People cannot forget where they are from.” He said, “They will no doubt integrate into the US culture as they growing up. So it is essential to lay the groundwork of the traditional Chinese values to them when they are young, such as teaching them to be respectful to family.”
Wong emphasized the importance for Chinese Americans to improve their understanding of their ethnicity, especially the young generations. “Many of them don’t even know where they are from.” She said. “They have no interest to know about their own ethnic culture, which is ironic.”
“The earlier the Chinese Americans know more about their culture, the more attachment to their identities they will be.” Wong said.
She called on the US schools to include more education about Chinese culture. But she also worried that this is extremely difficult to realize. “Since we are still considered as the minority group in the US society” said Wong.