Felicia Zhu
Sep 8, 2018 · 2 min read

I’m back at Princeton now, and thinking back on the summer I’m so glad I decided to teach English in Jishou. Through interacting with the amazing students and teachers, I feel like I’ve really gotten to explore a lot about myself.

It’s weird being Chinese American in China teaching and learning from Chinese students. Looking the way I do and growing up with the culture I had, I am instantly given privilege and a sense of belonging as I interact with both the students at PiJ and the locals in Jishou. I feel connected to them because they use Wechat and cute stickers that not a lot of people in America use. They speak a language I grew up with that not a lot of people in America speak. They invite us to eat the foods my mother would cook that not a lot of people in America eat. All the students are my age, too. They send me memes and take selfies (though heavily filtered) and use technology with the ease of my generation. It’s weird because I’ve never met people my age before who’ve grown up in a Chinese society.

Even so, being Chinese American in China makes me feel especially American. It makes me want to be American. I check Facebook Messenger to keep in touch with friends. If the students want to speak to me in Chinese, I can only offer back very simple, heavily accented replies. Towards the end of the program, I am strongly craving fried chicken and mac and cheese. When students introduce me to locals as American, a side of me wants to hide the fact (my mother always told me to be wary of revealing my foreignness) while another part of me feels strangely validated. Yes, I am American, even if the locals don’t always believe it.

I’m still in the process of navigating who I am as a Chinese American, but I do know that the people and program in Jishou have helped me learn so much. The warmth and openness of the students and teachers allowed me to really feel safe to explore these aspects of my identity, and for that I am truly grateful. Though my confusing identity will stay with me throughout my life, so too will the growth and memories I made this summer in Jishou.

Summer of Service 2018

Princeton in Asia's Summer of Service program in Jishou, China

Felicia Zhu

Written by

Summer of Service 2018

Princeton in Asia's Summer of Service program in Jishou, China

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