Reflective Essay: American Born Chinese

“ABC” is an acronym for “American Born Chinese” - a term used on kids by almost all Chinese parents who live in America. Although it may sound cute, this acronym has almost a negative connotation towards it as if it is a bad thing to be American and Chinese. In my family, the adults use it as a joke.

Being the first born Chinese American child in my family, I had a lot of pressure to learn English. I’m not going to lie - it was really difficult to pick up another language that was not spoken at home. Growing up, my dad would tell me stories of myself and how I learned English. When I heard these stories I always found them fascinating because, through those stories, I realized how much I have changed over the years.

As a child, I grew up speaking different Chinese dialects. It was only when I went to school that I learned English. I remember

It also another way I was able to learn English. Other than that, it was also my source of entertainment and knowledge about the American culture. My parents told me I was basically glued to the TV and that they could never get my attention once I started watching. Shows like That’s so Raven, Totally Spies, and Kim Possible would fascinate me because I could watch their lives and how different it was compared to mines. I would always try to adapt to what they did with their families and lives to mine. In most cases, the characters were much older than me, so these shows turned into my goals. It was kind of a wake-up call that I wasn’t just Chinese, but as well American.

The type of experiences that I had growing up has pushed me to face my challenges head-on. By learning English and grasping that I am two different cultures and that being multicultural does not stop me from being more than the other. I understand that it will be a power struggle for when I am here in America, where most see me just as Chinese, or where others see me as an American in my family’s