My Experience
When my parents came to this country from China, they had only $50 to their name. (the early 1980s) This motivated my parents to work hard and save as much as they could until it was possible for them to choose a house to call home here in Los Angeles, CA. Of course, the dilemma of deciding where to reside was quite a tedious and tough choice- as many of the communities in Los Angeles had special charms of their own.
One choice my family considered was a neighborhood filled with familiar Chinese faces, shops, and restaurants. This community was comprised of Chinese American families, and with this unified understanding of a common culture, my family saw no trouble assimilating into a neighborhood that reminded them of home.
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Another option my family had in mind was the neighborhood I eventually grew up in- a suburban community, with diverse customs and races. What made this community so full of hope was the unifying identity of the United States culture built from the firm foundation of an unwavering drive within this multicultural neighborhood to pursue the American Dream.
As a little girl, I remember mornings before school, I would glance outside our kitchen window to our other Chinese American neighbor's front yard. Every day, I would admire how the American flag hung on the tall, silver pole in Sue’s driveway. Sometimes, the flag was dancing in the air, blowing ever so gently from our southern California winds. Other times, the flag was just left resting, basking in the LA sun.
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Whatever the position the flag decided for the day, I would always be able to count on those 50 stars and 13 bold red and white stripes.
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As the years passed, I noticed that her son come back from serving our country. As a teenager, I fully embraced and recognized the strength and courage of the path of our American History which was taught in my classes of years past.
It was then, that I understood why it was so important for Sue’s family to take such precious care of our United States American flag.
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The choice my family made 30-something years ago, helped my family create a sense of belonging, self-identity, and roots here in America.
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My childhood consisted of various activities, memories, and different types of communities that I was always having fun with. This colorful childhood of mine was made possible by the hard work of my mother and her drive to create a better life for our family in this land of opportunity. Only in such a society, hard work will account for so much more than being born into a caste or raised inside a type of socialist system.
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Aside from my k-12 education, I also participated in Saturday classes, learning all about my family’s heritage- the Mandarin Chinese Langauge, culture, calligraphy, and crafts. I was able to spend my Saturday mornings creating various crafts, reading, singing Mandarin melodies, and embracing the experience of learning about Chinese traditions.
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Aside from these Chinese classes, I also participated in weekly violin lessons. I began taking lessons from my fiddle teacher, Frankie. He was an expert at banjo and old American folk songs. Frankie taught me melodies that I still remember almost 30 years later. As a young fiddle player, I even had the opportunity to perform and take part in a blues contest with the classic song- McClouds Reel.
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Years later, my mother enrolled me with another violin instructor- an older Chinese man, an expert in classical music. His services were recommended to her by some members of our church. It was a nice experience, which lasted until 9th grade.
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During these years, I was also an active member of Kid’s Art. It was there I learned about color composition and how to create landscapes and design cartoons. Every Tuesday, I would submit my work to our local newspaper, the Daily News. My art and writings would sometimes get published in the Kids Corner section of the newspaper. These formative years held memories I will hold on to for the rest of my life. The activities and busy schedule enriched my childhood to eventually cultivate the person I am proud to be today.
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The suburban neighborhood of Granada Hills, California is an integral part of my identity. I would like to recreate these priceless memories from growing up in this all-American town to better help assimilate students in our ESL classrooms.