I had absolutely no idea what they were saying, but I stood there smiling and laughing. The problem with being a first-generation American is that there is always a sense of isolation. Isolation from your peers because of cultural differences, and isolation from your family because of cultural differences; I was always stuck in the middle.
At age four, my family and I moved from Hong Kong to America, and I quickly assimilated to the culture here. I wanted to be like my peers by celebrating Thanksgiving with apple pie, but instead my Thanksgiving consisted of rice, turkey, and loud, incomprehensible relatives.
Growing up, my parents never spoke to me in Taishanese. And, while my relatives can speak in the Cantonese that I understand, when they’re
At age four, my family and I moved from Hong Kong to America, and I quickly assimilated to the culture here. I wanted to be like my peers by celebrating Thanksgiving with apple pie, but instead my Thanksgiving consisted of rice, turkey, and loud, incomprehensible relatives.
Growing up, my parents never spoke to me in Taishanese. And, while my relatives can speak in the Cantonese that I understand, when they’re