Before I emigrated from China to America, I was in the care of my mother while my father was in America, establishing a home for us. My time in China was very vague but I remember a specific event, which made me realize that in China, respect and manners were very important, more so than America to what I have noticed. I can still recall vividly the time how my uncle disciplined me. It was my fault, really. The family was together at our ancestor’s old house, having dinner. My legs were up on the table, acting as a gangster would. Perhaps I was copying the Hong Kong gangsters on television and felt like it was cool that I do that as well. My uncle, while carrying out the steamed fish, used his chopsticks and whipped down onto my soles.
…show more content…
I was caught off-guard. I started crying at the time because I did not understand the reason why he did it. No one around helped me nor reprimanded my uncle, not even my mother. I realized that I was at fault and started to hush up after a little more crying. Today, I understood why he did what he did. In the Chinese culture, respect was everything. Especially table manners because dinner is one of those times where the family gets together and share what happened to them that day and eat the same food as the others around them. In today’s society, especially in America, I noticed that we have lost a lot of that culture. This can be seen especially in ABC children, (American Born Chinese). Perhaps they do not understand the preciousness of being able to eat together with their family because the entire time they will be on their phones. This is just like my little brother, which of course, I reprimand him a
I was caught off-guard. I started crying at the time because I did not understand the reason why he did it. No one around helped me nor reprimanded my uncle, not even my mother. I realized that I was at fault and started to hush up after a little more crying. Today, I understood why he did what he did. In the Chinese culture, respect was everything. Especially table manners because dinner is one of those times where the family gets together and share what happened to them that day and eat the same food as the others around them. In today’s society, especially in America, I noticed that we have lost a lot of that culture. This can be seen especially in ABC children, (American Born Chinese). Perhaps they do not understand the preciousness of being able to eat together with their family because the entire time they will be on their phones. This is just like my little brother, which of course, I reprimand him a