Calonline Hwang Identity

Children realize their identity through their family and surrounding environment while growing up. During childhood, they identify their internal appearance, such as who they are, and where they are from. In Calonline Hwang’s cultural essay, “The Good Daughter,” the writer talks about her childhood and how to identify her own self in an immigrant family. Hwang writes “I identify with Americans but Americans do not identify with me.”. The author grew up as an American in the United States by her parents even though they are Korean. Her parents immigrated to the United States two years before Hwang was born. Moreover, they have never taught Korean culture to their daughter, because they wanted her to become American. However, because of appearance, …show more content…
When I entered a high school, I asked my mother that “which major should I take for the future? Actually I wanted to study art and become an artist.” Mother’s answer was that I just needed to study the subjects for general education, and she would find a job for me. At that moment, this conversation dragged me into a panic because it was the first time I expressed my dream job to her, but she ignored it and pushed me to follow her opinion. After this conversation, I lacked of purpose of study, going school, even life. My self-identity was destroyed little by little because I could not make my choice. A year later, I tried to talk to mother again, and said that I wanted to live my life by doing what I want, and decided to attend a drawing class. More than 6 months was needed to persuade her, but finally she made a decision to support me. I realized that I was delighted while painting a picture. Furthermore, I set up a goal to enter into an art university in order to have purpose of life in the future. Having self-identity rightly is important to live a valuable life. Thus, people need to form self-identity to find purpose, happiness, and value of life and reasons for