Bambi Shen's Growing Up, I 'M American'

I am so thankful to hear those guest speakers talk about their life stories, the struggles they went through to get to the place they are today, and the beautiful souls each speaker has. Every single guest speaker was delightful, but if I had to choose my favorite it would be Bambi Shen. Maybe it was the fact that she went into depth with her life story because she had more time to do so, but it was a very inspiring story and I am glad I had the chance to hear it. She made me open my eyes to never judge someone by their appearance. She even said a couple of times that although she may look Asian she is French on the inside. Her story made me realize how much of a struggle being a girl in other countries is. It’s so hard to imagine only having one child and not wanting that child because it’s a girl due to beliefs. I want to find a way to help inspire women to stand up for themselves just like Bambi Shen has by sharing her story to the world. …show more content…
There was a quote by Kochiyama in one of the stories that were assigned that made me aware of the people and myself included in the same dilemma, “Growing up, my mother would say we’re Japanese. But I’d say, “No I’m American”.” I remember when I was younger I would say the same thing to my mom. Some people in the United States who came from different countries illegally are shamed for it. All they want is a better life so they try to Americanize themselves and try to forget their nationality. It was a good week to reflect on the struggle of others and to be aware of people’s culture. I’ve learned to be aware of what I say and even though something may not be a norm for me; I need to remember that it is for others, and to appreciate