Week 4: Xunzi and Being Chinese-American

This week’s topics resounded with me because my family and I are first-generation immigrants. I was born in Dinghai, which is one of the 128 islands of Zhousan, China. After moving to America, my family still integrated many Asian values into our household.

While reading Xunzi’s writings I found that they are almost exactly like what my mother used to tell me as a child. In Xunzi’s text, it reads, “As for people, even if they had a fine nature and inborn substance and their hearts were keenly discriminating and wise, they would still need to seek worthy teachers to serve, and choose worthy friends to befriend” (pg. 257). This passage in particular is so familiar to me because my mom would always preach about associating myself with good people. After all, the type of person you are close with will determine how you become.

In the melting pot of cultures that is America, my family has consciously sought to strike a balance, cherishing our cultural roots while embracing the diversity around us. Reflecting on Xunzi’s philosophy and my mother’s guidance, I realize that the pursuit of knowledge and the improvement of virtue are intertwined. And so, these factors play an important role in my life to seek cultural integration as well as finding my sense of identity.