Throughout most of my childhood, I have been predominantly exposed to nothing When my parents first immigrated to the United States from Canton, China, they rented a small apartment located right in the heart of Chinatown. Chinatown was my home, the place where I met all my friends, and the place where I’d thought I’d never leave. I spoke only Cantonese, both to my friends and to my parents. Everyone I was around spoke fluent Cantonese, and I never spoke anything other than Cantonese. I was pretty much secluded from the outside world because I never left Chinatown, for I felt this was my home. However, my parents felt differently. They wanted me to adapt the “American” culture. By being more “Americanized”, they felt that life would be better and that my sister and I would be more accepted. For that reason, my family and I made the big move to the Sunset District ten years ago; a move my parents hope would be a quick assimilation into the mainstream – the “American” culture- an assimilation that would ultimately change my values and my perceptions of my cultural background. When I moved from Chinatown to the Sunset District, I was completely amazed at how different it was compared to where I grew up. There was considerably less traffic and noise on the streets. I remember, I would have to push my way to get through streets when I was in Chinatown. One major difference that I noticed was that all the children were Caucasian. This was completely different for me because when living in Chinatown, I only associated with predominantly Asian. Sunset definitely had more Caucasians than Chinatown.When I arrived at my new home, I was quickly plunged into the “process of assimilation.” My parents enrolled me into St. Anne’s, a Catholic school that consisted mostly of Caucasian. Although I am a quick learner, it was especially hard for me because I had to learn English. I d...
