Analyzing Lin's Life

Her name is Yonglin Zhao, which is a Chinese name written in English. She immigrated to America from China with her parents and older brother. She asked others to call her Lin because she found her full name difficult for others to pronounce. Lin spoke Chinese fluently, but forgot many words because she had to learn English. Although priding herself for being Chinese, she has become much like an American because she eats Chinese and American food, watches Chinese dramas and American television shows, and speaks both Chinese and English. Growing up, Lin was not a picky-eater. She was able to eat the yellow, “stinky,” spiky fruit that many despised, known as durian. Because of her Chinese background, she could handle the slimy texture of sea …show more content…
In order to be able to understand and learn more Chinese, Lin watches Chinese dramas; however, she probably watches them for fun and not for educational purposes. Most of the dramas she watches are in the historical and fantasy realm, so all she gets out of those are how to say “emperor” and “concubines” in Chinese. She watches American television shows because of the comedic and relatable aspects. Lin loves the dramatic, romantic, and cheesy scenes of Chinese dramas; she also takes a liking to the uncensored and raw content of American TV. As a result of these productions, Lin develops into a striking, imaginative, and silly person, always living her life as if she is the lead role in her own movie. When talking to friends and family about the things she watches, she speaks English and Chinese when describing the …show more content…
She speaks English more than she speaks Chinese because English is the language taught and spoken at school. Lin speaks English to her teachers, friends, and peers. She speaks Chinese to her parents and extended family members, often combining English words with Chinese characters to get her point across. Sometimes, she speaks a mix of English and Chinese, “Chin-glish,” because she doesn’t know how to speak some words in Chinese, so she replaces them with English words. In order to define or explain particular words so her family understands, Lin constantly uses “Google Translate.” Lin speaks English and Chinese everyday; English mostly to her friends and teachers, and Chinese to her family members. Although born in China, Lin is greatly influenced by America, making her a Chinese American. During most of her spare time, Lin watches Chinese and American television, while eating different kinds of food. As Lin concludes her cultural identity essay, she realizes that she learned a lot about herself. All the little things she overlooked in her Chinese American life, such as eating food, speaking languages, and watching TV, helped her become the individual she is today: a dramatic, imaginative, funny, and low maintenance