The In-between
Where do we belong?
We grew up in an age where our parents poured their blood, sweat, and tears into their work to provide us a decent life, if not a good one. We have brothers and sisters that either paved our way ahead or inspired us to become leaders. We lived in a place where freedom in our ideas, beliefs, and thoughts exist. We shared cultures without the worry of being judged and opinions ignored. We got “free” education that taught us that everything we have is a blessing and that we were safe to grow into fully functioning adults. We could be ourselves, and people would accept us for us. Days would go by without us feeling the need to speak out since people appeared to value us as individuals.
We are not like our Asian counterparts. We do not share the same national outlook. We usually do not share the same values as those born in the lands of our heritage. We do not always see people that look like us everywhere within the states. We do not have the same hype clothing trend compared to Asia. We only preserve our culture by word of mouth and through family traditions.
I am Asian-American.
Yet time and time again, when we revisit the history of our people, we see that maybe we might not actually be good enough to be “Americans.” Yet over and over, flawless intellect, unyielding mental fortitude, and reputable emotional wellbeing are expected of us. Nevertheless, when we fall short of these stereotypical feats, they shockingly respond, “But, you’re Asian!” With many Asian countries being taught and known, “You must be Chinese” is still the default applied to all Asians. Yet, too many times to count, Asian women are constantly fetishized while Asian men are constantly emasculated. And yet, people do not admit these are just the surface of our problems.
Despite finally seeing more representation in media like Youtube, Twitch, movies, general news, and many other platforms, are we actually being seen? Despite the non-Asians’ “appreciation” for Asian food and Boba have grown, do they respect our culture? Despite all the praise on how diverse and great the U.S. is, why do people who look like my grandparents, parents, siblings, and cousins get discriminated against, judged, and murdered? Despite being born here and inevitably slowly losing our heritage, we are also becoming foreigners to the country we thought to be home.
I am Asian-American.
The majority of my life I spent assimilating to America culture to fit in. As I grew older and participated in multiple organizations and clubs that celebrate and educate people about Asian culture and history, I have a newfound appreciation for being who I am. Although I speak broken Cantonese and can barely read Chinese, I am who I am. I am proud to be part of the Asian-American and Pacific Islander community.
Where exactly do we belong?
Hi, my name is Vincent; I am a Chinese-American content creator, storyteller, and fitness and health enthusiast.
